protonscr

Non-Steam games no longer work correctly

steamopen Steam clientDistro Family: SteamOSnon-Steam application
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#10891 · opened 2024-05-14 by pedrovay2003 · updated 2024-10-23 · 25 comments · github
Ppedrovay2003 2024-05-14 github

Your system information

  • SteamOS version: May 13th
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: No
  • Opted into SteamOS beta?: Yes and No
  • Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

As of the latest Steam Deck stable update, non-Steam games added in Desktop Mode don't appear in Gaming Mode; returning to Desktop Mode, they're there. Non-Steam games that I had added before the update are still there in Gaming Mode, but they don't appear in Desktop Mode anymore. I tried the Beta branch, but it's the same behavior there, and another user reported the same behavior in the Preview branch, as well.

As I was typing this, the Steam Windows client updated, and all of my non-Steam games were removed from my library.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Add a non-Steam game to Steam in Desktop Mode
  2. Return to Gaming Mode, where that non-Steam game will be missing
  3. Check Desktop Mode for any non-Steam games added prior to this update, and they will be missing in Desktop Mode, even though they appear in Gaming Mode
Kkisak-valve maintainer 2024-05-14 github

Hello @pedrovay2003, you've described an issue with the Steam client instead of SteamOS as a platform, so I've transferred this issue report to the steam-for-linux issue tracker.

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-14 github

Running into a similar thing as well on Deck since the May 13th Client update (non-Steam games not populating in Steam in either Game or Desktop mode).

The non-Steam games are still present in the shortcuts.vdf file, and shutting down and restarting the Deck only very occasionally (2/10 tries for me) restores them to Steam.

TTrebolt23 2024-05-14 github

Can confirm I am having the same issue *on my Deck, annoyed that it's a thing at all but at least I know I'm not alone/it wasn't something I did.

Iitaloghost 2024-05-14 github

I am experiencing this at my desktop. Steam updated itself and every non-steam game has vanished.

RrKsanu2MMYvypWePtQWM 2024-05-16 github

same

BBizzo499 2024-05-16 github

Hello, I'm also facing the same issue.
On my Deck, shortcuts that I added before the update are still in gaming mode while in the desktop client, all of them are missing.
If I try to add new ones, they will not appear in gaming mode.
I tried to switch to the beta channel but nothing changed.

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-16 github

From the Steam Deck Discord:

**This has me completely stumped.desktop mode steam client now uses /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/userdata/0/config/shortcuts.vdf

while gamemode uses /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/userdata//config/shortcuts.vdf

from what I remember before the last update the desktop steam client shared the userID folder, when it came to the shortcuts.vdf files anyway"

Quick fix for this was to symlink the shortcuts.vdf from one folder to another, seems to mostly work though for how long I don't know, Valve needs to step up here."**

Hope that helps.

Iitaloghost 2024-05-16 github

@midnightcatwalk It worked!

Ppedrovay2003 2024-05-17 github

I have an update to this as far as the desktop Steam client goes. This comes from a user on the official Steam forums:

"Adding the shortcuts.vdf file to Steam\userdata\0\config can bring them back. But it's so weird because, if you delete the vdf file, sometimes adding a non-steam shortcut then restarting Steam adds a file to Steam\userdata\0\config and other times it adds it to userdata<USERID>\config. It's like Steam alternates between where the file is supposed to be. And sometimes Steam deletes the file in the folder upon restart."

Ppedrovay2003 2024-05-17 · hidden on GitHub github

I have an update to this as far as the desktop Steam client goes. This comes from a user on the official Steam forums:

"Adding the shortcuts.vdf file to Steam\userdata\0\config can bring them back. But it's so weird because, if you delete the vdf file, sometimes adding a non-steam shortcut then restarting Steam adds a file to Steam\userdata\0\config and other times it adds it to userdata<USERID>\config. It's like Steam alternates between where the file is supposed to be. And sometimes Steam deletes the file in the folder upon restart."

DDevinerz 2024-05-17 github

In Game Mode, go to System > Updates and switch to Preview mode (from Stable or Beta) and install/reboot/let update finish.
They've made a fix for this as of May 15th I think.

My games weren't visible at first, so I had to re-add them via desktop mode but they work fine after that.

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-17 github

In Game Mode, go to System > Updates and switch to Preview mode (from Stable or Beta) and install/reboot/let update finish. They've made a fix for this as of May 15th I think.

My games weren't visible at first, so I had to re-add them via desktop mode but they work fine after that.

Having to re-add everything doesn’t sound like a fix. But today’s stable client update does. We’ll see.

Ppedrovay2003 2024-05-18 github

I updated my Deck to the latest Stable version, and it didn't seem to fix anything; I removed all of my non-Steam games and re-added them just to make sure that they were definitely there, and they only showed up in Desktop Mode, not in Gaming Mode. I had to mess with the shortcuts.vdf files mentioned above to get everything to show up in both modes.

DDevinerz 2024-05-18 github

I updated my Deck to the latest Stable version, and it didn't seem to fix anything; I removed all of my non-Steam games and re-added them just to make sure that they were definitely there, and they only showed up in Desktop Mode, not in Gaming Mode. I had to mess with the shortcuts.vdf files mentioned above to get everything to show up in both modes.

Pretty sure Stable does not have this fix, so I'm not sure why you expected a fix?
The latest version of Stable is the one where this is a problem.

If you read the link below, you'll see the "Steam Deck Client 5/16/24 Changelog" part.
https://steamdeckhq.com/news/steam-deck-client-steamos-preview-neat-updates/

If you've tinkered with your shortcut files already, I'm not sure if that'll cause a problem.

I've never had an issue viewing games in Desktop mode, only Game mode.
But I removed/re-added a few times, so maybe that's why I had to re-add my games once I switched to Preview mode.

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-18 github

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/10891#issuecomment-2118672300

Check the “May 17th” update:

https://www.steamdeck.com/en/news

Hasn’t hit my Deck yet, but sounds promising

DDevinerz 2024-05-18 github

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/10891#issuecomment-2118672849

Ahh, good spot, I hadn't seen that.
I wonder have they only partially promoted some of the Preview branches changes into Stable? The wording is fairly different between the two.

Latest Stable update says:
Fixed a case where the non-steam game list could load from an invalid user profile.

Latest Preview update says:
Fixed non-steam games not showing in search results.
Fixed a bug that could result in non-primary steam library folders to be forgotten.

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-18 github

Replying to [#10891 (comment)](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/10891#issuecomment-2118672849)

Ahh, good spot, I hadn't seen that. I wonder have they only partially promoted some of the Preview branches changes into Stable? The wording is fairly different between the two.

Latest Stable update says: Fixed a case where the non-steam game list could load from an invalid user profile.

Latest Preview update says: Fixed non-steam games not showing in search results. Fixed a bug that could result in non-primary steam library folders to be forgotten.

Turns out that they mislabeled the May 17th client update as a Stable update, when in fact it’s Beta/Preview. So it’s presumably a different fix.

Llostgoat 2024-05-18 github

Correct, the fix for this issue is currently available in the Beta/Preview channels. It hasn’t landed in stable yet.

TThisNekoGuy 2024-05-19 github

I actually mentioned this early this month on this 6th (about 3 weeks ago) over on the SteamOS tracker too
Was wondering if it was ever going to get looked into because I didn't really get a response...

TThornskade 2024-05-20 github

So have all non-Steam games been deleted? What happens to the input configs? How cant his be prevented in the future?

Llostgoat 2024-05-20 github

They haven’t been deleted. There was a random chance they wouldn’t load on startup.

There is a fix in the steam client beta.

TThornskade 2024-05-20 github

But I switched to both the beta and preview several times and they never showed up. Except for a single non-Steam game which I had added after the bug, before I knew what was going on. I can only conclude they've been deleted

Mmidnightcatwalk 2024-05-20 github

But I switched to both the beta and preview several times and they never showed up. Except for a single non-Steam game which I had added after the bug, before I knew what was going on. I can only conclude they've been deleted

But are you currently on the most recent beta/preview client? (not OS)

You could also check your shortcuts.vdf file and see if the non-Steam games are still there, and just not being read (the bug) or actually deleted.

TThornskade 2024-05-20 github

But I switched to both the beta and preview several times and they never showed up. Except for a single non-Steam game which I had added after the bug, before I knew what was going on. I can only conclude they've been deleted

But are you currently on the most recent beta/preview client? (not OS)

You could also check your shortcuts.vdf file and see if the non-Steam games are still there, and just not being read (the bug) or actually deleted.

Yeah, according to FSearch there are multiple shortcuts.vdf files on my system. Only two of them have any contents, and both show the one game I added after the update introduced the bug

BBultom 2024-10-23 github

Hello,

Bumping this issue cause the bug came back
Steam last stable or beta client (as of 23/10/24) , W11 last stable update