Need help copying steam from one PC to another

[Mr.WorldWide]

I have a problem, I've been tasked with activating a Steam game over a very slow (2kbps) dial-up connection. When I launch Steam it has to update right away, not sure how much but seems around 150MB

So anyway I need to install the Steam client on a desktop and a laptop but I don't want to have to dl that 150MB twice if I can avoid it. I am wondering what registry hacks I would have to do to enable me to just copy some files from one PC to another in order to fully update steam for authentication on the second PC without downloading the crazy huge Steam Client update again.

Thanks for any relevant help, don't suggest using a WiFi hotspot. I am not going to lug me desktop to the nearest WiFi which is around 30 miles away.

 

[Zelig]

Unplug the internet when you open Steam.

Probably just leave it unplugged while you're at it, 2 KB/s isn't functionally much different from 0.

 

[Furiey]

If it is the game that is updating, I think you can just copy the files from one pc to the other before you start steam. you may have to verify files before you play.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

I need to dl a huge 150MB update just to run the steam client. I need the client on two PCs so I would like to copy the files from the first, when the update is done, to the second PC.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Unplug the internet when you open Steam.

Probably just leave it unplugged while you're at it, 2 KB/s isn't functionally much different from 0.

You can also put Steam in offline mode, if I recall right

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

My problem is updating the steam client. I cannot even accsee the UI atm because it has to update right away.

On a side note, I just noticed that steam decieded to delete my 75% complete update. Just great, there was 12 hours of wasted time.

 

[Zelig]

Right, that's why I said to unplug it.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Well I would but when I do I get this popup

Steam.exe (main exception):To run Steam, you must first connect to the Internet

So how is not connecting to the internet going to resolve that? I'm afraid I still don't understand.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Update: I succeeded in my installation of Steam but sadly I could not install civ 5 because Steam, in all it's ******ed wisdom, refuses to allow me to install the game from the game disk.

I have tried to use the command line parameter, -install E:, on the steam exe. That was the solution to the problem on the steam help site but it doesn't work for me, the game tried to install from the internet anyway

I guess I don't get to play civ 5 this holiday.
After the new year I'm going to call up 2k and try to find an actual person to yell at about this. I bought the game and steam took my code just fine so I can't return the game now...how typical.

 

[Narnia]

Update: I succeeded in my installation of Steam but sadly I could not install civ 5 because Steam, in all it's retarted wisdom, refuses to allow me to install the game from the game disk.

I have tried to use the command line parameter, -install E:, on the steam exe. That was the solution to the problem on the steam help site but it doesn't work for me, the game tried to install from the internet anyway

I guess I don't get to play civ 5 this holiday.
After the new year I'm going to call up 2k and try to find an actual person to yell at about this. I bought the game and steam took my code just fine so I can't return the game now...how typical.

Go to the library or a neighbor to download it.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Go to the library or a neighbor to download it.

It's ~4GB, that will take quite some time(read several hours) at the library and my neighbors are in the same boat as I, they have satellite but the bandwidth cap for a month is 4GB or so...

 

[Narnia]

It's ~4GB, that will take quite some time(read several hours) at the library and my neighbors are in the same boat as I, they have satellite but the bandwidth cap for a month is 4GB or so...

Maybe they will let you download some of the file on the evening of the 31st?
You won't be able to get the whole file, but it you limit it so that you don't exceed their cap, that might be ok. Otherwise, several hours at the library is still better than several days. I remember back when we had 6 kbps internet and I tried to download call of duty black ops (it took almost a week). However, I'm just throwing random ideas out here.
Hope you get this sorted out

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Just be careful if you decide to go look for public wifi. When I was doing that last month when the internet was out a lot of protocols/ports were blocked in some places, including I think the ones Steam uses.

This might be just in my area, though, which consists mostly of old cranky people.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

I'm thinking of taking the game back to best buy where it was purchased from and demand they either get my game working or I get my money back.

I remember back when we had 6 kbps internet

It's 2kbps here, the phone company delivers the bare minimum, 2kbps is the slowest possible.
Miserable greedy....

 

[GoodGame]

Install Steam on the Laptop (fully patch with internet on, recommend turning Steam guard on). Download the game and fully patch with internet on. Install Steam on the desktop, fully (make internet contact to be sure Steam is fully updated). Copy the game folder (in Steam dir) from laptop to desktop (this maybe a problem, but you may be able to do this by at worst hot-swapping a HDD---HDD in an external cage would be an easy, affordable option). On the desktop, connected to internet, install the game in Steam allowing it to read the local files to decide if it needs to download (it shouldn't need to download) to install. Connect to Steam online just to turn on off-line mode.

AFAIK, the above is 100% legal, works, and doesn't violate the Steam Subscriber agreement.\


Otherwise, buy Civ4 through the mail. No online activation there.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

But I already have Civ 4, I'm trying to active Civ 5 for a family member.

OK, what I did was fully updated the Steam client on my laptop, installed the client on the desktop, then copied all the files in the Steam folder to the desktop. Seems to work just fine....if only I could install Civ 5 off the bleeping disk instead of dling the damn thing.