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General discussionHow to run Steam games offline forever (Tutorial)(105 posts)(105 posts)
(105 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted April 27, 2015
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jamyskis: I appreciate all the work you've put into this lengthy howto Pedrovay, but ultimately this paragraph demonstrates the futility of it all, because around 80-85% of games on Steam use GFWL, CEG or Uplay. There are no Steam games with enforced use of Origin.

The remaining 15-20% are mostly games that either cannot be protected with CEG (Flash games, DOSBox games, straight NoCD cracked ports of old Windows games), or a minority of indie games where the developer simply didn't see the point in DRM (and where they have consequently also released on DRM-free platforms like GOG or Desura).

The remaining "portable" Steam game probably number no more than 20.
Backup your statement with a fact, else I call bullshit. 80-85% my ass.

Otherwise, good job, Topic Creator.
Posted April 27, 2015
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pedrovay2003: Well, it seems like I got the wrong idea by trying to help people run Steam games offline. I figured people would like to know how to play games in the future they wouldn't be able to get here on GOG, but I suppose I was wrong. My apologies. If there's a way to get rid of this thread, I'd be happy to, but I don't think there's a delete button.
Don't worry, this phenomena happens often the internet, but there will be people who appreciate of your helpfulness too.

And back to the topic, is there anyway to backup the local registry and such so you do not need to be online again to be verified by steam once you reformat or buy a new computer?
Posted April 27, 2015
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ZFR: There is a slightly easier method which you might want to try first. If my method doesn't work then use the one in OP.

1) Find out the game's title. It's that big white text towards the top of the game's page on steam.

2) Try and find that title on this page (this might not be as easy as it sounds if the title contains full punctuation, like F.E.A.R):
http://www.gog.com/games

3) Purchase. Download. Install. Enjoy.
I definitely agree with you here. I'll always buy on GOG first, if a game is available. Ironically enough, I absolutely jumped at the chance to buy both F.E.A.R. games as soon as GOG got them, and I've double-dipped on stuff like Alan Wake in the past.
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pedrovay2003: Well, it seems like I got the wrong idea by trying to help people run Steam games offline. I figured people would like to know how to play games in the future they wouldn't be able to get here on GOG, but I suppose I was wrong. My apologies. If there's a way to get rid of this thread, I'd be happy to, but I don't think there's a delete button.
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Gnostic: Don't worry, this phenomena happens often the internet, but there will be people who appreciate of your helpfulness too.

And back to the topic, is there anyway to backup the local registry and such so you do not need to be online again to be verified by steam once you reformat or buy a new computer?
The verification thing only needs to happen if you're upgrading to a newer version of Windows. If you reformat or buy a machine that has the same version, i.e., going from a PC with Windows 8.1 to a new machine or reformat with Windows 8.1, then you don't need to verify anything. It may ask you to run Steam as an administrator once to "fix the installation," but that doesn't require an Internet connection to do so.

As far as the old OS to the new one goes, I don't think it's actually a registry thing; I believe it's downloading actual missing files into the Steam folder.
Post edited April 27, 2015 by pedrovay2003
Posted April 27, 2015
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misteryo: Did anyone ever definitively demonstrate just how long Steam will let you keep it in offline mode?
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JMich: StingingVelvet (I think, probably misremember the name) was 6 months offline while in Georgia. You can also ask OldFatGuy how long he's been offline.
The discussion last year seems to indicate that if a computer is offline, Steam will work indefinitely, but if a computer is online with Steam set to offline mode, it may ask to go online for updates.
IIRC, StingingVelvet was the guy with the Cary Grant avatar that had to eventually stop playing games because of... carpal tunnel?
Posted April 27, 2015
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ZFR: 2) Try and find that title on this page (this might not be as easy as it sounds if the title contains full punctuation, like F.E.A.R):
This joke no longer works because GOG has fixed that specific bug.
Posted April 27, 2015
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Here I am, thinking that this thread would help me play Steam integrated titles offline forever.... Come on man, we already know how to play the non-integrated titles offline forever! Downrepped for making me read all that nonsense.
Posted April 27, 2015
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ZFR: 2) Try and find that title on this page (this might not be as easy as it sounds if the title contains full punctuation, like F.E.A.R):
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mrkgnao: This joke no longer works because GOG has fixed that specific bug.
Wow! So they did.
Posted April 27, 2015
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misteryo: Did anyone ever definitively demonstrate just how long Steam will let you keep it in offline mode?
A year or so ago, I did a quick test on the offline mode. I set Steam to offline, disabled my network device, then changed my system clock forward to see if/when it would stop working. Two weeks in the future, it asked me to sign in and wouldn't start in offline mode, and setting the time back didn't allow me to start in offline. When I did the same thing, with Steam in offline mode but keeping the network device on, it allowed me to stay in offline mode past two weeks.

They did make some updates to offline mode since, so this might not apply anymore.
Posted April 27, 2015
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mrkgnao: This joke no longer works because GOG has fixed that specific bug.
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ZFR: Wow! So they did.
Yes. Now you can finally search for d.e.u.s. e.x.
Post edited April 27, 2015 by mrkgnao
Posted April 27, 2015
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Gnostic: Don't worry, this phenomena happens often the internet, but there will be people who appreciate of your helpfulness too.

And back to the topic, is there anyway to backup the local registry and such so you do not need to be online again to be verified by steam once you reformat or buy a new computer?
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pedrovay2003: The verification thing only needs to happen if you're upgrading to a newer version of Windows. If you reformat or buy a machine that has the same version, i.e., going from a PC with Windows 8.1 to a new machine or reformat with Windows 8.1, then you don't need to verify anything. It may ask you to run Steam as an administrator once to "fix the installation," but that doesn't require an Internet connection to do so.

As far as the old OS to the new one goes, I don't think it's actually a registry thing; I believe it's downloading actual missing files into the Steam folder.
I don't think it has anything to do with different version of windows, it need verification even on the same version of windows.

One two months ago I tried migrating my entire steam folder into an external hard drive and tried to run steam games offline from there. It requires me to verify again. I check some youtuber on running steam offline and it seems that he have to verify it again when connecting the hard disk to another PC.

Has you been successful in running your steam games offline in a new PC without having to do the first time verification?
Posted April 27, 2015
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yyahoo: IIRC, StingingVelvet was the guy with the Cary Grant avatar that had to eventually stop playing games because of... carpal tunnel?
Stopped playing games that required a mouse and/or keyboard, specifically. He could still play with a gamepad.
Post edited April 27, 2015 by Grargar
Posted April 27, 2015
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pedrovay2003: I hope at least a few people here find this guide useful.
Yes, this is very useful, please ignore the naysayers because it's good information and stuff that I'm sure a lot of people including drive-by lurkers may find incredibly beneficial.

Look, I'm all for supporting GOG and the DRM-free movement. But I'm also for frugality and saving money where possible. If there's a game that is significantly cheaper to legally obtain on Steam and which is also DRM-free or can be backed up in this manner, I'll be honest and say that I'm going to get it the cheaper way, and the money that I save on doing it this way will allow me to buy a GOG exclusive which I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.
Post edited April 27, 2015 by the.kuribo
Posted April 27, 2015
deleted
Posted April 27, 2015
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pedrovay2003: Well, it seems like I got the wrong idea by trying to help people run Steam games offline. I figured people would like to know how to play games in the future they wouldn't be able to get here on GOG, but I suppose I was wrong. My apologies. If there's a way to get rid of this thread, I'd be happy to, but I don't think there's a delete button.
Don't take it personally. You just chose the worst possible timing in the history of gaming to post what many see as a pro-Steam thread.
No matter how useful or not this information is, you should have expected to be met with a greater hate storm than Steam itself.
Posted April 27, 2015
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micktiegs_8: Here I am, thinking that this thread would help me play Steam integrated titles offline forever.... Come on man, we already know how to play the non-integrated titles offline forever! Downrepped for making me read all that nonsense.
...That's literally what the entire tutorial is helping you to do. The tutorial helps you play Steamworks games, i.e., the ones that require the Steam client to be running, offline forever.

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misteryo: Did anyone ever definitively demonstrate just how long Steam will let you keep it in offline mode?
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Grilledfish: A year or so ago, I did a quick test on the offline mode. I set Steam to offline, disabled my network device, then changed my system clock forward to see if/when it would stop working. Two weeks in the future, it asked me to sign in and wouldn't start in offline mode, and setting the time back didn't allow me to start in offline. When I did the same thing, with Steam in offline mode but keeping the network device on, it allowed me to stay in offline mode past two weeks.

They did make some updates to offline mode since, so this might not apply anymore.
I remember that happening, and Valve confirmed that it was a bug. They've fixed it, so Offline Mode is indefinite now.

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pedrovay2003: Well, it seems like I got the wrong idea by trying to help people run Steam games offline. I figured people would like to know how to play games in the future they wouldn't be able to get here on GOG, but I suppose I was wrong. My apologies. If there's a way to get rid of this thread, I'd be happy to, but I don't think there's a delete button.
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Pardinuz: Don't take it personally. You just chose the worst possible timing in the history of gaming to post what many see as a pro-Steam thread.
No matter how useful or not this information is, you should have expected to be met with a greater hate storm than Steam itself.
Yeah, I suppose that's a good point. I just never ever downloading anything from the Steam Workshop, so I guess the whole controversy didn't cross my mind.
Post edited April 27, 2015 by pedrovay2003
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionHow to run Steam games offline forever (Tutorial)(105 posts)(105 posts)
(105 posts)