Info for tricking Steam into thinking Skyrim is up to date without actually updating

[FluffyPotato]

This is useful if you need to launch Skyrim through Steam, for example on Linux with Mod Organiser. Googling gave me nothing so I figured out how to do it on my own and hopefully this topic will pop up in the search the next time Bethesda decides to update this and I'm googling for a solution again.

Anyhow I found a way to bypass the update and launch the game through Steam without actually updating:
1. Close steam
2. Find the Skyrim appmanifest file in the steamapps folder, it's named appmanifest_489830.acf
3. Open it in any text editor
4. Change "StateFlags" to 4
5. Change all the manifest IDs to the last update that was released. You can get the IDs from SteamDB (For example: https://steamdb.info/depot/489831/manifests/)
6. Start up steam again and Skyrim should show up as up to date.

This only works if you haven't yet updated of course. Also don't use verify files for Skyrim.

[Madao]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2872091273

[FluffyPotato]

Originally posted by Madao:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2872091273

The issue is that none of those work on Linux. You need to launch the game through Steam, that's why I wrote this up.

[Madao]

Originally posted by FluffyPotato:

Originally posted by Madao:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2872091273

The issue is that none of those work on Linux. You need to launch the game through Steam, that's why I wrote this up.

oh my bad. sorry about that

[Lino]

Or you can launch steam off-line?

[FluffyPotato]

Originally posted by Lino:

Or you can launch steam off-line?

True but this way there is no danger of it updating again until they release a new update and I don't have to lose out in Steam's online features.

[學店店長]

I use this method , my main gaming pc is still 1.5.97 https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/0/4039229127172993066/

[FluffyPotato]

I'm so glad rn that I wrote this up. Saw that there's another meaningless update for Skyrim so I looked through my comments and found this and did the steps and I can play Skyrim again.

[Maxshot44kk]

Originally posted by FluffyPotato:

I'm so glad rn that I wrote this up. Saw that there's another meaningless update for Skyrim so I looked through my comments and found this and did the steps and I can play Skyrim again.

Hey man, can you help me again? I did your trick last time and worked just fine, but now i can't get this to work anymore and its always trying to update :(

"InstalledDepots"
{
"489831"
{
"manifest" "3737743381894105176"
"size" "6760136813"
}
"489832"
{
"manifest" "4341968404481569190"
"size" "8550012993"
}
"489833"
{
"manifest" "1914580699073641964"
"size" "35369752"
}

[FluffyPotato]

Originally posted by Maxcannon44kk:

snip

The latest values in the steamdb would be this:
"InstalledDepots"
{
"489831"
{
"manifest" "8442952117333549665"
"size" "6760136813"
}
"489832"
{
"manifest" "8042843504692938467"
"size" "8550012993"
}
"489833"
{
"manifest" "1914580699073641964"
"size" "35369752"
}
}

Also set the state flag to 4 as well

[Maxshot44kk]

Originally posted by FluffyPotato:

Originally posted by Maxcannon44kk:

snip

The latest values in the steamdb would be this:
"InstalledDepots"
{
"489831"
{
"manifest" "8442952117333549665"
"size" "6760136813"
}
"489832"
{
"manifest" "8042843504692938467"
"size" "8550012993"
}
"489833"
{
"manifest" "1914580699073641964"
"size" "35369752"
}
}

Also set the state flag to 4 as well

Now I get it, I thought the only manifest that should be modified was the last one (489833) and the other two were last manifest before the update, but in fact each depot has its own updated manifest... Thanks and sorry for disturbing you again <3

[Seekrt]

Very interesting overall thread.
Should be pinned but I doubt Steam will agree.