GlennMagusHarvey
Well-Known Member
Steam is adding yet another layer of complication to its system for downloading games. It's in the beta now, which means it'll probably be coming to the main release Steam client soon.
https://steamdb.info/blog/manifest-request-codes/
In short, this means (among other things) that Steam won't let people obtain older versions of games anymore (once this feature goes out to the main client).
It's previously been posslble, albeit seemingly via a workaround, to download older versions of games, if you know which manifest to look for and what code to give (and there are guides for this).
Not too long ago (February 2020), this changed somewhat, making it necessary to use a third-party tool called Depot Downloader to get your games.
Using Depot Downloader reportedly still works in the main Steam client, for now, but in the beta version (where features are frequently previewed), there's a new code that needs to be entered which prevents access to any older versions.
If you want old versions of Steam games, now would be a good time to check for and obtain them.
Also, for games you already have installed, you may be able to edit appmanifest files and/or edit their file permissions in order to protect them from unwanted updates. I think this still works, but I can't guarantee it, nor how long it will still work. Here's a guide as to how the appmanifest file works: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/file...s/?id=885555151
https://steamdb.info/blog/manifest-request-codes/
In short, this means (among other things) that Steam won't let people obtain older versions of games anymore (once this feature goes out to the main client).
It's previously been posslble, albeit seemingly via a workaround, to download older versions of games, if you know which manifest to look for and what code to give (and there are guides for this).
Not too long ago (February 2020), this changed somewhat, making it necessary to use a third-party tool called Depot Downloader to get your games.
Using Depot Downloader reportedly still works in the main Steam client, for now, but in the beta version (where features are frequently previewed), there's a new code that needs to be entered which prevents access to any older versions.
If you want old versions of Steam games, now would be a good time to check for and obtain them.
Also, for games you already have installed, you may be able to edit appmanifest files and/or edit their file permissions in order to protect them from unwanted updates. I think this still works, but I can't guarantee it, nor how long it will still work. Here's a guide as to how the appmanifest file works: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/file...s/?id=885555151