steam preloading seems useless

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Bud Kushinski Sep 3, 2019 @ 4:13pm

steam preloading seems useless

i don't get preloading on steam. today it was quicker for me to remove the preload and install post release.

is there some way to have steam actually install the program when it becomes available?

if i preload a game and have steam running during release it does nothing. so later it needs to be manually done, defeating the purpose. the unpack takes much longer then a normal install on my machine. my least favorite part of steam's broken system: preload + install cost something like 1.5-2x as much drive space as a normal install.... yet steam ignores this fact as far as preload requirements go.

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cSg|mc-Hotsauce Sep 3, 2019 @ 4:16pm

I am unsure if remote install is possible as I have not tested it on a preload.

It needs to decrypt the files first.

Preloading Games before Release

By default, all content is always encrypted, on all retail discs and on all content servers. Switching a game to preload mode means owners can download the content, but it stays encrypted on the users' disk and can't be played. Once the game becomes officially released, Steam will decrypt the preloaded content and the user can play the game.

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/sdk/uploading#Preloading

Last edited by cSg|mc-Hotsauce; Sep 3, 2019 @ 4:36pm

Bud Kushinski Sep 3, 2019 @ 4:54pm

i've never messed around with steamcmd, and frankly don't know the first thing about scheduling programs on windows... but i wonder if that is my solution?

cSg|mc-Hotsauce Sep 3, 2019 @ 4:59pm

I'm talking about the mobile app. Go to your profile and choose games. On that page you should be able to remote install any game as long as you are logged into your client.

For browser too.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6324-IGHC-5301

Last edited by cSg|mc-Hotsauce; Sep 3, 2019 @ 5:00pm

Bud Kushinski Sep 3, 2019 @ 5:08pm

oh, ok. that is a great way to do it.

unfortunately that isn't an option for me.

RikNardo Sep 3, 2019 @ 5:19pm

wuau

The HopelessGamer™ Sep 3, 2019 @ 5:37pm

Same issue. I preloaded Spyro the other day and this morning now that it is released expected to click play and have a ball but nope... the game would not start its decrypting thing in the downloads window so now i gotta reinstall the entire game once again. The feature feels pretty useless to me now having tried it.

Last edited by The HopelessGamer™; Sep 3, 2019 @ 5:38pm