HL2 Backup Question

AlphaWolfII · 10-08-04, 09:33 AM

I purchased the Silver pack last night and was wondering how do I back up the files in case my hard drive crashes or I purchase a new PC?

Do I just save everything under Program Files\Valve?

Do I not have to worry because if I log on with my user ID everything will automaticaly download to the new drive/PC?

Thanks,
AWII

|JuiceZ| · 10-08-04, 10:00 AM

Hope valve comes out w/ some offical info on how to do this, since we all have to reformat every now and then. In the interm though most of us have just decided to bak the steam folder to dvd's.

revbatboy · 10-08-04, 10:00 AM

I would say you don't have to worry about it since you have to login to steam and it is by your userID. I would like to back it up due to the fact it a big ass download.

GlowStick · 10-08-04, 10:22 AM

Right now you can backup steam games.

Simply backup everything in

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps

Then, run the small 600k steam installer, let it finsih, then copy the files, then let steam update it self.

it will take it like a min or two to check all the files etc but it will work.

ynnek · 10-08-04, 12:46 PM

I here when you go into offline mode, it creates a file to ID you, so yo udon't need to go back online to autheticate yourself.. I tested it by pulling my ethernet plug, and yea, it does work..

SO I wonder if you somehow backup your whole entire steam install, and copy it onto another machine, if that would work.

**Ninjaman09** · 10-08-04, 01:12 PM

You could always just put all the .gcf files on a seperate partition, if you have one set up. That's what I did.

Edge · 10-08-04, 03:01 PM

There is no need to back up Steam files. Anything you purchase and have a lisence to use over Steam will automatically allow you to redownload it in the event that your harddrive crashes, you get a new computer, etc. For example I could go over to my friend's house right now and use my account on his computer, and I would have access to every Steam game I own. In fact, I could log onto a dozen computers and download the games a dozen times if I wanted to, afaik there's no limit to downloading Steam files once you have a lisence for it.

But, all of the .gfd files located in the Steam/SteamApps folder also contain the data for all the Steam games (and there are also a few other folders for things like mods, but you don't really have to worry about those). Just backup the ones that you don't want to download again (they're named Half-life.gfd, Counterstrike.gfd, etc), and then copy them back if you need to make a new Steam install.

**Ninjaman09** · 10-08-04, 03:04 PM

Oh ok, thanks. I didn't know that (about the .gfd files). They're not worried about backing up for fear of never getting the files again, but all the Steam files are over 4 GB, which is a ****-ton. It'd be better not to have to download them again.

AthlonXP1800 · 10-08-04, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ynnek

I here when you go into offline mode, it creates a file to ID you, so yo udon't need to go back online to autheticate yourself.. I tested it by pulling my ethernet plug, and yea, it does work..

SO I wonder if you somehow backup your whole entire steam install, and copy it onto another machine, if that would work.

Thank you very much for that, I tried to figured out how to get offline mode so now I solved it, no need to buy DVD to play Half Life 2 and Half Life: Source offline, no wonder I read in many forums, idiots rants that you cant play games from steam in offline mode,

now they all got cream pies on their face.

AlphaWolfII · 10-08-04, 03:23 PM

Thanks for all the responses, especially Edge.

AWII

10-08-04, 09:33 AM	#1
AlphaWolfII Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 59	HL2 Backup Question I purchased the Silver pack last night and was wondering how do I back up the files in case my hard drive crashes or I purchase a new PC? Do I just save everything under Program Files\Valve? Do I not have to worry because if I log on with my user ID everything will automaticaly download to the new drive/PC? Thanks, AWII

10-08-04, 10:00 AM	#2
\|JuiceZ\| Registered User Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 3,285	Re: HL2 Backup Question Hope valve comes out w/ some offical info on how to do this, since we all have to reformat every now and then. In the interm though most of us have just decided to bak the steam folder to dvd's. __________________ primary MBP Core i5 2010 \| HR \| OCZ 120GB SSD gaming Core i5-2500K @ 4.1GHz w/ CM Hyper212+ \| MSI N560GTX-Ti TF II/OC \| MSI P67A-GD55 \| Silverstone FT02 \| X360 250GB \| Kinect htpc IONITX-A-U \| 2GB \| M350 \| XBMC Linux \| SABnzbd, sickbeard, couchpotato \| NAS Synology DS411J \| 4TB hometheater KURO PDP-5020 \| HK AVR2600 \| Definitive BP2006TL(2) & CLR2300 \| Polk R50(2) \| Sony S470 \| HarmonyOne

10-08-04, 10:00 AM	#3
revbatboy My cream is fat-free. Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 271	Re: HL2 Backup Question I would say you don't have to worry about it since you have to login to steam and it is by your userID. I would like to back it up due to the fact it a big ass download. __________________

10-08-04, 10:22 AM	#4
GlowStick CoD4! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 5,786	Re: HL2 Backup Question Right now you can backup steam games. Simply backup everything in C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps Then, run the small 600k steam installer, let it finsih, then copy the files, then let steam update it self. it will take it like a min or two to check all the files etc but it will work. __________________ Intel i7-2600K, Corsair 8Gig, Corsair H100, Corsair 650D, Corsair HX750, ATi 6970, WD Caviar Black 2TB Sony Vaio SB: i7, 8Gig, Intel 320 300gig

10-08-04, 12:46 PM	#5
ynnek Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,364	Re: HL2 Backup Question I here when you go into offline mode, it creates a file to ID you, so yo udon't need to go back online to autheticate yourself.. I tested it by pulling my ethernet plug, and yea, it does work.. SO I wonder if you somehow backup your whole entire steam install, and copy it onto another machine, if that would work.

10-08-04, 01:12 PM	#6
Ninjaman09 Takin 'er easy Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Jowjah Posts: 6,687	Re: HL2 Backup Question You could always just put all the .gcf files on a seperate partition, if you have one set up. That's what I did. __________________ Core i7 920 @ 3.2 \| ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 6GB Mushkin DDR3-1600 RAM eVGA GTX 570 SC \| Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX Dell U2410

10-08-04, 03:01 PM	#7
Edge 3d animator for hire! Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Minnesota, USA Posts: 3,564	Re: HL2 Backup Question There is no need to back up Steam files. Anything you purchase and have a lisence to use over Steam will automatically allow you to redownload it in the event that your harddrive crashes, you get a new computer, etc. For example I could go over to my friend's house right now and use my account on his computer, and I would have access to every Steam game I own. In fact, I could log onto a dozen computers and download the games a dozen times if I wanted to, afaik there's no limit to downloading Steam files once you have a lisence for it. But, all of the .gfd files located in the Steam/SteamApps folder also contain the data for all the Steam games (and there are also a few other folders for things like mods, but you don't really have to worry about those). Just backup the ones that you don't want to download again (they're named Half-life.gfd, Counterstrike.gfd, etc), and then copy them back if you need to make a new Steam install.

10-08-04, 03:04 PM	#8
Ninjaman09 Takin 'er easy Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Jowjah Posts: 6,687	Re: HL2 Backup Question Oh ok, thanks. I didn't know that (about the .gfd files). They're not worried about backing up for fear of never getting the files again, but all the Steam files are over 4 GB, which is a ****-ton. It'd be better not to have to download them again. __________________ Core i7 920 @ 3.2 \| ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 6GB Mushkin DDR3-1600 RAM eVGA GTX 570 SC \| Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX Dell U2410

10-08-04, 03:23 PM	#10
AlphaWolfII Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 59	Re: HL2 Backup Question Thanks for all the responses, especially Edge. AWII

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