Using custom message sounds for Steam in 2017

[Unawarewolf]

Since there isn't a guide to do this that actually works, I decided to make one. It would be cool if Valve implemented a way to import custom sounds in the UI, but considering it took them 10 years to add an mp3 player that is total garbage, I doubt they will. So for now, and probably forever, we have to use this super jenky workaround if we want custom sounds.


Step 1: replacing the sounds

Firstly, you need to get a .wav file of your choosing, I like to use the classic steam message sound and I also like to use a silent voice chat ringing sound because my friends are annoying ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥s who occasionally spam me with the loud as ♥♥♥♥ call sound. Simply overwrite the default files with whatever you prefer.

Here's the ones I use.
Classic Steam[multiupload.biz]
Silent voice chat 1[multiupload.biz]
Silent voice chat 2[multiupload.biz]




The voice chat call sounds are the voice_dialing and the voice_ringing .wav files located in the steam/resouce folder.

The message sound is the message.wav file located in the steam/friends folder

Step 2: Keeping steam from overwriting your custom sounds with the default ones

Every time steam starts up, it does a quick scan of all the non-game files to make sure the program has everything it needs to work. Steam will re-download anything that is incorrect or missing. Unfortunately, this pretty much useless feature sees our custom files, flags them and incorrect and forces you to redownload the default ones. You can make the files read only, but steam will just rename them and replace them with the defaults. To get around this, you have to run steam with the "-noverifyfiles" parameter.

tl;dr, find the steam shortcut on your desktop, right click it, click properties and add "-noverifyfiles" without quotes to the end of the target. Run steam with this and steam won't overwrite your custom files.

Step 3 (Optional): But I don't want to have to start steam with this shortcut, I want it to start up when I power on my computer!

The solution to this is pretty simple. Firstly, open up steam settings > interface and uncheck "run steam when my computer starts." This may seem counter-productive, but if we don't do this steam will start up with the default parameters and overwrite our custom sounds. After you've done this, press win+r to open up run and put in shell:startup. This will open the appdata startups folder. Now simply make a copy of the shortcut you made earlier with the -noverifiyfiles parameter and paste it into this folder. That's it. You're done. When Windows starts up, it will run the shortcut in that folder.

[Unawarewolf]

and if you have a mac or linux, get ♥♥♥♥♥♥.

[Alexalmighty502 Sup Acc]

if there isn't a guide for this make one don't post it here so it will get pushed down and forgotten

[Greed]

where can i find the resource folder?

[Unawarewolf]

Originally posted by Hedgehog:

where can i find the resource folder?

The resorce folder is located in the root folder of your steam installation. Typically this will be C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Resource

[snowi]

incredibly helpful thankyou!

[B l u e b e r r y P o p t a r t]

This is old. Like way old. But thanks I guess for newer users.

Eeew necro!

[Midnight Sky ✨🌙✨]

Originally posted by B l u e b e r r y P o p t a r t:

This is old. Like way old. But thanks I guess for newer users.

Eeew necro!

Heh, this is old, too.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Mr. Gency:

Originally posted by B l u e b e r r y P o p t a r t:

This is old. Like way old. But thanks I guess for newer users.

Eeew necro!

Heh, this is old, too.

it is!

i use the messenger DING! for my notifications.

[B l u e b e r r y P o p t a r t]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Originally posted by Mr. Gency:

Heh, this is old, too.

it is!

i use the messenger DING! for my notifications.

:claugh:

I'm too lazzy to make/change mine again, but I wish people would upload some new ones on gamebanana.

[Deejudanne]

Originally posted by Alexalmighty502 Sup Acc:

if there isn't a guide for this make one don't post it here so it will get pushed down and forgotten

forgotten? the post comes first when you google it, yes Necromancer

[jenkemgamer69]

I use "You've got mail!" Remember that? From AOL?

[jenkemgamer69]

How do you add commands?

[jenkemgamer69]

Help