Steam: stop with the multiple ads and windows when starting a game

[Galadhlinn]

With the most recent Steam update we are now having the full Steam UI and a slew of ad windows opening up with each game we start. STOP! I have done all the suggestions for fixing this that I found in Google, and it is still occurring, so Steam either moved, removed, renamed or reassigned this setting.
It is annoying as F*#K!

[Komarimaru]

Huh, never seen any ads on Steam, wonder what settings I have disabled so don't see them.

[breadman]

Originally posted by Komarimaru:

Huh, never seen any ads on Steam, wonder what settings I have disabled so don't see them.

yeah i'm not seeing any either

[Crazy Tiger]

What ad windows? While there certainly are plenty of issues with the UI, this is something I haven't come across.

Could you, by any chance, provide a screenshot?

[CZBGR Icepick]

Must be a specific kind of game you're opening up from it's launcher, because that's not a thing on Steam AFAIK.

[Galadhlinn]

Since the latest update a couple of days ago, when I open a game using a shortcut on my desktop, the full Steam UI and associated ads opens up, and I have to close them (or shrink them) down to get to the game or back to my desktop. Prior to the latest update, this only occurred when I opened Steam itself either using the shortcut on my desktop or the Steam icon down in my taskbar. This is now happening every single time I go to start a game (games through Steam).

[Galadhlinn]

It's happening with all games I own through Steam.

[Mad Scientist]

Yeah I'm not seeing that when launching games. Typically, you can see the latest games available, updates to your games, pre-order etc when you first login, but not when you go to launch games.

Most people have in Settings > Interface "Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" as Disabled. If you have that enabled, try disabling it and trying to launch games again. If it still happens, it's clearly related to the game(s) you're playing and likely any associated launcher(s) or possible adware infections on the system.

[Galadhlinn]

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

Yeah I'm not seeing that when launching games. Typically, you can see the latest games available, updates to your games, pre-order etc when you first login, but not when you go to launch games.

Most people have in Settings > Interface "Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" as Disabled. If you have that enabled, try disabling it and trying to launch games again. If it still happens, it's clearly related to the game(s) you're playing and likely any associated launcher(s) or possible adware infections on the system.

Thanks for the reply,
Yes I already had the "Notify me" box unchecked, but I double checked it to see if the update enabled it again, but it was still unchecked.

To be clear:
Normally (previously), If I clicked on the the Steam shortcut on my desktop, the main Steam UI would open up with associated popup ads. I didn't mind because I was intentionally accessing Steam. Again prior to latest update, when I opened (started) a game from a shortcut on my desktop for the first time each day, I would get the small panel saying, "Steam checking for updates" and then :Initializing Steam". That small panel would then disappear, and the game starting panel would be there. At that point, if I checked down in my taskbar (Windows 10), there would be a small Steam icon which I could click on and open a specific panel in Steam (Discussions, Store, etc.). Now what's happening is starting a game fully opens Steam UI with the popup ads. The games I've tried are No Man's Sky, The Long Dark, Scum, and Conan Exiles.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Galadhlinn:

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

Yeah I'm not seeing that when launching games. Typically, you can see the latest games available, updates to your games, pre-order etc when you first login, but not when you go to launch games.

Most people have in Settings > Interface "Notify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases" as Disabled. If you have that enabled, try disabling it and trying to launch games again. If it still happens, it's clearly related to the game(s) you're playing and likely any associated launcher(s) or possible adware infections on the system.

Thanks for the reply,
Yes I already had the "Notify me" box unchecked, but I double checked it to see if the update enabled it again, but it was still unchecked.

To be clear:
Normally (previously), If I clicked on the the Steam shortcut on my desktop, the main Steam UI would open up with associated popup ads. I didn't mind because I was intentionally accessing Steam. Again prior to latest update, when I opened (started) a game from a shortcut on my desktop for the first time each day, I would get the small panel saying, "Steam checking for updates" and then :Initializing Steam". That small panel would then disappear, and the game starting panel would be there. At that point, if I checked down in my taskbar (Windows 10), there would be a small Steam icon which I could click on and open a specific panel in Steam (Discussions, Store, etc.). Now what's happening is starting a game fully opens Steam UI with the popup ads. The games I've tried are No Man's Sky, The Long Dark, Scum, and Conan Exiles.

Can you take a screen shot of what you are referring to?

I have never seen ads, except for the one Mad Scientist mentioned and that was easily disabled from happening on startup. I am aware of no other "ads."

[Crazy Tiger]

I've seen it reported a few times now. Before this update, launching a game from the game shortcut on the desktop would launch Steam silently in the background while loading the game. Now it launches Steam full force in desktop mode before loading the game.

It seems that behaviour has changed.

The "ads" OP is referring to are likely the start up news items, yeah. They can be disabled in the settings, OP.

[davidb11]

Yeah, not really what the word ads mean, so we were confused.
No actual ads here.

[RiO]

Originally posted by davidb11:

Yeah, not really what the word ads mean, so we were confused.
No actual ads here.

Those startup news items are the ones displaying in the center screen popup dialog that announce new game releases; and announce games having sales. So yes: actual ads.

Not the ones showing in the What's New bar on top of the library, which tend to predominantly have a more newsworthy flavor with actual stuff to read and take notice of. (Aside from the occasional announcement of 'try our other newly released but unrelated game' which is abuse by the publisher/developer of the news feature; a violation of their agreement with Valve; and should be reported, afaik.)

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by RiO:

Originally posted by davidb11:

Yeah, not really what the word ads mean, so we were confused.
No actual ads here.

Those startup news items are the ones displaying in the center screen popup dialog that announce new game releases; and announce games having sales. So yes: actual ads.

The OP said they had those turned off, so shouldn't be getting that. Hence why I asked for a screenshot, for clarification on the issue.

Originally posted by Galadhlinn:

Thanks for the reply,
Yes I already had the "Notify me" box unchecked, but I double checked it to see if the update enabled it again, but it was still unchecked.

[MonkehMaster]

Originally posted by RiO:

Originally posted by davidb11:

Yeah, not really what the word ads mean, so we were confused.
No actual ads here.

Those startup news items are the ones displaying in the center screen popup dialog that announce new game releases; and announce games having sales. So yes: actual ads.

[RiO]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Originally posted by RiO:

Those startup news items are the ones displaying in the center screen popup dialog that announce new game releases; and announce games having sales. So yes: actual ads.

The OP said they had those turned off, so shouldn't be getting that.

They also said they specifically already went to double-check that setting to verify whether the update maybe flipped it back on again. Which kind of already indicates that what they're getting on screen are the ads that normally should be controlled by that setting, no?