Steam is a digital distribution platform developed by Valve Corporation, which offers digital rights management (DRM), multiplayer gaming, and social networking services. It is one of the most popular gaming platforms available, with millions of users worldwide. However, one question that often comes up is whether uninstalling Steam also uninstalls the games that were installed through it. In this article, we will answer this question and provide you with all the necessary information.
What Happens When You Uninstall Steam?
When you uninstall Steam, it removes all the files associated with it, including the games that were installed through it. This means that if you want to reinstall Steam, you will have to download and install all the games again. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before uninstalling Steam.
Backing Up Your Games
If you want to uninstall Steam but do not want to lose your games, you can back them up before uninstalling. To do this, go to the "Steam" menu and select "Backup and Restore Games." This will allow you to select the games you want to back up and save them to an external hard drive or USB flash drive. Once you have backed up your games, you can uninstall Steam without losing them.
Steam Cloud
If you have enabled Steam Cloud, your game saves and preferences will be stored on Valve's servers. This means that even if you uninstall Steam, your game saves and preferences will still be available when you reinstall the games. However, not all games support Steam Cloud, so you should check whether the games you want to uninstall and reinstall support it.
Uninstalling Individual Games
If you want to uninstall individual games, you can do so without uninstalling Steam. To do this, right-click on the game in your Steam library and select "Uninstall." This will only remove the game files and not the Steam client or any other games installed through it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, uninstalling Steam will remove all the games installed through it. However, you can back up your games before uninstalling or use Steam Cloud to keep your game saves and preferences. You can also uninstall individual games without uninstalling Steam. Keep these things in mind before uninstalling Steam to avoid losing your games.
