The Problem
Specifically This Is What Caused The Problem:
The Following NO LONGER WORKS To Effectively Backup Call Of Duty HQ On Steam And Will Result In Only A Partial Backup:
The problem with backing up Call of Duty on Steam began with the update referenced in this blog post by Activision: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1938090/view/6124418777151554519
The reason being, is that Steam only identifies the Call of Duty HQ files which you initially downloaded as being part of the Call of Duty title, if it sounds confusing, you can blame Activision because it is confusing. Before this update, all Call of Duty titles which were played through Call of Duty HQ, could be found in the "DLC" tab in the game's library. Now this is no longer the case, such as for the Black Ops 6 beta files which do not show up in the "DLC" tab despite being downloaded as something that's part of Call of Duty HQ. What's really confusing is that these beta files do not get get backed up or transferred across the network using Steam's network file transfer despite these files being inside the Call of Duty HQ folder. It's just nonsensical to be frank.
Furthermore, any textures your PC downloads as a result of the new and unwanted "texture streaming" feature, also do not get backed up or transferred because Steam does not associate those files with Call of Duty HQ but something client specific. Steam will only backup or transfer files associated with the title from the Steam Store page, this is why "DLC" used to get backed up before.
Reminder, this does not work effectively.
The Solution
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call Of Duty HQ
The solution is straight forward, slightly inconvenient because you have to navigate Steam directories but it works!
Step 1: Back up your Call of Duty HQ folder by manually copying it from the Steam directory. The directory is as follows depending on your installation location.
Then you'd paste those files to where you're trying to backup the game to, in the same installation location as above or where so ever you choose, it must be in the same corresponding Steam directory because that's where Steam reads game files.
Access the Steam Folder, then access the steamapps Folder Access the common Folder Copy the Call of Duty HQ Folder
Step 2: Copy the Call of Duty HQ Steam app manifest file. This is the file that Steam reads then is told that the corresponding game is installed with the corresponding folder size etc, this is what allows this method of backing up to work.
Access the Steam Folder, then access the steamapps Folder The app manifest file is inside the steamapp Folder, it will read as follows appmanifest_1938090.acf, unless Activision alter the presence of CoD HQ on the Steam Store. Check the appmanifest is correct by examining the contents, it should read as follows, at least the top part where the arrows are. The appmanifest file corresponds to where Steam is installed, so if you're backing up Call of Duty to a PC where Steam is installed on a different drive (Such as on drive E: instead of C:) you must amend the Steam directory inside the manifest file to correctly show the relevant main Steam directory even if you're backing up the game to the SteamLibrary folder, you would see this folder if you have Steam games installed on more than one drive connected to the PC. The appmanifest file must show the drive where Steam itself is installed and not the drive where you're backing up your game to.
Now that you've copied all the relevant files, all that remains is pasting them to wheresoever you want to backup Call of Duty, YOU MUST PASTE them back in to the same Steam directories as you found them above, for instance if you accidentally put the manifest file anywhere but steamapps, Steam won't know that you've "already downloaded Call of Duty" although it might recognise existing files, it will still need time to then validate them. Like wise CoDHQ must go back into "Common". That's it, you've successfully backed up CoDHQ along with your relevant game files. Furthermore, this guide on how to backup games without using Steam's method for backing up can work with any game on Steam. You just need the game's files and the correlating appmanifest file.
Who's To Blame For This Inconvenience?
They are, for not knowing how to properly publish games on Steam.
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3322276993
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