How to stop game update (appmanifest method)

[Shun]

1- Browse local files of the game.

2- Go up a couple folders to the steamapps folder. >steamapps</common/The Witcher 3

3- Find appmanifest_292030 and set it to read only.


Full in depth guide for Skyrim by u/rockerbacon (Replace Skyrim's id with 292030 and you are good):

https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/b158op/keep_skyrim_se_from_updating_safely_and/

[🐸♰Revy]

Very useful, thank you. I'll do this and let the game update after seeing if the community reception is good

Also the appmanifest file for me is stored in /steamapps/ folder rather than the game folder. Might be the same for other people too

[Shun]

Originally posted by *♰Revy:

Also the appmanifest file for me is stored in /steamapps/ folder rather than the game folder. Might be the same for other people too

Yep, that's where you should end up if you go up 2 folders from the game location.

I made the steps that way for those that have multiple drives and steamlibrary folders.

If you want a game to not update, opening it's location and going up 2 folders will always lead to the correct appmanifest.

[Jean Roque de Lartigue]

This needs be pinned.
EDIT : After reading the reddit post you linked, that's basically just turning off auto-updates + launching through Steam in offline mode but with extra steps.

[Castyles]

Yeah. It works. But even though it's quick and easy it's also messy, plus a total bother.

Would be best if Valve could release an option to block all updates from the player's library or if CDPR provided a DLC, instead of an update.

[s0d0]

And you cannot redownload the old version.

[Jean Roque de Lartigue]

There might be a way around, actually. There's an interesting line in the appmanifest file:

	"buildid"		"3280809"

Looking that number up on steamdb.info https://steamdb.info/patchnotes/3280809 shows that this is the identification number for the game's current version. So I reckon that replacing the current ID with the next-gen one and then setting the appmanifest as write-only could help effectively disabling updates. Will need to try this with other games and see what happens!

[Castyles]

Originally posted by Jean Roque de Lartigue:

There might be a way around, actually. There's an interesting line in the appmanifest file:

	"buildid"		"3280809"

Looking that number up on steamdb.info https://steamdb.info/patchnotes/3280809 shows that this is the identification number for the game's current version. So I reckon that replacing the current ID with the next-gen one and then setting the appmanifest as write-only could help effectively disabling updates. Will need to try this with other games and see what happens!

Interesting. Please, don't forget to post what you find.

[Shibby]

Originally posted by Castyles:

Yeah. It works. But even though it's quick and easy it's also messy, plus a total bother.

Would be best if Valve could release an option to block all updates from the player's library or if CDPR provided a DLC, instead of an update.

Valve is never going to go do it from what I can tell. It's been a very long time that people have asked for the option.

[Shun]

Originally posted by Jean Roque de Lartigue:

This needs be pinned.
EDIT : After reading the reddit post you linked, that's basically just turning off auto-updates + launching through Steam in offline mode but with extra steps.

Skyrim tried to update by itself with the no auto-updates method. And i couldn't launch the game anymore through the SKSE launcher without it updating.

Setting the appmanifest to read only is the safest way to prevent updates in all the methods i tried.

It's basically the same fix ,but there's 0% chance of auto updating as long as the appmanifest is there and read only.

[Thermal Lance]

Seems rather interesting. Would be so awesome if Steam would stop being a ♥♥♥♥ and allow us to delay updates until it is convenient for us to do so. :/

[Shun]

Originally posted by Castyles:

Yeah. It works. But even though it's quick and easy it's also messy, plus a total bother.

Would be best if Valve could release an option to block all updates from the player's library or if CDPR provided a DLC, instead of an update.

Yep, it becomes even more of a bother with multiple games, you have to run the game through the exe rather than through steam which means more shortcuts on the desktop.

If it was an optional dlc this wouldn't even be an issue. I feel like they wanted to roll out the next gen update to as many people as possible and make it easier for anyone to just come back and find their new copy of The Witcher 3 waiting to be downloaded.

Meanwhile making it a dlc would remove all the stress that modders and people with low end pc's are having right now. Also it's not that hard to just click install on a free dlc.

[felixpoop]

appmanifest

What is this? I gather it will prevent the game updating. Will someone please tell me how to do this? Thank you.

[kripcision]

its kinda similar to the method i use but what i do is (i'll use cyberpunk as an example)

turn off automatic updates for the games i do not want to update

turn off steam, then

i zip/rar the app manifest file as a backup copy in case i mess it up

open up the app manifest file with notepad or notepad++

then i change the "StateFlags" to "4"

then i make the "BytesDownloaded" to the same number as the "BytesToDownload" above it
for example "6618848"
same thing with "BytesToStage" and "BytesStaged" ,
for example "27521232"

then under depots you will have different "depot" numbers and manifests, i get the up to date manifest files from https://steamdb.info/

search for your game, "cyberpunk" in this case, hit the depots tab, there are 2 depot files that my appmanifest needs they show up in the file under "InstalledDepots" (there's 3 but only 2 need changing in this case)

numbers 1091501 and 2060310, first number is the main game, the second is the redmod tool they just released, they both got updated so we have to change both manifest files, any DLC will show up as a separate depot number, if we miss one the game will still force to update the file that doesnt have the up to date manifest.

i change the "manfest" for 1091501 from "9024153387735370035" to
"3432449541687557896"

i change the "manfest" for 2060310 from "6105760403137189353" to
"7858534502742980826"

(witcher 3 has a lot of dlc so you will have to change like 28 depot manifests if they update everything..)

save the appmanifest file and turn back on steam to see if you did it correctly, if so then the game wont need an update. steam will think the game has the updated files and wont 'pursue' an update

if you did manage to mess it up, turn off steam, if you only missed one dlc then you can just update that dlc manifest number or if you messed up the whole thing then recopy the original appmanifest file that you zip/rared/made a copy off and try again (or dont and give up).

i should add, you should make copies of your game data files before you try to this if manage to get this really wrong, just in case before you perfect this method.

Since my internet is really bad and i sometimes have mods for game i do not want to break due to an update, i skip most single player updates, the above works and will work for any update.

IF you do want to update at some point, put the old manifest file back so it can update from the correct version. OR repeat the steps to skip it again when it asks for an update.

[Thermal Lance]

There is an actual thread about it.

[Angelus Mortis]

Originally posted by Castyles:

Yeah. It works. But even though it's quick and easy it's also messy, plus a total bother.

Would be best if Valve could release an option to block all updates from the player's library or if CDPR provided a DLC, instead of an update.

Years ago steam allowed players to turn off updates to games through the games properties. That however was done away with because game developers wanted their games kept up to date and didn't like people playing old versions. I don't expect you will ever see Steam go back to allowing people to turn off updates entirely.