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BG3 in Steam - Permanently Disabling Automatic Updates


Lowraith

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Edit: I missed part of the manifest change steps, but updated them below in bold. I have successfully tested this process for the brand new Update 2 that just released. I am still running Patch 0 Hotfix 4 with 8/17 version of binaries and mods, and my game now launches even when Steam is logged out and not running at all.

 

Already in the middle of an established playthrough? Patches and updates keep breaking your mods? Steam installs updates with no option to opt out? You can make it stop.

 

After Patch 0's Hotfix 4 broke my previous playthough, I adjusted my mod loadout and started a new game. I didn't want to have to worry about that happening again, but BG3 has only just come out, and we can likely expect an ongoing number of updates from Larian over the next month or two as post-launch bugs are patched, and live service support kicks into full gear.

 

I tried to armor my own installation against this onslaught by making a backup of the install directory right after P0 HF4 (8/17), but even with a preserved baseline to return my game files to, Steam does not currently have a supported set of options to disable game updates. The best they offer is an option to prevent Steam from installing updates until the next time you launch the game - which doesn't solve the issue, it just delays it slightly.

 

I came across a solution that actually works to disable auto-updates in Steam on a per-game basis. It is surprisingly straightforward, but it makes sense in hindsight. I have successfully tested this method after Patch 1 broke some of my mods.

 

Because I had backed up my install directory, I was able to revert back to Patch 0 Hotfix 4 before locking my installation out of Steam's update system. For anyone who has already been updated to Patch 1 with impacted mods, you'll have to wait for your mod authors to release new versions, and follow instructions about repairing your saves. But you can still lock your Steam installation to Patch 1, and never have to worry about Patch 1 Hotfix 1, or Patch 2, or whatever comes next breaking everything all over again. Here's how:

 

 

Get the "app ID" of your BG3 installation, and write that down for later steps

➤ From Steam's Library tab

➤ Right-click Baldur's Gate 3

➤ Properties

➤ Updates tab : Look for "App ID: " down toward the bottom of the tab, and record that number for the next step

➤ Close the Updates tab window

 

 

Lock your current installation and prevent Steam from updating it until you unlock it

➤ From Steam's Library tab

➤ Right-click Baldur's Gate 3

➤ Manage

➤ Browse local files : This should open an Explorer window at a location similar to:
<DRIVE>:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Baldurs Gate 3

➤ Go up to parent directory twice, to end up in:
<DRIVE>:\SteamLibrary\steamapps

➤ Find the .acf file that starts with "appmanifest_" and ends with the number you recorded from the App ID for BG3.

Edit: I missed a few steps here

➤ CLOSE STEAM by going to the lower-right corner clicking the up arrow to show running background processes, then right-clicking the Steam icon there and clicking "Exit"

➤ Make a backup copy of the app manifest file for if you ever want to reverse these changes in the future

➤ Right-click the app manifest file for BG3 and edit it in Notepad

➤ Find the row that starts with "LauncherPath" and change the path from "steam.exe" to something innocuous. In my case, I pointed it at notepad.exe.

➤ Find the rows that start with "AutoUpdateBehavior", "AllowOtherDownloadsWhileRunning", and "ScheduledAutoUpdate" and set each one of those to 0

➤ Save the file and close your text editor

➤ Right-click that app manifest file

➤ Properties

➤ At the bottom of the Properties pane, find the checkbox for "Read-only" and check that box

➤ Click "Ok" to close the Properties pane

 

Your install is now locked, as Steam uses that app manifest file to manage update installations. Doing this will cause issues when you try to launch the game from Steam directly, since it attempts to check for updates, but you can easily circumvent this.

 

 

Launching the locked game now that Steam's shortcut no longer works

 

Option 1 - Use BG3 Mod Manager

➤ If you already use Baldur's Gate 3 Mod Manager to launch your game, you are done. You may continue to use the manager to launch the game without any further work. Enjoy!

 

Option 2 - Create a simple desktop shortcut

➤ From Steam's Library tab

➤ Right-click Baldur's Gate 3

➤ Manage

➤ Add desktop shortcut. Launching BG3 from this shortcut on the desktop should work even when the "Launch" button in Steam no longer does.

 

Option 3 - Create a custom shortcut in Steam

➤ From Steam's Library tab

➤ Click the "+ Add a game" button in the very lower-left corner

➤ Select "Add a Non-Steam Game..."

➤ Click the "Browse" button to manually locate BG3's game binaries

➤ Navigate to the folder where BG3 is installed (we were there in previous steps), and click on the "bin" folder

➤ Select the game exe for your new shortcut to launch (unmanaged by Steam)

➤ Click "Open"

➤ Click "Add Selected Programs"

 

This should now show up in your Library and be launchable from Steam without using the standard BG3 Launch button.

 

 

When you are ready to unlock your installation and allow Steam to update your game again

➤ Simply follow the steps above as if you wanted to lock your installation, and instead, UNCHECK the "Read-only" box for the game's app manifest file

 

 

Hopefully this saves someone else some time and trouble!

Edited by Lowraith
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