This is NOT a DRM issue (as I see mods are deleting threads without reading them properly, let me be clear this is NOT a DRM issue.)

Ok, so i stood in line for hours and purchased a physical copy of the game at release.


When installing the game, it is not accessing ANYTHING on the disk, it is downloading the entire game from steam. This has nothing to do with "activating" the game or "authenticating" my copy, it is downloading the 5740MB of game date from steam. Downloading an entire game is not DRM.

So what exactly did I buy? Why do i have a disk? Should I not be able to INSTALL FROM THE DISK? I have no problem authenticating and activating from steam, but waiting HOURS for files that I already have?

Going into offline mode does not fix this issue.


As far as I am concerned, this is flagrant false advertising. I expect a proper reply from Bethesda regarding this issue.

Mine is downloading from the disk; don't know why yours isn't.

This is, at times, an issue with physical copies of many games that require Steam activation.
Try this: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5357-FSQM-0382

I called two friends who waited in line with me, they are both stuck downloading the entire game from steam as well. Maybe Bethesda will pay our bandwidth costs.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1255286-pc-installing-skyrim-from-disk-not-steam/

Trying the fix posted above now on all three machines, will reply as soon as steam isn't too busy to validate. Thanks for the info.

yes, same here. I don't know why. When trying to play or install it is downloading altough the disc is inserted. The offline mode states I have to be online.

Very funny for a a masochist, but no for me. :thumbsdown:Very funny

It worked for me. Try the workaround suggested.

Well, this fix worked for one of us, but we still have 2 people forced to download from steam despite buying a physical copy of the game. I thank those that went out of their way to post a possible solution.

I will be talking to my lawyer in the morning about going after Bethesda for reimbursemant.

if you explore the cd disk you will find that the only thing in there is the installation files for steam... the disk only unlocks the game for you, the actual installation requires downloading from steam which the installs it on the computer.

its very annoying I found that out when I got new vegas took about an hour and a half, but that's how it is.

That's not true. The whole game is on the disk and you can use the workaround posted above to install the game in just a few minutes.

+1

| bethesda soft: Give me the costs back, for reaching my download-limit

The above work around works.

If not please politely ask for assistance in the thread.