DELAY the automatic launching of steam at startup?

[•cC• Bear]

I get the following error every time I boot, but RETRY CONNECTION button works every time, and furthermore, I know why...

Connection Error
Could not connect to the Steam Network.

I've recently installed an SSD, and Windows (7 Pro 64-Bit) boots, and as a result, Steam launches so fast, that my NIC has not yet received an IP address, and is not yet "online."

So here's the simple question:
How can I set Steam on a "Delayed Start," so that my router can have the extra 5 seconds it needs to get online before failing to connect before I'm online?

I realize that I could both give my PC a static IP address, or manually Launch Steam after I receive an IP from my router, but for reasons that I won't go into, neither of these is an option I would like to go with.

[•cC• Bear]

You sir, are a Boss. THanks a million, this is the kind of simple solution that I just couldn't think of!

[NutellaOrDidntHappen]

Originally posted by Bear:

You sir, are a Boss. THanks a million, this is the kind of simple solution that I just couldn't think of!

Could you please share the solution? Thanks.

[•cC• Bear]

Hmm. Funny that the original answer isn't here anymore. The answer was posted... I don't have this issue any more, so I don't have the actual code to share anymore. But, the answer is to write a simple batch file (.bat) which is put in the startup folder to make it run at start. This batch file's job is to delay the start of steam.exe by a given number of seconds. I'll see if I can't dig it up for you, or write a new one real quick.

[•cC• Bear]

Here you go! Emailed it to myself for future use.

Make a txt file and paste the following code into it, changing the path as neeed for your machine. This will provide a 5 second delay to the launching of steam.

@echo off
TITLE STEAM DELAYED LAUNCH
timeout /T 5 /NOBREAK
start /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\" steam.exe

Change the file extension to .bat and put it into your startup folder. If 5 seconds isn't enough, change the 5 to 10 etc. till you dial it in.

[_I_]

it would be better to have it wait for an ip address

use
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

once an ip address is obtained it will continue

[NutellaOrDidntHappen]

Thanks a lot man! Hopefully whis will make it for me, the one with time delay.

And for the second guy's suggestion: Well, it could work for Bear since he got the login issue but my issue is different. I want to make steam startup after DSTool because if Steam starts first the DSTool gives error at first start and you got to start it again thus making "start with windows" useless :) Time delaying Steam startup should solve this.


Anway thank you both guys ;)


By the way, Bear, I have one more question for you. As Iam looking to the code you posted (Iam not any kind of coder) it seems as it starts Steam in 5s delay. Same as if I clicked the Steam.exe manually so Iam guessing it starts the Steam maximalized (hopefully the right word - you know windows over whole screen).
Is there any way to start it minimalized (just send it to background - icon in notify area), maybe some code which would force it to start in background?


Example:
@echo off
TITLE STEAM DELAYED LAUNCH
timeout /T 5 /NOBREAK
start /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\" steam.exe-start_in_background

[_I_]

in that case, you could remove steam from auto startup and run it manually

[Wampum Biskit]

@echo off
TITLE STEAM DELAYED LAUNCH
timeout /T 5 /NOBREAK
start /min /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\" steam.exe

that should fix that.

[Wampum Biskit]

Originally posted by _I_:

in that case, you could remove steam from auto startup and run it manually

why not just delay it ?... there's no harm in delaying it by a bat file...none at all...

Originally posted by _I_:

it would be better to have it wait for an ip address

use
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

once an ip address is obtained it will continue

that fixes nothing , it just releases the IP and renews it , it will still keep loading steam before it gets a new IP, still resulting into the same error.

mine does the same thing , thats why i had to delay my steam startup , ssd's can be too fast...

[mickey]

The proper way would be to use Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc):

Create a new task
Give it a name, choose "run only when user is logged on"
(you might also need it to run with highest privileges)
Triggers - At logon
Actions - Start a program - (browse for Steam.exe)
Conditions - Start only if the following network connection is available: (choose your connection)

[NutellaOrDidntHappen]

Originally posted by SyPTo:

@echo off
TITLE STEAM DELAYED LAUNCH
timeout /T 5 /NOBREAK
start /min /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\" steam.exe

that should fix that.

Many thanks! You are best ;)

Originally posted by _I_:

in that case, you could remove steam from auto startup and run it manually

This is not about running something manually, its about solving problems ;)
I can as well run manually all my 15 programs that start with Windows yet the developers added the autostart option so we dont need to do anything manually. Thats the point.

Originally posted by RAGE:

The proper way would be to use Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc):

Create a new task
Give it a name, choose "run only when user is logged on"
(you might also need it to run with highest privileges)
Triggers - At logon
Actions - Start a program - (browse for Steam.exe)
Conditions - Start only if the following network connection is available: (choose your connection)

I have done this already, didnt find an option to start in background so not a good solution for me. Anyway thanks for posting another option ;)

[mickey]

Originally posted by FlowerPower®:

I have done this already, didnt find an option to start in background so not a good solution for me. Anyway thanks for posting another option ;)

Dude, it's the proper solution for what you want. You left the background aspect in the "but for reasons that I won't go into" in the OP.
Easy to fix, at Actions - Start a program - (browse for Steam.exe)
just Add arguments (optional) and write -silent

[•cC• Bear]

@Rage

You are correct, and setting a task in task scheduler is definately a viable optoin, but so is writing a simple batch file. Especially if someone else will write it for you.

Also, I am OP, not FlowerPower, and I left out the reasons for not using a static IP or manually launching Steam because my reasons are irrelavent. I wanted another solution. A simple batch file suits my needs perfectly, as well as the needs of others who might want to delay the launch of steam for other reasons, whlie still having an automated launch.

You were kind enough to offer another solution, and that's great, but don't go saying that one solution is "better" or more "proper" than another when both produce the same outcome, especially when you offer no supporting evidence to prove your method is better, and not just one you preffer.

[Simpson3k]

The selfmade solution is nice but i wonder why steam doesnt simply is improved with a retry connection feature, nearly all games and webbrowsers do that for a certain ammount of time before they give the message that no connection exists.

[jurchiks]

Did the scheduled task thing, hopefully it'll work for me. Thanks for the suggestion, Sir 2FT!