Cannot start Steam on my old HDD and backup

[Unfocused]

I got a new HDD and made a fresh Windows installation; the system boots from the new drive. I wanted to make a backup of my Steam files so I set the old HDD as master and booted the other windows installation. I connected to the net and started Steam. It said that it cannot connect to the Steam network etc. So I disconnected and chose to start in offline mode (I only wanted to backup the files so I could install Steam on the other drive and not have to download the content). Even so, it still says it can't connect to the Steam network (though it's supposed to start in offline mode, ffs!). Suggestions? What's wrong?

I guess I can't install Steam and simply copy the .gcf files?

 

[Cole]

You can install steam and copy the GCF files I do it all the time. Infact what I will mostly do is install steam then overwrite the directory with my old one so nothing really changes(Saves, Controls, etc)(Reinstalling Steam will replace all the proper registry files).

You will also have to delete the clientregistry.blob if you copy over your full directory.(clientregistry.blob saves where files are located, and if you put it on a new HD with a new letter you have to reset it. When you delete it, you reset it and it will automatically find itself and etc..)

 

[Sam]

I had trouble in a similar situation, in the end I just reinstalled it fully onto my new master HDD :|

 

[Unfocused]

You can install steam and copy the GCF files I do it all the time. Infact what I will mostly do is install steam then overwrite the directory with my old one so nothing really changes(Saves, Controls, etc)(Reinstalling Steam will replace all the proper registry files).

You will also have to delete the clientregistry.blob if you copy over your full directory.(clientregistry.blob saves where files are located, and if you put it on a new HD with a new letter you have to reset it. When you delete it, you reset it and it will automatically find itself and etc..)

Thanks :thumbs: I thought it might have some problems with locating the files, but if deleting clientregistry.blob does it, then it's OK.