Transfer Steam titles from an external HDD to an internal SSD
Transfer Steam titles from an external HDD to an internal SSD
You're switching from a desktop to an MSI GL62 laptop and moving your data around using an enclosure. You're attempting to transfer Steam game folders from the old hard drive to the SSD on the laptop, but Steam isn't recognizing them. Even when checking the Steam settings, it doesn't see the external drive. The drive is connected and should work for other tasks, so something might be preventing Steam from detecting it properly.
Noticing Steam assumes you have the games installed just by copying the game isn't enough. To get instant recognition, copy the appmanifest file too. Or run the install step and Steam will verify the presence of the game. In short, Steam needs additional files to confirm installation.
The process isn't set up to look for files automatically. You need to connect to the internet to download and locate the game files.
It seems you might need an online connection to confirm ownership of the game. You could also begin the download, ensure it retrieves the latest APM file, shut down Steam, move the game file, clear the download directory, and then restart Steam.
It simply indicates the file isn't suitable for offline use, which explains the message. You're correct—no internet connection at the time of installation. You'll need to try again later once you have access.