Boot Windows directly into Steam Big Picture EXCLUSIVELY

[Yoona_939]

Hi,

Having looked around on the web I came across various convoluted instructions to BOOT EXCLUSIVELY INTO STEAM BIG PICTURE INSTEAD OF STANDARD WINDOWS DESKTOP, which I've edited together and simplified below. Bear in mind this is really only suitable for someone who has a PC used exclusively for gaming with Steam, though it is fairly easily reversible.

It worked for me on Windows 7 and Windows 8, and it should work for Vista and maybe even XP. So far I've not noticed any issues - even with controller-enabled non-Steam games that I've created a shortcut to in Steam. It also has the benefit of freeing up memory and CPU cycles from the Windows interface, but it does mean if you need to do other Windows stuff you have to mess about a bit with Task Manager to start Windows Explorer again (or see the Helpful Suggestions below for a simpler method!)

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS INTENDED TO BE USED WITH CARE AND I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DO TO YOUR PC!

Having said that, it's really quite straightforward, requires no additional software and only takes a few minutes to sort out, though you should be comfortable doing things like editing registry and changing advanced Windows settings.

========================
Part 1: Set Steam startup options
========================

This is the easy bit.

1. Open up Steam in normal windowed mode and select Settings from the top menu

2. Click the Interface tab

3. Select both checkboxes for 'Run Steam when my computer starts' and 'Start Steam in Big Picture Mode' - maybe one day Valve will get these to work properly together so you don't have to follow the rest of this nonsense!

4. Click OK and exit Steam

==============================================
Part 2. Making Registry Edits so that Steam runs as your shell
==============================================

This is the trickier bit and involves some commitment to Steam on your part, though is easily reversible - it will make Steam run instead of your normal Windows Desktop after Windows has booted and you've logged in.

1. Bring up the Windows 'Run' dialogue box, either from the Start Menu or by pressing your Windows key and R at the same time.

2. Type 'regedit' and click OK.

3. Navigate to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]

4. Right click in the folder pane to the right and select 'New > String Value'

5. Name it 'Shell.'

5. Right click on 'Shell' and select 'Modify.'

6. Type in the path to Steam.exe and click OK. By default on a 64 bit system the full path will be "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe” - personally I just have Steam installed at root - "C:\Steam" :)

==========================================================
Part 3 (optional): Setup your PC to automatically login to your Windows account
==========================================================

If you are not a complete security nut and only have one account on your PC, you can set it up to automatically login, so you don't have to select a user and/or type a password. Instructions for this varies according to your Windows version. See here for full information:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/f/auto-login-windows.htm

NOW REBOOT YOUR PC AND CROSS YOUR FINGERS YOU DID IT ALL OKAY!

Whilst waiting for your PC to boot up, grab your Xbox 360 Controller and turn it on ready to navigate that lovely Steam Big Picture Mode.

==============
Troubleshooting etc
==============

If you get only a black screen with a cursor instead, or your gamepad doesn't work, or whatever, press control+alt+delete and select 'Task Manager.' Go to File>New Task (Run) and type "explorer.exe" - this should bring back your regular desktop until you log in again. You can also use this method to access Windows if you want to do anything else.

Go back and check that you made all the registry edits exactly right. To remove the Steam bootingness, just delete the 'Shell' entry you added.

===============
Helpful Suggestions
===============

Sanguinjay made the following excellent suggestion to make it easier to start Explorer and access all the usual Windows stuff...

Sanguinjay님이 먼저 게시:

when running steam in desktop mode add a non-steam shortcut that points to explorer.exe in C:\Windows and before you exit out of steam big picture remember to click that shortcut. for extra credit add a custom image to it so it looks better in big picture more.

================

HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOU!


PS: My main source for the registry hacking instructions was this handy blog post:

http://oakengearbox.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/how-to-boot-your-pc-directly-to-steam.html

[Hexidecimal]

Cool

[bigaza2151]

Been using my living room pc this way for about a year and from about a week ago i got a steam notification during boot about steam running in compatibilty mode and that i should disable it, so i did and now my machine boots into windows! Tryd changing my settings back to the way i had them but nothings worked, any suggestions here coz i really dont want to go all the way back through reconfiguring xbmc and all the other shortcuts i use through big picture

[Q13E5 ︻デ═一]

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

Been using my living room pc this way for about a year and from about a week ago i got a steam notification during boot about steam running in compatibilty mode and that i should disable it, so i did and now my machine boots into windows! Tryd changing my settings back to the way i had them but nothings worked, any suggestions here coz i really dont want to go all the way back through reconfiguring xbmc and all the other shortcuts i use through big picture

are you in the steam beta? if you are, unsub fron it in settings, if you are not, then try the beta version.

[bigaza2151]

[/quote]
are you in the steam beta? if you are, unsub fron it in settings, if you are not, then try the beta version. [/quote]

yeah i am in the beta

you might be right ill try that

[UnReal-4-Life]

So much easier just to use the SteamOS as is with out anything else. No windows nothing but SOS

[Q13E5 ︻デ═一]

UnReal-4-Life님이 먼저 게시:

So much easier just to use the SteamOS as is with out anything else. No windows nothing but SOS

I tried to use their newest os beta, turns out, its usb only an my 2007 motherboard does not support it.

[bigaza2151]

UnReal-4-Life님이 먼저 게시:

So much easier just to use the SteamOS as is with out anything else. No windows nothing but SOS

yeah but not many games supported?

[bigaza2151]

Q13E5 ︻デ═一님이 먼저 게시:

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

Been

are you in the steam beta? if you are, unsub fron it in settings, if you are not, then try the beta version.

tryd it, didnt work

im really t a loss here

[Q13E5 ︻デ═一]

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

tryd it, didnt work im really :Avengers:t a loss here

[/quote]
Maybe all you really have to do is do all of it again and checking if the command strings are correct. appologies. maybe a pc update messed up the modefied strings.

[gambiller]

try using steam in steam os mode if you arent, Steam os mode cannot boot to desktop, simply make a shortcut, right click, hit properties, and where it says target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe, add in -steamos, it should look something like Target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe -steamos

[gambiller]

that may fix your issue and just use your shortcut to boot

[bigaza2151]

gambiller님이 먼저 게시:

try using steam in steam os mode if you arent, Steam os mode cannot boot to desktop, simply make a shortcut, right click, hit properties, and where it says target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe, add in -steamos, it should look something like Target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe -steamos

nope

problem with shortcut
then name C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe-steamosspecified in the targeyt box is not valid. make sure the path and the filename are correct

[Q13E5 ︻デ═一]

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

gambiller님이 먼저 게시:

try using steam in steam os mode if you arent, Steam os mode cannot boot to desktop, simply make a shortcut, right click, hit properties, and where it says target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe, add in -steamos, it should look something like Target: C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe -steamos

nope

problem with shortcut
then name C:\program files (x86)\steam\steam.exe-steamosspecified in the targeyt box is not valid. make sure the path and the filename are correct

this is what i would do. find the steam.exe file( the one for big picture), copy it to C:\program files (x86)\steam\, and rename it as steam.exe-steamosspecified That should fix this string.

[UnReal-4-Life]

Doesnt matter If its not your main PC. And well I know the dota team fortress and borderlands series are on SteamOS they work great too.

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

UnReal-4-Life님이 먼저 게시:

So much easier just to use the SteamOS as is with out anything else. No windows nothing but SOS

yeah but not many games supported?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=394124286

[Q13E5 ︻デ═一]

UnReal-4-Life님이 먼저 게시:

Doesnt matter If its not your main PC. And well I know the dota team fortress and borderlands series are on SteamOS they work great too.

bigaza2151님이 먼저 게시:

yeah but not many games supported?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=394124286

it is rude to self advertise.