Offline mode is not working

Adhesive86

Warlord
Joined
May 13, 2008
Messages
267
Location
Yorkshire, England
Hi,

I was looking for some support on overcoming my problems with launching my games when offline. I frequently spend alot of time travelling without wifi access and like to play games in my downtime.

When I try to launch offline I get the attached errors, 1) gives me the option of "Start in Offline Mode".

Error 2 then says "could not connect to the Steam Network" and says it could be a problem with my internet connection (no - I'm trying to play offline) and to visit the website for details (is this a joke? I'm trying to play offline)

I have spent nearly 2 months grappling with the lame technical support at Steam.

I can confirm that:

- I have tried using Steam's offline mode (it took me over a week to get this top tip from Steam, AFTER I'd told them offline mode doesn't work...!!!) :mad:
- I have started the game at least once in online mode. In fact, I usually start the game online, with my wifi in the background at home.
- All updates are downloaded
- My games work fine with an internet connection live.
- My games work if I boot with a connection, but switch to offline mode.

My problem comes when I have no connection present to start with in the session.
Put simply, "offline mode" doesn't work and just tells me I have no internet.

Any help greatly appreciated. If I have to go through Steam's lame support one more time I think I'm going to redefine corporate manslaughter.:crazyeye:
 

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Have you made sure that you are online when you get the message? If you try to change modes without a connection, or accidently chose the restart in online mode without a connection, it will give you those errors.
 
Have you ensured that the option to save your account credentials on your computer is checked in Steam's settings and gone through this guide?

If you have tried all of that, you probably ran into the rather annoying but that causes offline mode not to work properly and I don't know of any other solution besides writing a letter to Valve to complain about it and bug them to improve offline mode.
 
Have you made sure that you are online when you get the message? If you try to change modes without a connection, or accidently chose the restart in online mode without a connection, it will give you those errors.

Timtofly,

I am not online when I get these errors. I have started my computer on the train for instance with no internet and offline mode then does not work.

Are you saying it is not possible to start in offline mode if your session hasn't started with an internet connection? (tantamount to each session requiring the internet to play!)
 
Have you ensured that the option to save your account credentials on your computer is checked in Steam's settings and gone through this guide?

If you have tried all of that, you probably ran into the rather annoying but that causes offline mode not to work properly and I don't know of any other solution besides writing a letter to Valve to complain about it and bug them to improve offline mode.

Maniacal,

- Can you tell me how to ensure "save account credentials on computer". I can't find this option anywhere and it isn't found under the search in Steam. (EDIT: I found this, the "dont't save" option is unticked, so this isn't the problem)

- The guide you refer to has as its first point "Start Steam online - make sure the Remember my password box on the login window is checked". What login window? Again, this doesn't come up under the Steam search function? Can you provide instructions?

Thanks:)
 
The log in window is the log in window that comes up when you start Steam where you have to enter your username and password. You should see this every time you start Steam unless you have it checked to automatically log you in.
 
Welcome to the horsehockyfest that is Steam.

You must be Online with internet access to change into offline mode. If it detects no internet and you click "start in offline mode" (as opposed to "retry connection"), you'll get an error saying something like "this operation cannot be performed in offline mode" or "could not connect to Steam Network" (the one you got).

Out of all my friends who have Steam, NONE of them have EVER gotten this button to work. Simply put, the people working at Value are lying scumbags who either enjoy the complaining of innocent people or simply butthurt arseholes who want to make their program online-only to prevent piracy but give users the false impression that it isn't.

I am very sorry for my language, but even the most foul of words are hardly enough to convey my absolute disgust for a dishonest company who knowingly adds a button that doesn't work (it has been this way since I got Steam years ago, and has not been patched), and then creates false customer support to ignore users who try to point out their stupid .

Maniacal, that guide refers only to switching into offline mode while being online, and then starting in offline mode later. It does not cover when Steam was not set to offline mode prior to losing internet and closing it.
 
It is possible that if the auto log on is set to automatically check for a connection, that could cause steam to give an error.

Make sure all auto options are not checked and turned off. We want full manual control.

There is still that dreaded option that if you choose the wrong one when booting that will also keep looking for an internet connection and will not go away until you get one.

I agree that steam is hard to manuever in, but I think that it will work once the correct path is taken.

There are "auto" settings in both the game and steam itself. Click on the word steam (top left) and you will get to it's settings; and right click the title and go to properties. You have to have enabled the credentials to that computer or it will not even let you go into offline mode. I would disable the auto update for the game and any cloud sync, or related items like friends in steam activity.
 
Maniacal, that guide refers only to switching into offline mode while being online, and then starting in offline mode later. It does not cover when Steam was not set to offline mode prior to losing internet and closing it.

Only the first two steps includes online mode, you are supposed to eb able to go into Offline mode without an internet connection and it usually works just fine. Out of the dozens of times I have used it it has only failed once (and that was on a relatively fresh install). Yes it is buggy and Valve needs to fix it, but absolutely having to be online to go into offline mode simply isn't true.
 
Welcome to the horsehockyfest that is Steam.

You must be Online with internet access to change into offline mode. If it detects no internet and you click "start in offline mode" (as opposed to "retry connection"), you'll get an error saying something like "this operation cannot be performed in offline mode" or "could not connect to Steam Network" (the one you got).

This is indeed what is happening to me - I usually run online, but do not have a crystal ball to know if next time I want to play i won't have an internet connection. Then when I don't, and I want to open in offline mode, I can't switch as I get an error saying I have no internet (Sherlock Holmes at his finest!)

I have just switched into offline mode whilst online and will be leaving it there.

@Maniacal - agreed that you are "supposed" to go into offline mode without an internet connection, and I have sometimes been able to do so in the past, but recently this just isn't possible for me although I'm not sure what has changed to make the difference. I get the errors attached and which Sethyboy refers to.

I must indeed have my password credentials saved as I'm never asked for them.

@Timtofly, I think that now I am in offline mode, it is not automatically checking for a connection, but certainly Steam was previously.

-------------

It seems to be working fine now in offline mode, although I'm currently in a shared house WITH wifi on, so the true test will come when I'm back on the train for 5 hours. Will let you know - thanks for your all your help.
 
Your laptop should have a manual button that turns off your wi-fi. That would allow you to test it before you leave unless you have already left. ;)
 
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