FYI: Steam drops XP/Vista in 2019

[Scali]

I think linux gaming suffers the same fate as Windows gaming though: the Steam client requires a certain minimal version of the OS. So at some point you will have to upgrade your OS, and at some point your OS will be so much newer that you can no longer use it on certain retro hardware, because support was dropped, or the system requirements are simply too high.

In fact, if I look here:
https://store.steampowered.com/about/
The only officially supported linux is "Ubuntu Linux (latest version)."

[Shagittarius]

I think linux gaming suffers the same fate as Windows gaming though: the Steam client requires a certain minimal version of the OS. So at some point you will have to upgrade your OS, and at some point your OS will be so much newer that you can no longer use it on certain retro hardware, because support was dropped, or the system requirements are simply too high.

In fact, if I look here:
https://store.steampowered.com/about/
The only officially supported linux is "Ubuntu Linux (latest version)."

You are correct, this is a broader issue about DRM, not steam in particular. If we just had these games available to install locally on the OS they were intended for no one would care about steam support dropping.

[The Serpent Rider]

Unfortunately DRM works both ways, like incompatible with modern OS StarForce and SecuROM crap. Solution is always the same though - cut this cancerous growth entirely.

[SquallStrife]

I'll give Valve a partial pass if I see a best effort on their part to give XP clients the most usable experience possible on the 12/2018 client. But if they go on a self-righteous "Windows XP must be killed" warpath then my attitude toward them will sour considerably.

You're deluded if you think vendors like Valve have any interest in "Killing" Windows XP, as if they even care.

I feel like there's a bit a hubris in the attitude that this is something Valve is doing "TO YOU".

Steam is relatively complex tool. It depends on stacks of libraries and middleware maintained by third parties. One day, those maintainers will stop supporting Windows XP for whatever reason, and when they do, Valve's hand is forced.

They can either spend time, money, and resources catering to 0.11% of surveyed systems, or they can take advantage of the functionality improvements and bug/security/performance fixes in new versions of their libraries.

The fact that this means you can potentially no longer play games you paid money for is a real issue. I 100% agree.

But let's call a spade a spade. Valve is a company, its reason for existing is to make money. It doesn't have emotions or a conscience, it is literally incapable of having ulterior motives.

[andrea]

I've tried to install Steam on a XP machine on the 2nd of january and while it let you log in, you couldn't download anything. (it said that the download servers were unreachable).

After a googling (which was surprisingly hard, as every single tech releated website made articles about steam's eol on xp/vista) I've found this:
https://old.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments ... r_xpvista/
https://archive.org/details/steam_201901.

I haven't tested the whole archived client, but I've just replaced the config.vdf file in my install with the one in the archive and it seems to work.

Perhaps it may be useful to some of you.

[infiniteclouds]

For all these 'updates' and 'chromium' BS Steam still doesn't LET YOU USE ZOOM IN THEIR BROWSER! Arrghh.. You can find threads complaining about this dating back 7 years..

[SPBHM]

I've tried to install Steam on a XP machine on the 2nd of january and while it let you log in, you couldn't download anything. (it said that the download servers were unreachable).

After a googling (which was surprisingly hard, as every single tech releated website made articles about steam's eol on xp/vista) I've found this:
https://old.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments ... r_xpvista/
https://archive.org/details/steam_201901.

I haven't tested the whole archived client, but I've just replaced the config.vdf file in my install with the one in the archive and it seems to work.

Perhaps it may be useful to some of you.

thanks, using that is definitely still working for now.

[The Serpent Rider]

I'm afraid this solution will be very short-lived. As soon as they roll out some new security patches, you'll probably won't be able to log-in on XP machine with the old client.

[CelGen]

Looks like it happened.

Had a power failure and had to restart my machine this morning. System came up but Steam did not.

Steam - Fatal Error
Failed to load steamui.dll

Initially suspected a corrupt file because I have seen this before so I dragged the file out of the Steam folder and forced it to download again. No dice. Then I woke up an XP laptop I knew steam was still working on and it connected fine, then informed that an update had been released and a restart was required.
Restarted steam and again, steamui.dll was no longer loading.

Not even a thank you or a final notice. Just a janky broken-ass startup. Thanks Valve.

[Shagittarius]

Yup that's all she wrote. If you are in offline mode and haven't run it for a bit it will launch 1 more time, then after that steamui.dll error. I'll be interested to see how long people who deny steam an internet connection are able to keep going.

[appiah4]

GOG is your only friend anymore.

[leileilol]

Not really if you factor in their new website design. It only obeys recent Chromiums now I heard

[appiah4]

Not really if you factor in their new website design. It only obeys recent Chromiums now I heard

At least you can download offline installers elsewhere and move them to a retro PC. I guess that makes it the awkward friendship where the other side kind of wishes you would just go away?

[Firtasik]

Steam still connects to Valve's servers in offline mode. It needs to be blocked by a firewall or disconnected from the Internet to work truly offline.

[The Serpent Rider]

GOG is your only friend anymore.

DRM hack is your friend too.

[renz20003]

Very disappointing

[Srandista]

I thought, that this already would be here, but better late then never, I guess...

Anyway, you can still access Steam in XP, download and play all the games from library. You only need to overwrite some DLL libraries with older one and disable automatic updates. You can find guide for it here:

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/1780513643851108285/#c1779388024825398458

I did clean install of XP 3 days ago, and with this guide, I was able to run Steam without any issues, and also download and run Half-Life.

[Rekrul]

I've never used Steam and never will. Is there anything in the EULA that says that Valve can just decide to brick your entire Steam-crippled library any time they feel like it, even if you haven't done anything wrong?

Even if there is such a clause in the EULA, I don't see how it can be legal.

"Um, yes your honor, we did disable all the games that these users paid for."

"Did they do something wrong?"

"Nope, we just didn't care about them anymore."

"OK, sounds perfectly fine to me. Case dismissed!"

[Scali]

Even if there is such a clause in the EULA, I don't see how it can be legal.

I do.
The catch is in the part of "paid for".
You didn't pay for ownership of the games, you paid for a license to use it. That license, by its terms, is not indefinite.

[CBM]

what about fallout 3
that game ONLY works with xp or vista
whats the point of even getting that game on steam then

I too was unable to run Fallout 3 on windows 10 using Steam... but when I decided to buy Fallout 3 on GOG, then it worked without any issues (the GOG version, the steam version has never worked on any of my systems)!

I mostly play it with Tale of Two wastelands now though (TTW)

I do.
The catch is in the part of "paid for".
You didn't pay for ownership of the games, you paid for a license to use it. That license, by its terms, is not indefinite.

this is why I only buy games on GOG now, plus they are DRM free!

I still have a crazy amount of steam games, and the ones that I can not get on GOG I will play on steam until such time they decide it is okay to rip me off by removing one or more paid games!