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Workaround for installing Modern Warfare 2

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Mr Rob

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Nov 10, 2009, 2:02:48 PM11/10/09
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It seems that a large number of people are having a problem installing
the retail version of Modern Warfare 2 from the supplied DVD's. For
some reason Steam ignores the discs and tries to download 11GB of game
files instead. Understandably, a considerable number of people are
finding that unacceptable given the amount of time that will take.Not
to mention the dent it will make in their bandwidth allocation.

It would also seem that so many people are trying to access the Steam
pages that carry the workaround, that the servers are imploding under
the strain of it all.

I have been fortunate enough to get a copy of the instructions. This
process certainly worked for me.

(From the Steam users page)


Installing from Disc instead of Steam

Question:
I try to install my game from a disc, but the game begins downloading
through Steam instead. What do I do?

Answer :
Using Steam launch options to install from disc
1. Log in to Steam and click the My games tab.
2. Right-click on the game, select Delete local content, and
confirm.
3. Insert the first disc into your computer.
4. Close Steam (File > Exit).
5. Go to the Start button and select Run (XP) or type Run in the
Search box and choose Run from the list (Vista).
6. In the Run window type:

"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install E:

Replace E: with the CD/DVD drive you are installing from if is not
correct.
Replace C:\Program Files\Steam if your Steam installation is not in
the default location.
7. Press OK. Your installation should continue from the disc.

Schrodinger

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Nov 10, 2009, 5:38:56 PM11/10/09
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"Mr Rob" <noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote in message
news:sodjf5159lgm6n3qs...@4ax.com...

WTF. So does this occur even if you begin to install it when Steam isn't
running - or does it just pick up that Steam is running and in typical large
publisher style decide to do what they did on the lan?

Thanks for the headsup by the way, I'm going to look to see if I can buy it
from Sainsbury's etc. tomorrow at less than the �34.99 standard price...

Mr Rob

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Nov 10, 2009, 6:09:10 PM11/10/09
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On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:38:56 -0000, "Schrodinger" <n...@way.com> wrote:


>WTF. So does this occur even if you begin to install it when Steam isn't
>running - or does it just pick up that Steam is running and in typical large
>publisher style decide to do what they did on the lan?

Yes it occurs even if Steam is not running. The reason for that being
that starting the installation from the disc will cause Steam to load
as well so that the CD key can be registered (there is no legal way
around this).

What should happen after the key is verified is that the installation
should then continue on from DVD 1. For a great number of people this
doesn't happen. Instead Steam then attempts to download the whole game
(except that the servers have been completely overwhelmed so many
people couldn't even do that)

Valve have really stuffed up this time. There is a baying mob of angry
people with shop bought copies that currently cannot install the game.
There are two main workarounds, but for some people, neither of them
are solving the problem.

>Thanks for the headsup by the way, I'm going to look to see if I can buy it
>from Sainsbury's etc. tomorrow at less than the �34.99 standard price...

I wish you luck. If you run into the installation problem and the
above workaround doesn't work, you can stop the unwanted download,
delete local the content and close off Steam. Then rename the file
"ClientRegistry.blob " to anything you like and start Steam again so
that the file is recreated. You should find that the game then loads
from the DVDs.

Whatever happens, this game cannot be loaded without Steam running.
--
Rob

Dre

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Nov 10, 2009, 7:00:46 PM11/10/09
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"Mr Rob" <noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote in message
news:sodjf5159lgm6n3qs...@4ax.com...
>

This really puts me off. Not to mention anything that is installed through
steam gets installed into the damn steam folder!!! I really hate that. Why
cant I install my games where I bloody well want them??!?!

Meh, I hate steam with a passion...

Cheers Dre


Andrew

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Nov 11, 2009, 1:05:54 AM11/11/09
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On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:09:10 +0000, Mr Rob
<noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:

>What should happen after the key is verified is that the installation
>should then continue on from DVD 1. For a great number of people this
>doesn't happen. Instead Steam then attempts to download the whole game
>(except that the servers have been completely overwhelmed so many
>people couldn't even do that)

Just for a bit of balance, it installed correctly from the DVD's
without a problem for me. I had Steam running when I started the
install.
--
Andrew, contact via http://interpleb.googlepages.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

Pia

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Nov 11, 2009, 2:51:59 AM11/11/09
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On Nov 10, 8:02 pm, Mr Rob <noemailforme...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:
> It seems that a large number of people are having a problem installing
> the retail version of Modern Warfare 2 from the supplied DVD's. For
> some reason Steam ignores the discs and tries to download 11GB of game
> files instead. Understandably, a considerable number of people are
> finding that unacceptable given the amount of time that will take.Not
> to mention the dent it will make in their bandwidth allocation. continue from the disc.

What a complete mess. I spent over 7 hours last night until I finally
managed to install it from the DVDs. No idea how I did it other than
trying every possible combination from the workaround list and then
some.

Hopefully the game fares better than its installation.

P

Schrodinger

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Nov 11, 2009, 3:24:09 AM11/11/09
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"Mr Rob" <noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote in message

news:furjf59u1qpuebu77...@4ax.com...

Great. So I can't install it on my daughter's computer once I've finished
with it and I can't sell it once she has finished it.

I wish somebody with too much time on their hands and a large pot of spare
money would challenge this bullshit.

Elmer Fudd

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Nov 11, 2009, 5:41:06 AM11/11/09
to
Mr Rob wrote:
> It seems that a large number of people are having a problem installing
> the retail version of Modern Warfare 2 from the supplied DVD's. For
> some reason Steam ignores the discs and tries to download 11GB of game
> files instead.

Not the first time a Steam game has done this either. I made backups of
X3 after I purchased it from Steam and it also would start downloading
remotely from Steam instead of the local backup part of the way through
the install. Made 2 backups and exact same issue on both.

Elmer Fudd

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Nov 11, 2009, 5:43:13 AM11/11/09
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Dre wrote:

> This really puts me off. Not to mention anything that is installed through
> steam gets installed into the damn steam folder!!! I really hate that. Why
> cant I install my games where I bloody well want them??!?!

There is a way but I can't remember what it is now.

Tim O

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Nov 11, 2009, 5:55:31 AM11/11/09
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On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:24:09 -0000, "Schrodinger" <n...@way.com> wrote:


>Great. So I can't install it on my daughter's computer once I've finished
>with it and I can't sell it once she has finished it.
>
>I wish somebody with too much time on their hands and a large pot of spare
>money would challenge this bullshit.

If you istall Steam on your daughters computer and use your login, I
think you can play it on her machine. You just can't have it running
on both machines at the same time.

I never did this, but that is how I understood Steam to work.

Tim O

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Nov 11, 2009, 5:58:27 AM11/11/09
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On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:43:13 -0800, Elmer Fudd <e...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

You can move the entire install, but I don't think you can pick
individual directories. I keep all my games on the second drive in a
/games folder.

When I installed Steam, I installed it to /games/steam and everything
goes there so I can at least keep it on the correct drive.

Gray Death

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Nov 11, 2009, 11:15:27 AM11/11/09
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On Nov 11, 12:05 am, Andrew <spamt...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:09:10 +0000, Mr Rob
>
> <noemailforme...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:
> >What should happen after the key is verified  is that the installation
> >should then continue on from DVD 1. For a great number of people this
> >doesn't happen. Instead Steam then attempts to download the whole game
> >(except that the servers have been completely overwhelmed so many
> >people couldn't even do that)
>
> Just for a bit of balance, it installed correctly from the DVD's
> without a problem for me. I had Steam running when I started the
> install.
> --
> Andrew, contact viahttp://interpleb.googlepages.com

> Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
> please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
> Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

That goes for me too. I read the trouble Mr Rob had and feared for
the worst, but it started Steam and installed from the DVDs perfectly.

WDS

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Nov 11, 2009, 11:17:02 AM11/11/09
to
Mr Rob wrote:
> It seems that a large number of people are having a problem installing
> the retail version of Modern Warfare 2 from the supplied DVD's. For
> some reason Steam ignores the discs and tries to download 11GB of game
> files instead. ...

Why do you need steam at all to install from disc?

Mr Rob

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Nov 11, 2009, 12:15:07 PM11/11/09
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On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:41:06 -0800, Elmer Fudd <e...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

>Mr Rob wrote:

I first experienced this problem with Dark Messiah: Might and Magic.

To be fair, as Andrew quite rightly pointed out, I'm sure that a lot
of people managed to install MW2 without any problems. It's obviously
going the to be the irate people that make any noise about it.

Even so, problems like this do not do Steam or Valve any favours in
the credibility department. I'm not against what they provide or how
they provide it. But for it to be a service that I would consider
choosing to use it needs to be just that, a service, not an
irritation.
--
Rob

Mr Rob

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Nov 11, 2009, 12:16:27 PM11/11/09
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I believe that the Developer and Publisher chose this arrangement to
help combat piracy.
--
Rob

Andrew

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Nov 11, 2009, 12:39:25 PM11/11/09
to
On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:15:07 +0000, Mr Rob
<noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:

>Even so, problems like this do not do Steam or Valve any favours in
>the credibility department. I'm not against what they provide or how
>they provide it. But for it to be a service that I would consider
>choosing to use it needs to be just that, a service, not an
>irritation.

I just had the weirdest experience of my Steam career. I had been
happily playing MW2 over the past 2 days, and when I came home from
work I brought my PC out of hibernation, went to launch MW2 and Steam
claimed MW2 wasn't installed! I had to go through the disk
installation all over again. Thankfully my game save was still there
so I could carry on with it!

I have no idea if it is a MW2/Steam/Windows 7/My PC issue, but I have
never had anything like that happen before.
--
Andrew, contact via http://interpleb.googlepages.com

Schrodinger

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Nov 11, 2009, 12:51:55 PM11/11/09
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"Tim O" <timo56...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:lu5lf59ggoeaaslfs...@4ax.com...

Yes, true, but that would mean I couldn't use Steam on my system at the same
time...


Daffy Duck

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Nov 11, 2009, 4:47:48 PM11/11/09
to
Mr Rob wrote:

>
> I believe that the Developer and Publisher chose this arrangement to
> help combat piracy.

Yea, same bullshit I got for buying disk versions of Empire:TW and Dawn
of War II.

As for issues with backups, I now just backup the whole Steam folder to
an external HDD and restore that after installing Steam client when
needed. Much quicker and no screwing around like can happen with Steam
made backups.

Dre

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Nov 11, 2009, 5:43:20 PM11/11/09
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"Elmer Fudd" <e...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:DywKm.10986$We2....@newsfe09.iad...

Really?!? I'm interested, I'll take go a look...

Thanks for the headsup!

Cheers Dre


John Lewis

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Nov 12, 2009, 12:42:40 PM11/12/09
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On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:24:09 -0000, "Schrodinger" <n...@way.com> wrote:

>>
>> Whatever happens, this game cannot be loaded without Steam running.
>> --
>> Rob
>>
>
>Great. So I can't install it on my daughter's computer once I've finished
>with it and I can't sell it once she has finished it.
>

Yes you can freely do EITHER, if you have the foresight to acquire a
'throw-away' email account to use in registering the game on-line and
come up with a unique user name and password just for the subject
game. Only a true idiot ever attaches a major new game to a
previously-generated Steam account. Adding more games to any existing
Steam account tightens the anti-3rd-party-transfer lock.Valve knew
that from the get-go when they came up with the Steam authentication
methodology and supplemented this authentication software lock with
the 'only-original-user' legalise in the Steam EULA.

3rd-party transfer violates the Steam EULA, of course, but since the
great majority of video game EULAs still allow the transfer of a game
to a third party (if all the original materials are transferred at the
same time), who gives a donkey's ass about Valve's money-grubbing
machinations.

>I wish somebody with too much time on their hands and a large pot of spare
>money would challenge this bullshit.
>

You want to deny Gabe or Doug the yearly trade-in of their Ferraris?

John Lewis

KCB

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Nov 12, 2009, 5:43:36 PM11/12/09
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"Schrodinger" <n...@way.com> wrote in message
news:5RCKm.15499$s_4....@newsfe02.ams2...

Sure you can, set one to be in offline mode. That's the way I let my boys
play on my account. Them offline, me on another computer online. I don't
want them playing online yet anyway, so it works fine that way.


Schrodinger

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Nov 12, 2009, 6:13:26 PM11/12/09
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"John Lewis" <john...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:4afc4487...@news.giganews.com...

John, that is a darn good point that I didn't think of! I'll start a new
Steam account for this game which will avoid the problems. Yay!

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