Steam Backup - Waste of Space

[wassup]

Well i've tried the backup option several times and it does not seem to do anything.

Now i understand that we still need to connect to the internet for login/verify our account but it still takes several hours (56k) just to get half life going.

I'm tempted to just image my harddrive this time around but would love it if the steam backup was made a little more usefull - or am i wrong?

And why does it take so long? - it's not just decrypting files the backup must not copy some files or something.

by the way Rag Doll Kunf Fu looks like it will be rather fun

 

[Laivasse]

You can burn or backup your entire Steam folder, and if you copy it back to somewhere with the same path and location it will work fine. Just do that instead of using the backup tool.

 

[Foebane]

Hey, mods, don't just delete my post just because I'm stating my opinion of Steam - even if you know it already.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Hey, Foebane, don't just pipe up in any thread about Steam just to say it sucks - we know your opinion already.

 

[Insano]

Foebane, would you please stop it? You made a thread some time ago that you would stop the fanboyism about ID and hating Valve.

You're doing the same now with Steam.

 

[Dekstar]

Tbh, Pi|Mu|Rho|wned.
:E

 

[wassup]

Thanks Laivasse - I was thinking of doing that but you never know what will get you banned on steam. Do you replace the files before or after the decrypt process, or does that not happen after your method?

CSS started with 900+ minutes to update and now i'm down to 336 - yay :0(
Valve should fix this, if a manual copy of files is better than a backup then i'd call that a bug. - Otherwise they should remove the backup option and save us some disk space.

And Foebane - If you dont like steam then dont play their games, this was not an anti steam post i just wanted to know if backup did anything. Although the waste of diskspace\time is a little anoying especially on 56k if i could have just done a manual backup.

 

[Laivasse]

Thanks Laivasse - I was thinking of doing that but you never know what will get you banned on steam. Do you replace the files before or after the decrypt process, or does that not happen after your method?

CSS started with 900+ minutes to update and now i'm down to 336 - yay :0(
Valve should fix this, if a manual copy of files is better than a backup then i'd call that a bug. - Otherwise they should remove the backup option and save us some disk space.

To be safe I'd install the whole thing, wait until all your games are 100% updated, and then backup your directories. With that done, you should even be able to play in offline mode once you copy everything back.

You can find the exact method in this support entry at steampowered.com. The backup function *is* broken and pretty risky, the last I heard. There was once a guy on here complaining that he couldn't install back using the back-up he made with the official back-up utility. That was a while ago and perhaps Valve have fixed it by now, but I have heard nothing on it.

Stick with a manual copy of files, do everything right, and there should be no disasters. I did the exact same thing to put HL2 back on my comp after a format.

 

[diluted]

Don't copy your whole Steam folder, just copy the GCF files in the SteamApps folder. And you config files if you don't feel like re-doing your binds and settings and stuff.

 

[WhiteZero]

]Valve should fix this, if a manual copy of files is better than a backup then i'd call that a bug. - Otherwise they should remove the backup option and save us some disk space.

Because alot of users don't know how to manualy back-up files, believe it or not.

Besides, I doubt the BackUp feature takes up more than a few MB.

 

[wassup]

Because alot of users don't know how to manualy back-up files, believe it or not.
Besides, I doubt the BackUp feature takes up more than a few MB.

Your correct there would be thousands of people who would not know how to do a manual backup - i feel for them (still have 286 minutes of update)

I was talking about the fact that there would be a lot of people out there with useless 3+GB backup files on their HD - these people like me assume that they can format/reinstall and restore most(if not all) of their Steam files. If the backup option was removed at least there would be no misunderstanding.

Do you still have to let steam decrypt your files first (i am thinking not)?
And "diluted" my configs were the only thing i did a manual backup for - thank god :0(

 

[WhiteZero]

I feel for the people with 200+ min updates too... since I've never had that problem.

 

[Cole]

I feel for the people with 200+ min updates too... since I've never had that problem.

Me either..and im a 56ker..so thats sayin alot.