Concerning the small patch through Steam today: : V - Skyrim

» Wed May 16, 2012 7:01 am

What I do not like of steam is that it forces you to play online ... and what if I want to play offline or if my connection cgoes? I can't play skyrim?

» Tue May 15, 2012 9:21 pm

You can still PATCH TESV.exe, sheesh, try reading the thread!!

This doesn't work for me. I don't know about anyone else, but online or offline mode, TESV.exe won't launch if patched.

» Tue May 15, 2012 8:58 pm

What I do not like of steam is that it forces you to play online ... and what if I want to play offline or if my connection cgoes? I can't play skyrim?

You set Steam to offline mode.

» Wed May 16, 2012 1:50 am

You DO realize you are trying to bypass this game's DRM, right?

It's only natural that when it becomes apparent that people are bypassing the security features preventing this game from being stolen, they create a patch to try to stop that, you know...

Besides, Steam doesn't slow down your game. These complaints about Steam are all nonsensical gripes.

That's [censored].
We're complaining that you need steam to run the game not install it.
Running steam with the game does not protect it from being stolen.

» Wed May 16, 2012 5:15 am

Again, there's offline mode, and Steam takes all of 0% of my CPU and 13 megs of RAM to keep running. As opposed to all of the other far more invasive and destructive DRMs out there, this is hardly any price to pay at all.

» Wed May 16, 2012 1:09 am

Download http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, open TESV.exe in http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, look down the left hand column for "File Header", click in, in the right window where it says "Click here"; click, in the list shown, check/tick "App can handle >2gb address space.
Save file overwriting the old TESV.exe(best make a back up of the old one first), once complete, start the game using "TESV.exe"; problem solved!

Sorry folks, I was wrong, the patch will not currently work, they can keep their bloody patch until it's fixed to allow LAA.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:38 pm

This doesn't work for me. I don't know about anyone else, but online or offline mode, TESV.exe won't launch if patched.

Agreed, I use CFF Explorer to manually patch, TESV.exe will NOT launch no matter what.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:52 pm

That's [censored].
We're complaining that you need steam to run the game not install it.
Running steam with the game does not protect it from being stolen.

Get over it. There is nothing wrong with Steam.

Can one of those that says the exe can still be patched please give me a step-by-step process for doing this now? I'd prefer to leave Steam online, if possible. And I'd also prefer to run the game without crashing every 30 minutes.

» Tue May 15, 2012 10:54 pm

fnv4gb worked around this Steam issue, will just have to wait for a version of this for Skyrim.

» Wed May 16, 2012 4:46 am

Download http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, open TESV.exe in http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, look down the left hand column for "File Header", click in, in the right window where it says "Click here"; click, in the list shown, check/tick "App can handle >2gb address space.
Save file overwriting the old TESV.exe(best make a back up of the old one first), once complete, start the game using "TESV.exe"; problem solved!

I'll try that, thanks.

Get over it. There is nothing wrong with Steam.

Can one of those that says the exe can still be patched please give me a step-by-step process for doing this now? I'd prefer to leave Steam online, if possible. And I'd also prefer to run the game without crashing every 30 minutes.

No, I can [censored] about steam if I want.

It's not for you to say what problems steam causes my computer.

» Wed May 16, 2012 10:42 am

Download http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, open TESV.exe in http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, look down the left hand column for "File Header", click in, in the right window where it says "Click here"; click, in the list shown, check/tick "App can handle >2gb address space.
Save file overwriting the old TESV.exe(best make a back up of the old one first), once complete, start the game using "TESV.exe"; problem solved!

Does not work for me dude. Odd question but are you sure you're using the new version?

fnv4gb worked around this Steam issue, will just have to wait for a version of this for Skyrim.

Strange, I'm very curious how toggling a single bit in the file header can be worked around :ermm:

» Tue May 15, 2012 7:33 pm

Download http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, open TESV.exe in http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, look down the left hand column for "File Header", click in, in the right window where it says "Click here"; click, in the list shown, check/tick "App can handle >2gb address space.
Save file overwriting the old TESV.exe(best make a back up of the old one first), once complete, start the game using "TESV.exe"; problem solved!

Once modified, the .exe will not launch anymore, wether you use CFF Explorer or the LAA patch. Just tested it.

As for the New Vegas 4gb enabler, it does some wizardry to let steam check and confirm the untempered .exe, then has Steam STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM, then does a switcheroo with the 4gb .exe, and then lets steam resume:
http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=35262

There. Dug it up:

Spoiler

Technical Details
-----------------

FNV4GB performs the following actions

1) Gets the Install Path for the game from the registry value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\FalloutNV\Installed Path
2) Changes to the games Directory
3) Copies FalloutNV.exe to FalloutNV.4GB if needed
4) Sets the LARGEADDRESSAWARE bit on FalloutNV.4GB if needed
5) Sets the environment variable SteamAPPId to 22380 (or whatever value was
specified on the command line) which tells Steam to run the game (not
restart and load the launcher)
6) Creates a new process for FalloutNV.4GB with the main thread suspended
7) Injects fnv4gb_helper.dll into the FalloutNV.4GB process
8) fnv4gb_helper unsets the LARGEADDRESSAWARE bit in the loaded headers so
when steam verifies the loaded executable in memory it passes
9) fnv4gb_helper hooks the GetTickCount function to attempt to reduce
stuttering
10) fnv4gb_helper hooks the CreateFileA function so when steam attempts to
verify the disk executable file against the loaded memory it loads the
untouched FalloutNV.exe instead of the modified FalloutNV.4gb
11) The FNV4GB loader verifies that Large Addresses are enabeles in the
FalloutNV.4gb
12) FNV4GB loader unsuspends the main thread so the game can run

» Wed May 16, 2012 1:53 am

ARGH ffs going back to the old EXE, this is like being slapped with dual wield cocks to the face, and a [censored] dragon shout following.

First blow: You gotta use steam now.

Second blow: LAA aware doesn't work.

The finsher: It doesn't fix anything at all.

» Tue May 15, 2012 7:08 pm

Download http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, open TESV.exe in http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php, look down the left hand column for "File Header", click in, in the right window where it says "Click here"; click, in the list shown, check/tick "App can handle >2gb address space.
Save file overwriting the old TESV.exe(best make a back up of the old one first), once complete, start the game using "TESV.exe"; problem solved!

You're wrong, and the dude below is right

Agreed, I use CFF Explorer to manually patch, TESV.exe will NOT launch no matter what.

I use CFF Explorer to manually patch the exe and make it large address aware. This is to prevent crashes and use the capability of the big rig I had built for Skyrim.
The new patch makes the exe require Steam to launch it.
When I allowed the new Bethesda patch to apply, I then went to the new TESV. exe and made that large address aware, and then tried to run the game THROUGH STEAM, it errored. With the new patch, you can therefore neither run direct from the exe nor can you make it large address aware. Well ypu can, but if you do, it won't run.

Oh yes Bethesda, you have royally fubared PC users wishing for a stable game.

» Wed May 16, 2012 2:45 am

Strange, I'm very curious how toggling a single bit in the file header can be worked around :ermm:

It actually lets Steam check the original exe and then creates a modified version of the exe with the LAA bit set and runs it. Works very, very well.

» Wed May 16, 2012 1:21 am

I stand corrected and am very sorry I mislead people, they have prevented the file from being edited currently, fortunately I've kept a backup, they can keep their damn patch until this is fixed!

» Wed May 16, 2012 6:06 am

Sigh. Its a good thing I backed up the original exe.

I still don't get the wisdom behind this steam garbage. It has done nothing to stop pirating. Of my eight friends who also play Skyrim, I am the only one using a legal copy. Cheers Beth, not only have you failed to stop piracy but annoyed your legal consumers at the same time.

» Wed May 16, 2012 5:22 am

It's not for you to say what problems steam causes my computer.

Yes it is, because there aren't any; People just make crap up as a reason to rationalize their irrational hatred of Steam.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:49 pm

Yes it is, because there aren't any; People just make crap up as a reason to rationalize their irrational hatred of Steam.

Come here and use my computer.
There are problems with everything.
I like Steam for downloading games, patches and their prices.
I hate Steam for forcing me to use it to play a game I've installed from a disc.
It's not irrational.

» Wed May 16, 2012 10:18 am

Honestly, I couldn't care less if I'm forced to use Steam while playing Skyrim, I never had any problems from doing so.

But it's pretty stupid that we cannot use the LAA patch anymore...

» Tue May 15, 2012 10:25 pm

Is this going to break the ability to use a Script Extender? I'm guessing not since FONV had a similar setup?

» Wed May 16, 2012 8:02 am

Sigh. Its a good thing I backed up the original exe.

I still don't get the wisdom behind this steam garbage. It has done nothing to stop pirating. Of my eight friends who also play Skyrim, I am the only one using a legal copy. Cheers Beth, not only have you failed to stop piracy but annoyed your legal consumers at the same time.

Honestly can't understand it either, and I'm in the EXACT same position. It always seems to be the case that DRM just punishes legitimate customers since the teams cracking the releases aren't phased by any form of coded DRM in offline games.

» Wed May 16, 2012 2:21 am

Steam svcks.

» Wed May 16, 2012 10:51 am

Sigh. Its a good thing I backed up the original exe.

I still don't get the wisdom behind this steam garbage. It has done nothing to stop pirating. Of my eight friends who also play Skyrim, I am the only one using a legal copy. Cheers Beth, not only have you failed to stop piracy but annoyed your legal consumers at the same time.

I keep the entire game backed up for these reasons, the use of LAA is a risk, but it's a risk that we the consumer should be allowed to take, I cannot use the new game patch because without LAA my game crashes silently to desktop every couple of hours, obviously the game has a memory leak which LAA solves for me.

» Wed May 16, 2012 7:00 am

perhaps they are trying to nip major mods in the bud for now until they do release the creation kit. Afterall, if a major patch is released that changes a whole slew of things, your modded versions of the game are going to essentially be destroyed unless you reinstall everything.