Steam - putting a game on a disc

Tusky

Ive gifted a friend of mine a game but the problem is, he has slow internet. I have the game as well. My question is, can I burn the game from my steam and then let him install it ? He would then be able to use his code or whatever.

Is this possible ?

Spear

Right click in the game entry, -> backup game files. It'll then ask for a location. Haven't tried this personally though so results may be unpredictable.

Gunmonkey

Go to your Steam folder, go to steamapps > common and copy the folder for the game to the disc. Get him to enter the game code onto his Steam account but dont download. then copy the folder to his Steam folder and it should cut a large chunk from the downlaod, there will be a few megs to download but still better than d/l the whole thing.

Could be eaiser ways but this worked well when I switched harddrives.

Coriolanus

Gunmonkey wrote: »

Go to your Steam folder, go to steamapps > common and copy the folder for the game to the disc. Get him to enter the game code onto his Steam account but dont download. then copy the folder to his Steam folder and it should cut a large chunk from the downlaod, there will be a few megs to download but still better than d/l the whole thing.

Could be eaiser ways but this worked well when I switched harddrives.

This. Don't go via the backup game files option. Just to a direct copy and paste into your flash drive.
Works a charm, I've done it several times moving stuff from my main PC to my laptop.

tman

Gunmonkey wrote: »

Could be eaiser ways but this worked well when I switched harddrives.

Don't think there's any doubt that it'll work with the same account, but will it work with a different account?

I think the right click and backup method will work, but don't hold me to it! (as far as I remember it just needs you to be logged into Steam, not necessarily with a specific account)

Just give it a go tbh, worst case scenario your friend will end up with a new coaster...

Tusky

tman wrote: »

Don't think there's any doubt that it'll work with the same account, but will it work with a different account?

I think the right click and backup method will work, but don't hold me to it! (as far as I remember it just needs you to be logged into Steam, not necessarily with a specific account)

Just give it a go tbh, worst case scenario your friend will end up with a new coaster...

I suppose I could try both ways and maybe one of them will work. Game is 6gb so he would be downloading forever otherwise.

Gunmonkey

The folder in the Common section is just the content of the game, not license keys or drivers or such. Hence the "common" tag, theres another folder named after the Steam ID that holds saves and such.

Now this applies to non-Valve games, they use a different system where you have to use plugins to the Source engine thats installed when you install Half-Life or Left4Dead or so. Last time I tried to copy Team Fortress 2 over I had to grab around 3 Gb extra as d/l even though I pulled every TF2 file I could find.

Overheal

tman wrote: »

Don't think there's any doubt that it'll work with the same account, but will it work with a different account?

I think the right click and backup method will work, but don't hold me to it! (as far as I remember it just needs you to be logged into Steam, not necessarily with a specific account)

Just give it a go tbh, worst case scenario your friend will end up with a new coaster...

Once the executable is run its in new home, it should find steam, locate itself in the directory, and get authorization to run. Thats basically what happens anyway, you click on your shortcut > Executable runs > Passes a function argument to steam (Can I play?) > Steam receives function call, checks login account, checks for game availablility > Passes GO function call to program > Program loads > You play. AFAIK the game folder shouldnt be able to run if steam says No, or isnt installed. Even if steam is in Offline mode, Steam itself is holding onto the verifications, it doesnt pass them off to the programs.

Nollog

Tusky wrote: »

Ive gifted a friend of mine a game but the problem is, he has slow internet. I have the game as well. My question is, can I burn the game from my steam and then let him install it ? He would then be able to use his code or whatever.

Is this possible ?

Yea, the client handles the DRM.
The files are DRM free, unless you count needing the client to run as DRM, which it probably is.

Tusky

Gunmonkey wrote: »

The folder in the Common section is just the content of the game, not license keys or drivers or such. Hence the "common" tag, theres another folder named after the Steam ID that holds saves and such.

Now this applies to non-Valve games, they use a different system where you have to use plugins to the Source engine thats installed when you install Half-Life or Left4Dead or so. Last time I tried to copy Team Fortress 2 over I had to grab around 3 Gb extra as d/l even though I pulled every TF2 file I could find.

The game i'm trying to transfer is LFD2. In that case, what way should I do it ?

aidan_r

Copy your "Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2" folder (roughly 10gb) to the same location on his computer and then he can install the game as normal and most of the downloading will be already done.


Edit: also maybe the source engine related .gcf files in the steamapps directory.

Sisko

the steam back up game thing should work, burn the back up file to a cd, then your mate will run the exe on his pc which'll install the game, since he owns the game too his steam will register it as his game.

K.O.Kiki

The copy-files method also works between Windows & Mac (handy if you have Bootcamp installed).

Tusky

Ok - copied files and am trying to put them on his pc but his steam appears to be set up differently. Theres 2 steam folders, STEAM & STEAM2. Both are around 20gb. Theres also no common folder as far as I can see, so not sure where to put the files...

Spear

Tusky wrote: »

Ok - copied files and am trying to put them on his pc but his steam appears to be set up differently. Theres 2 steam folders, STEAM & STEAM2. Both are around 20gb. Theres also no common folder as far as I can see, so not sure where to put the files...

That's weird, there should be steamapps folder somewhere. Has he been messing with the folders?

Tusky

Spear wrote: »

That's weird, there should be steamapps folder somewhere. Has he been messing with the folders?

Found it now - his steam is weird. Anyway, copied the left 4 dead folder into his steam but its still trying to download it from the start, so didnt seem to work.

Nollog

If there's an update of any kind, in my experience steam will try and want to download the entire thing again.