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Thread: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

  1. #1
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    Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    This is driving me crazy and hopefully someone here can help me.

    I installed Skyrim via Steam on my lovely new Alienware laptop and have been happily playing at home with no problems.

    However, my work takes place at remote locations (oil rigs) where often I can't connect my laptop to the Internet. I'm in one such location right now. Company policy is that not only are we not allowed to connect our personal laptops but we are very restricted as to the websites we can access via our work comoputers - thank goodness Hexus isn't one of the blocked sites!

    Knowing that I wouldn't be able to connect my laptop I made sure before I left home that I could run Skyrim in offline mode. I simply disconnected from my wireless access point and started up Steam/Skyrim in offline mode no problem at all.

    Here on the oil rig I have just tried to start up Steam. When I clicked on the 'Start In Offline Mode' I got the message 'Steam Error - could not connect to Steam Network' and could get no further.

    I've tried Googling for a solution to the problem but all the sites that might have answers are blocked by my organisation. Can anyone help?? I'm stuck here for two weeks and would really like to be able to play Skyrim in my time off duty.
    *
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    aka .:iGi:. Calcutter DannyM's Avatar
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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    This is was on the steam forums, it's meant to be from a steam support page.

    I wouldn't delete the files, I'd copy them to another location for backup purpose.

    Please exit Steam and go to the folder Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Steam

    Delete all of the files in this folder except for SteamApps.

    Restart your computer.

    Launch Steam and re-test the issue.

    Note: This process will not affect your currently installed games.

    Note: If you are using Lion please do the following to enable your Library folder:

    1. Open Terminal
    2. Type chflags nohidden ~/Library
    3. Close Terminal

    You should see the Library folder available through the Go menu on the menu bar while holding down the option key.

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    Unfortunately once offline mode doesn't work, I've never been able to fix it without going online again

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    You could try launching games directly from the exe file.

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    I tried running the .exe file but when I do that it automatically tries to load Steam first, and can't.
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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    After submitting a question about this to Steam Support I've finally received a reply:

    Qote:

    "Hello,

    A staff member has replied to your question:

    Hello,

    Thank you for contacting Steam Support.

    As the offline credentials expire after some time, you will have to connect to Steam occasionally to refresh them.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know - we will be happy to assist you."

    Unquote

    I'm very annoyed because nowhere in any of the documentation accompanying Skyrim is this mentioned. For sure it says that you need an internet connection to register your game with Steam in the first place, but it really should highlight the fact that playing in Offline Mode requires preparation with an internet connection.
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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    Offline mode has always been very hit and miss with steam - the only method that works for me at all (on my own pc that is):

    Connect to steam on the internet
    Load up whatever game you're wanting to play (while you have internet connection)
    Exit game and steam entirely (make sure its not still a background process)
    DISABLE all your network connections - not unplug, use windows to actually disable ethernet ports and wireless.
    Load steam back up - when it doesnt find any connections (enabled, but inactive ethernet seems to screw it up for example) THEN it will load into offline mode.

    Not sure if this will actually help you now you're away from a connection for steam, but worth a try?

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    Thanks for the input. Unfortunately this doesn't help me because I can't carry out what you have in your first line: 'Connect to steam on the internet'

    I now know what to do in order to be able to reliably (I hope) run Skyrim via Steam in Offline Mode. I won't be able to play Skyrim at all until I get off this oil rig in the middle of the North Sea and connect my laptop to the internet again. What really really bugs me is that there is no warning in the Skyrim documentation, nor any warning from Steam, that the game that I paid good money for, and that I should be able to play offline, is disabled unless you take certain steps prior to running it offline.

    Oh well, at least I can play Fallout3.
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  9. #9
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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    The offline mode in Steam is never going to work properly - it's purposefully hobbled imo.

    If you could manually force Steam offline for an unlimited period of time then it would be too easy to get around their one account per person restrictions and so on.

    I've tried on several occasions, but never managed to make it actually work for any serious length of time.

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    Good point Snootyjim - I forgot to mention that my 'steps for offline mode' only work at best for a few days, then I need to reconnect to the internet again... presumably because of the 'file expirey' mentioned in Ceefer's reposnse from steam support.

    Have only ever really used it for lans or short breaks though... not sures theres a 'legit' solution to Ceefers situation though

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    Re: Problem running Steam in Offline Mode

    Actually, there is a way to run steam in offline mode w/o internet...
    Make a text file and put this in it:

    BootStrapperInhibitAll=enable
    ForceOfflineMode=enable

    Then save it as a .cfg file and put it to the folder with steam.exe...
    Might be a little annoying, but to play in online again, you have to
    move the file out of the folder...

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