Steam, automatically start Steam under Windows with old contact list/chat

Switch to the old version of steam and avoid updates

This is a 1:1 copy/paste from an entry in the steam forum by Wikarian99PL. I copied it here because sometimes steam posts disappear after some years. Some mods seem to "think" that old equals wrong or whatever these people use as "reasons" to delete posts with valid content.

• Close completely Steam
• Create Shortcut for Steam.exe
• Right Click on Shortcut
• Properties
• Target (It should have path to original .exe file)
• I have "C:\Steam\steam.exe" or Default "C:\Program Files\Steam"
• Paste This in after Path from previous step (It will download old version of Steam)

-forcesteamupdate -forcepackagedownload -overridepackageurl http://web.archive.org web/20230531113527if_/media.steampowered.com/client -exitsteam

• Open Steam via Shortcut
• Wait until it finish update and will close
• Delete previously pasted code (remember to not delete path to .exe file)
• Open Steam Main Folder
• Default "C:\Program Files\Steam" or Your Location
• In this folder create File "steam.cfg" (.cfg Needs To Be File Extension, not steam.cfg.txt)
• Paste This in our "steam.cfg" File (It will prevent form Automatic Updates)

BootStrapperInhibitAll=Enable
BootStrapperForceSelfUpdate=False

• Open Steam, should looks normal again

Use the current version of Steam and use a parameter

(not sure if this works, but it is easy to try, so ... go for it)

Get the correct command

• Run (Windows-Key + R) "regedit"
• Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsof\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Doubleclick Steam: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent
• copy the content of the edit box somewhere, for example a new temporary notepad

 "D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -silent

• add "-nochatui -nofriendsui -vgui" to the saved string

 "X:\Games\Steam\steam.exe" -silent -nochatui -nofriendsui -vgui

I have no idea if -nochatui and -nofriendsui still do anything.

Disable automatic Steam start via normal way

• Steam/Settings
• Interface/"Run Steam when my computer starts" -> disable

(This will remove the "Steam" entry from the registry, which we looked up previously

Autostart Steam with your added parameters

• press Windows Key + R
• type “shell:startup” and Enter

shell:startup

• rightclick, "New shortcut"
• location: <your saved string>

"U:\My-Games\Steam\steam.exe" -silent -nochatui -nofriendsui -vgui

• For the name just use the default and close the dialog with "ok".
• Test it
  • close steam
  • double click the new shortcut

sources

• Start Steam contacts/chat with the old ui
• Start Steam with custom parameters without Steam overwriting your changes