Steam authentication questions

[kupocake]

Hey all, long time no see and all that. I've not been on the net recently because i've moved to uni, and their goddamned IT facilities are stone age. No residential access, though my flat was promised it before we came! This leaves me stranded without the net (oh noes!), except when I return home. Trouble is, WHEN I return home, I do without my PC because i'm not packing that into my bag and taking it on the train with me (we're talking a desktop here btw). We have a second PC at home, but it's a POS to the nth degree. 1.2 Celeron, 128mb ram. Intel onboard "graphics card".

Now, i'm getting impatient for Steam updates but more importantly, Aftermath validation when the time comes. Internet will be in my room by Feburary, but even then I don't have a guarantee that the Uni won't be blocking Steam ports. With all this in mind:

1) Does Lost Coast require validation? Could I feasibly download LC via Steam onto my mother's crappy machine, dump the files on my IPod and dump them onto my offline Steam at Uni?

2) Is it possible to take my HDD home, put it into the crappy machine and thereafter validate steam files in an environment that will make them useable when I put it back into my Uni PC? Specifically, can I boot the OS on my Uni PC's HDD and have it in some kind of state where i'm able to use and connect to Steam?

Oh and if it is possible to do 2) with my Uni PC HDD, is there a decent way to transport it. Like some packaging or a carry case I could buy?

 

[Dekstar]

You have 1337 posts, Kupo!!! Take a pic!! GOGOGO!

1) It shouldn't do since it's just a little mod thing. Just grab the GCF's and folder and dump it.

2) Well yeah if you take out your HD and validate then remove it should work in offline mode. And as long as all your games are up-to-date and stuff then it should run fine in offline mode (just test it before just in case)

3) Just a box with some towels or blankets should be good enough.