EPIC Games Launcher now verifies existing installs better

[skizzo]

This was a major pain point in the past for me. This stupid program could not for the life of it detect existing installs if you needed to uninstall/reinstall EPIC Games Launcher or moved installed games to another location, etc things that required jumping through hoops in the past. You would need to do some odd ball workarounds by renaming the existing install folder, let the game start downloading, pause the download, task kill the EPIC Games Launcher, move some .egstore files/folders around, reopen the EPIC Games Launcher and tell said download to resume and at that point it would start verifying and would ALWAYS need to redownload some portion of the game. It was quite a crappy solution. Even more so if you need to rinse and repeat on a large library of games!

Just today I realized I needed to do this again and I thought "let's see what happens if I try to install to same exact location" because NORMALLY it would give you an error saying the folder already exists or isn't empty and cannot be installed/downloaded there. This is why you need to do the renaming step I mentioned above. However, today when I try it, it did not give me this error and a few seconds later it changed to VERIFYING the existing files! It did not need to do any additional redownloading either!

WOO HOO! ONLY TOOK THEM LIKE WHAT.....HALF A DOZEN+ YEARS TO FINALLY ADD THIS "FEATURE"!
I had no idea they added it, so this might be old news, but it's new news to me lol. So sharing this thinking maybe others might not know about it either.
Kinda odd, but they have left up their help web pages that continue to describe the now obsolete jumping through hoop steps I detailed above....that's def not required anymore.

This was my main huge gripe that made EPIC Games Launcher less of a program when compared to the likes of Steam. This basic addition makes much closer to being on par to Steam in my opinion. Though I still prefer Steam more, I no longer can complain about this and must give credit where it's due. They patched up a major hole with this quality of life feature! Now, to play the other side, they could take it one step further and just have it work automatically in the background like Steam does (assuming the disk/directory is already added to your Storage locations that is - but even if it is not, soon as it is added the existing installs are detected automatically). So there is still room for improvement but it's far more user friendly now!


So the TLDR summary is you can now simply tell your "missing" game to download to where it is already installed and it will verify it just like every other game launcher on the planet does.

 

[cvaldes]

I read this skeptically because I had not seen any reports elsewhere indicating this major change in the way the Epic Games Launcher handles reinstallations.

I tried it on my two gaming builds (both are running Windows 11 22H2) after I verified that the Epic software was up to date. Neither one will validate previously installed games. The Launcher still exhibits the old behavior of failing to start the installation because it finds the directory isn't empty.

As far as I am concerned the Epic Games Launcher is the same miserable skankware that we have grown accustomed to.

Pity.

 

[skizzo]

I read this skeptically because I had not seen any reports elsewhere indicating this major change in the way the Epic Games Launcher handles reinstallations.

I tried it on my two gaming builds (both are running Windows 11 22H2) after I verified that the Epic software was up to date. Neither one will validate previously installed games. The Launcher still exhibits the old behavior of failing to start the installation because it finds the directory isn't empty.

As far as I am concerned the Epic Games Launcher is the same miserable skankware that we have grown accustomed to.

Pity.

I had it work on two systems, one Windows 10 and the other 11. It did this for two games for each of those systems. Control, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2. It worked four times for me. The Windows 10 system got EPIC Games Launcher reinstalled fresh which is what started this whole ordeal for me. The Windows 11 system still had EPIC Games Launcher on it, but it lost the fact the games were installed so was instead prompting for an install rather than play. The games are stored on a disk separate from the OS and the same disk connects either directly or over a network to the systems. So EPIC Games Launcher was up to date being installed fresh on Windows 10 and the Windows 11 system would be up to date too due to I have EPIC Games Launcher booting at start of OS and can update automatically.

I revisited this and it still works for me. However, does seem like my test tonight required a workaround for the folder must be empty error that EPIC Games Launcher gives you when the folder already exists. (I swear I did not have to do this the other day when I made the original post) What I did is rename the folder in question, for example "TonyHawksProSkater" to "TonyHawksProSkaterTEST" and then I select the directory that "TonyHawksProSkater" folder is in, in this case it's called "Epic". So now the EPIC Games Launcher allows me to select "Epic" as the folder and it automatically says for this game it will install into directory ".\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater". You might think, who cares, you changed the folder name to TonyHawksProSkaterTEST so it is not going to verify.....and that would be correct. But before you start the "install" (which will turn into verifying) you rename the folder back to the original name, so "TonyHawksProSkaterTEST" back to "TonyHawksProSkater". The EPIC Games Launcher only does this check on if the directory is empty when you literally click the select folder button for said directory. So we can take advantage of knowing how this logic works and change folder names after the fact. It does go immediately to verifying and no redownloading of parts as long as the correct folder is selected when you click "INSTALL"

I don't recall doing the folder rename part, especially seeing how I did it four damn times, my memory is not that bad lol even more so considering I made the first post like within an hour of discovering this. But, I concede it's not like I have any proof besides just saying that's how it went.

With that said, this time I did video myself doing it for some proof. So this may require one extra step I did not initially detail (again, swear I didn't do it the first time around but that's neither here nor there), but it's still quicker than the way Epic's official FAQ will detail out!
What I did here is show the two games initially detect as installed and then renamed the game folder back and forth as I detailed above to go through with verifying it in it's already installed location.

 

[ir_cow]

The trick I've been doing for epic is to start a new install. Pause after like 2-3% , close the launcher. Copy your game into the folder and don't overwrite the files. Now launch epic and resume install. It will download like 1GB and now you have that 100GB game "reinstalled".

If I ever just pick the folder where the game is already it will just overwrite and start fresh. I've made that mistake before.

 

[Vayra86]

Nice. At this pace I might actually update it and open it again by 2030.

 

[skizzo]

The trick I've been doing for epic is to start a new install. Pause after like 2-3% , close the launcher. Copy your game into the folder and don't overwrite the files. Now launch epic and resume install. It will download like 1GB and now you have that 100GB game "reinstalled".

If I ever just pick the folder where the game is already it will just overwrite and start fresh. I've made that mistake before.

That's the method Epic communicates through their official page. Take note the method I demonstrate here though is quicker by comparison, less hoops to jump through this way which is at worst requiring renaming a folder to something different, and then changing it back to it's original name, so I recommend to use this instead over their guide. You don't need to do any partial downloading or killing the program, moving or copying files around, waiting for additional bits of the game to download etc BS with this method I detailed.

It doesn't overwrite stuff in my experience. I would bet what you did is this. I will use TonyHawksProSkater as the example.

Lets say this game is currently installed in D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater and you selected D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater for the install location.

Look closely and you will notice EPIC Games Launcher automatically appends the expected folder name onto the end of the directory the user selected.

So if you do in fact select the exact folder where the game lives then it actually installs to D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater\TonyHawksProSkater and begins the download fresh to that location. It's working as intended, but based off the intentions of the user, this would be user error. In order to do the method I am demonstrating here you would instead need to select D:\Epic as the install location, and then EPIC Games Launcher automatically appends the game name onto that path making it D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater which is where the game is actually already installed and it will instead verify rather than download anything new. Epic doesn't have the ability to overwrite stuff thanks to their use of checking if the directory exists or isn't empty when selecting the directory. In fact, if it did have the ability to overwrite stuff, then what I just showed wouldn't even work. It would not verify existing installs and would instead overwrite them....but it doesn't overwrite them, it will verify them. It's the whole point of the thread. We're tricking their poorly design system to "install" (actually verify) games where they are already installed in order to instantly go into verifying them.

 

[ir_cow]

Lets say this game is currently installed in D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater and you selected D:\Epic\TonyHawksProSkater for the install location.

Look closely and you will notice EPIC Games Launcher automatically appends the expected folder name onto the end of the directory the user selected.

(In the past) No I just do D:\Epic\ and it very much overwrites all the files. Probably spent a few hours trying different methods and the only one that works is the one I mentioned.

I'm going to try and just to verify a game install like you mentioned in the first post and see if it works now. Wouldn't that be great if epic finally see game folders previously installed.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Last I checked or tried I saw why it rarely works
Epic changed the game folder structure so it very much depends on how long you've had the games installed.

 

[cvaldes]

Curiously this continues to be the only place on the Internet where this discussion is happening.

Again, if this were an actual change to the way the Epic Games Launcher's operation, it would be *WIDELY* noted by gamers all over the Internet because of the app's longstanding ineptitude.

Not seeing it.

But I'm glad the OP is enjoying the benefits himself. Good for him.

 

[skizzo]

I'm going to try and just to verify a game install like you mentioned in the first post and see if it works now. Wouldn't that be great if epic finally see game folders previously installed.

I posted a video showing how it works in the 2nd post I made. Please make sure to watch it and read the first two posts I made to understand the method I used to make this work every single time. I've tried it on two different games, on two different systems, and over a dozen+ times now I've done it to verify I wasn't just blowing smoke out my rear. I'd like to think the video would have removed any doubt I'm lying or misleading anymore

Curiously this continues to be the only place on the Internet where this discussion is happening.

Again, if this were an actual change to the way the Epic Games Launcher's operation, it would be *WIDELY* noted by gamers all over the Internet because of the app's longstanding ineptitude.

Not seeing it.

do you want to debate the video as proof or what?

 

[Splinterdog]

Thanks for this thread because this has been driving me nuts for years. To be fair, I may have swapped out or replaced the odd HDD which will have rendered many of my Epic games as 'not installed'. But when using the official method of stopping the new install after a minute, then restarting in the 'new' folder, I've often found that Epic begins the entire process from scratch. I often end up with far too many duplicate games scattered around due to distractions.
Anyway, let me give your method a go and I'll report back.

 

[Keullo-e]

Just wondering that when will other launchers do it like Steam does?

-have a fresh Windows install
-install Steam
-add your other drives from Steam option with games installed
-a verification at maximum
-and you're set

 

[Splinterdog]

Thanks for this thread because this has been driving me nuts for years. To be fair, I may have swapped out or replaced the odd HDD which will have rendered many of my Epic games as 'not installed'. But when using the official method of stopping the new install after a minute, then restarting in the 'new' folder, I've often found that Epic begins the entire process from scratch. I often end up with far too many duplicate games scattered around due to distractions.
Anyway, let me give your method a go and I'll report back.

I just tried the method you suggested and I got the message that the folder should be empty.
Like this:
The Batman game was installed in F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight
So I browsed to F:\Epic\Epic Games and told it to install there, but received the not empty message. In the end, I cut the Batman folder, started a new install at F:\Epic, paused it, closed Epic, pasted Batman, reopened Epic and it began verifying.

 

[skizzo]

I just tried the method you suggested and I got the message that the folder should be empty.

so in other words, you didn't follow directions

you missed the step to rename the current installed games folder prior to selecting the folder location in the launcher. this would prevent the message that the folder must be empty.

let me step you through this....

STEP 1
THIS IS WHERE YOU WENT WRONG!
In Windows Explorer navigate to F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight and change the current installed game's folder.
For ex, simply add "1" to the end of it like this
F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight1

STEP 2
In Epic Games Launcher select the current install location but up one directory step due to the launcher automatically appends on the game name.
Select F:\Epic\Epic Games\
The launcher will append the game name on, actually installing to F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight
DUE TO DOING STEP ONE WE WILL NOT GET THE ERROR MESSAGE IN THE LAUNCHER!

STEP3
Now that we are pointing the launcher into the proper install location, we must change back the current installed game's folder name
In Windows Explorer, change F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight1 back to F:\Epic\Epic Games\Batman Arkham Knight

STEP4
Click the INSTALL button in the launcher
Game will instantly start VERIFYING


The launcher only does this "is the folder empty?" check when you click the BROWSE button and more specifically, actually executes the code to run this check when you click "SELECT FOLDER". So since we change the game's install folder prior to clicking select folder, it will not give you this error. Additionally, because we change the folder name back to normal BEFORE we click INSTALL we're forcing the launcher to "install" to a "not empty" location where the game is already installed. It therefore goes into instantly verifying the game. This method is faster by comparison to their official means of needing to download parts and jumping through the rest of the required hoops

 

[chrcoluk]

They added reviews yet?

 

[ir_cow]

They added reviews yet?

Nope. But you still get a free game a week. I'm over 300 now. Epic is awesome. I don't care how broken it stays. Never have to spend a dime.

 

[kapone32]

I have made posts about this for years. It is a real PITA when you have 100+ Games. The fact that Steam is so seamless shows it can be done. The biggest grievance though, is how does Epic get registered with Gog Galaxy better than Steam. It really upset me when they were spending millions on lawyers fighting other corps while us users got nothing in the way of support. I understand the Free Games is nice, but when you run into that issue it sucks. It is also frustrating that it works for some people.

 

[Splinterdog]

It must have been the heat...
I'll give it another go and report back.

 

[delshay]

Can confirm it's working here. Thumb up to OP.

 

[Jacked]

Currently verifying 6 games installed on an external drive. The first worked, so cross fingers for the rest. I think it will. No renaming folders just clicked install.

Would be nice if Epic could filter by "not installed" and go through it that way. Also sort by "recently purchased" seems bugged since they give away so many, doesn't actually sort that way.

I think what they've done is it does remember where the games were originally installed too, so it knows to check there. I don't know how they got forgotten in the first place though. Maybe epic launcher updated while the drive was disconnected, or it was launched a couple of times without the external drive attached so marked it missing, which would be correct but should recognise when plugged in again, who knows.

 

[skizzo]

Currently verifying 6 games installed on an external drive. The first worked, so cross fingers for the rest. I think it will. No renaming folders just clicked install.

Would be nice if Epic could filter by "not installed" and go through it that way. Also sort by "recently purchased" seems bugged since they give away so many, doesn't actually sort that way.

I think what they've done is it does remember where the games were originally installed too, so it knows to check there. I don't know how they got forgotten in the first place though. Maybe epic launcher updated while the drive was disconnected, or it was launched a couple of times without the external drive attached so marked it missing, which would be correct but should recognise when plugged in again, who knows.

Yes I noticed the best case scenario is when Epic Games Launcher properly recalls your game folder path too. it works when this happens because the "is this folder empty?!" check only happens when you hit BROWSE > SELECT FOLDER. So, if it already knows the folder location, you never click on BROWSE > SELECT FOLDER and therefore the check never executes. it will then go into verifying right away when clicking install

it took me a few attempts to figure out why it magically worked the first time I did this out of curiosity and I did zero folder renaming shenanigans at that point. this description above is the reasoning/explanation.

if you do need to select the folder via BROWSE > SELECT FOLDER that is where the folder renaming steps come into play to workaround the logic

for me in the past I've had to completely uninstall/reinstall Epic Games Launcher, so it would have zero data leftover to know where the game's folder was originally installed since I too use external drives for all my games (this "issue" might not be present if games are stored in default locations on the OS disk C: drive). that then forced me to use the BROWSE > SELECT FOLDER buttons and therefore requiring the folder renaming steps. at least that is my assumption of why it forgets the installed game folder location in my use case.