(Solved) Games Missing from Steam Library

My Games Missing from Steam Library

Steam is the juggernaut of the gaming world. With nearly 30,000 games from AAA to indie and everything in between. Enjoy exclusive deals, automatic game updates, and other benefits. So many users choose to purchase games and store them on Steam.

However, some users report their purchased Steam game is not showing up in Library and cannot find them anywhere. Why is this happening? Your purchase may still be pending. Please check your emails to confirm if you received the receipt from Steam. If it was complete, continue to read this article and fix this issue with the following methods.

Fix Steam Games not Showing up in Library

If your purchase was complete, but the game is still missing from Steam Library, you can try to check the Hidden games list, game ownership, etc.

Solution 1: Start Steam as Administrator

Sometimes, insufficient permission might result in Steam malfunctioning and making you can’t find games in Steam library. Try to Start Steam as an Administrator.

Step 1. Type steam in the search box, select the top result, and Run as administrator.

Step 2. Check if your games are back in Library.

Step 3. If yes, be sure it always has sufficient permission. Search Steam again and click Open file location.

Step 4. Right-click the Steam.exe and select Properties.

Step 5. Switch to the Compatibility tab. Scroll down to Settings and check Run this program as an administrator. Finally, click Apply and OK.

Solution 2: Validate Ownership of Your Account

If you have multiple Steam accounts, you may log in to the wrong account and search for a game, but find it is not showing up in Library. Try to check your game in other accounts and be sure you log in to the account where you purchased the game.  

Solution 3: Change Steam Library Filter Settings

You may accidentally mark the Show only read to play games option in Library and make your game missing from Steam Library. Please check the filter setting in Library.

Step 1. In the Steam Client, click Library.

Step 2. Click the filter next to GAMES AND SOFTWARE and make sure the Show only read to play games option is not marked.

Solution 4: Check the Hidden Games List

If your games missing from Steam Library, it might be added to the Hidden Games list within your Steam account. You can check if your games are there.

Step 1. In the Steam Client, click View and select Hidden Games.

Step 2. Right-click the missing game, click Manage and select Remove from Hidden. Your missing games will then be moved to Library.

Solution 5: Reset Your Internet Connection

If you still cannot see your game, there is a chance that your internet connection is not running well. Try to reset your internet connection.

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box, select the top result, and Run as administrator.

Step 2. Type the following commands and press Enter after each line.

• ipconfig /flushdns
• ipconfig /registerdns
• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /renew
• netsh winsock reset

Solution 6: Correct the Default Install Folder

If your game was previously installed and worked fine, but now find it’s missing from Steam Library. You can try to correct the default install folder.  

Step 1. In the Steam client, click Setting.

Step 2. Select Downloads and Steam Library Folders.

Step 3. Click Add Library Folder.

Step 3. Select the default install folder of your game. Go back to Library and check if your games are there.

Sometimes, you will be asked to install the game again due to incomplete downloads or accidental removal. Verify if the game files are neither corrupted nor missing. You can then correct the default install folder and download it in Library as many times as needed.

Solution 7: Repair the Steam Library Folder

Steam provides a built-in feature to repair the Library folder, addressing any issues related to missing games caused by file corruption. You can repair your Steam Library manually.

Step 1. In the Steam client, click Setting.

Step 2. Select Downloads and Steam Library Folders.

Step 3. In the subsequent window, choose Repair Library Folder. 

Wait until the process is complete. Once finished, relaunch Steam and check if your games appear in the Library.

Solution 8: Seek Assistance from Steam Support

If the previous solutions fail to resolve the issue, it is advisable to reach out to Steam Support for further assistance. Ensure that you are logged in with the correct Steam account and have the purchase confirmation emails readily available when contacting support.

The Steam Support team will thoroughly investigate the issue and resolve it promptly, ensuring the missing game is added back to your library once all details are verified.

Last Resort to Game Missing from Steam Library

If all of the settings are correct and you still can’t find game in Steam Library, the last resort is to restore deleted or lost game files using powerful data recovery software. We recommend you use MyRecover for its fast scanning methods, high sucess rate, and wide compatibility.

• Recover files lost in any scenario, such as accidental deletion, formatting, virus infection, corrupted disk, etc.
• Supports a wide range of file types, such as documents, images, videos, audios, compressed files, etc., surpassing 200+ file formats.
• Complete recovery: With two advanced scanning methods, you can find as many files as possible and recover them completely without losing their quality or corruption.
• Compatible with all versions of Windows systems (32bit and 64bit), including Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc, and Windows Server.
• No technical expertise required, even for novices. 

Now please download and install this professional data recovery software. You can then follow the steps below to recover games missing from Steam Library.

Step 1. On the main page of MyRecover, hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

Step 2. It will run Quick Scan and Deep Scan automatically to search and display all the deleted or lost game files, such as .wld etc. To locate them quickly, expand the Deleted Files tab and go to the original location of Terraria world: C:\Users\your username\Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds. 

Step 3.  Then, select the deleted game files and click Recover x files to retrieve your missing games. You will then be asked to select a location. Please select a new location instead of the original location to prevent potential data overwriting.

Notes:  

• The restore button will display the number of selected games and their full size. You can use it to determine the integrity of the recovered game files.
• You can recover game missing from Steam Library for free, up to 500MB in total. To recover all files, please upgrade to the advanced editions.
• In addition, you still can use this software to recover deleted Word/Excel/PPT documents, JPG/X3F/HEIF images, WMV/MXF/MP4 videos, and any common file types on internal or external drive, flash drive, and SD card.

Conclusion

By following these methods, you are supposed to resolve the Game missing from Steam Library effectively. Among them, using data recovery software will be the best method if your settings are correct. It has a success rate of more than 95%.

However, the process is not 100% guaranteed. To avoid losing any game, you’d better create a copy of your them regularly, such as, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Try complete Windows backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard to help you.