I try to install the game since 3 Hours now (i have bought the DVD Version). After finally getting rid of the attempt to download the whole game i have some other issues:

sometimes Steam is closing unexpected while creating local cache files for the Game (whatever this means because my DVD Drive does nothing while that...), sometimes it is aborting the installation because of a steam error, stating the steam Network is overloaded, i shall try again later...well 2 hours later nothing changed...
Why do i have to connect to the Steam service when trying to install from DVD?

Is there any chance to install it without using this Steam nonsense?
I cant believe that i'm not able to install a game because some third party tool (which sense isn't clear to me) is messing up.

Sorry for the rough english, i'm no native english speaker.

I am having exactly the same problem (for more than 3 hours now) and i am soooo furious!!! ((

Bodes well for tomorrow, I now need to buy a cable for the desktop to connect to the internet just to get steam installed. Absolutely ridiculous.

It's really riddiculous what obstacles Steam is throwing in our way, just for no reason, why are we even have to use steam? i cant see any advantage or have i missed the Multiplayer part in this Game?
Luckily my Laptop has an Internet connection but i hope steam isnt required everytime i wanna play as i dont have Internet everywhere i wanna play...

You can play the game in Steam offline mode, that's how I have been playing it.

And the read me posted in the sticky says that offline mode is a bit buggy.

yup, meh prediction was correct.

fishy stick or cookie please?

I am glad I pre-loaded this yesterday, I almost waited till Friday morning to play.

same problem... steam..

WHY THAT [censored] DO BETHESDA GO FOR STEAM FOR PC VERSION!!!!!YOU BETHESDA [censored] YOU!!!!i buy the piece of [censored] game today and I WAS UNABLE TO PLAY!!!CURSE YOU BETHESDA!!!

+1

I wouldnt complain when the download wouldnt start because of overload, that can happen everytime, but because of this reason i bought the game offline as DVD Version, but i'm still not able to play because of this useless Steam...

@ 4love100:
crying it out helps a lot to calm down and get some clear thoughts, so go on

So I finally got connected to steam... only to have steam downloading the game instead of installing it from the DVD ... LOL

The game does not install via Steam, it updates to v1.1 after the install. If Bethesda had released a game that worked on day 1,
then Steam would have no reason to delay your playing with a patch. Normally patches happen after a few days when everyone has installed already,
but this patch was released Before most of us were able to play.

So place blame where it belongs... a launch day buggy release.


EDIT: if you are installing from Steam, do a forum search here for override to DVD post.

Nope unfortunately STEAM by default will try to download the entire game again even though the DVD is sitting in the drive -- you have to manually do things to override this (and they wonder why the servers are overloaded when novices are downloading the entire thing from the server instead of using the DVD in the drive)

Install worked fine now, just took me 4 hours and i still dont know why i had to be connected to steam at any time. Now the same [censored] with connection loss takes part when i try to load the patch
I tried to start in offline mode, but steam says i can't play in offline mode. I really start to regret that i bought this damn game, i could have easily downloaded a cracked version in half the time it took me to get through the official way, and i havent downloaded anything yet, i had all the files on my local hdd before.
I tried Steam once now and it outranked my worst fears. So i avoid in the Future playing games which cames with this useless piece of [censored].

You know what's funny? The fact that you still get a Steam overloaded error even if you override and install from the DVD... seriously.

It is definitely far the time where when you bought a video game in a store, you just have put the CD/DVD into the reader, run setup.exe, wait a bit and just play !

Now, you have to use [censored] applications like STEAM, and wait for hours that the download of the update 1.1 finally end.
I started the installation 3 hours ago and the update is at 82% at never more than 120 kilobytes per sec download.

Who said that progress is good ?

I did that.. installed with "steam.exe -install X:", but since I couldn't connect to the servers (too busy, try again in a few minutes), the main steam client launches... I then assumed that I could click the install button there to try to install from the DVD again... but no, that will download the game from steam.

Using Steam is an effective way to have otherwise unobtrusive DRM. A lot of games these days make use of it. Since you must have a valid Steam account and be signed in to play the game. It also streamlines updating. So... that's why you need Steam even with a DVD purchase.

I don't mind using steam so much its a good service but like any service on the internet it can get rather backlogged and can crash and the like, It happens but what pees me off is the fact that rather than adding in the patch to fix the sound issues you instead have to lower your sound quality so that the sound is terrible

I mean here I am looking forward for the game only to install it and then play it only for the game to crash to desktop for no reason with no errors its as if the game just up and quits, There is a solution to the sound problem of course but I HOPE that is temporary and Bethesda make a patch or hotfix VERY SOON, Because I'm fed up of of talking to people and they talk normally then all of a sudden their voice becomes a demonic echo with bees pouring out their mouth the same as going inside a building and listening to a constant swarm of bees.

Well, DRM is pretty useless, or do anyone here know any produt which isn't pirated yet? Even the great Steam games are pirated even before the release.
Updates? Like the one i have to Download after the installation? Why doesn't Steam check if there is an Update right before installation and download the needed files before installing? Why do i have to log into steam when i wanna start a F*** single Player game? Why am i forced to be online all the time everywhere i wanna play? This is only annoying and a huge loss of Comfort to me and most other Users who are capable to understand how to search for an Update on the official site.
Sumaritzed i can say:

- steam had cost me 3.5 hours spare time of my Friday evening
- i have another application running on my System which (could) steal my data, costs Performance, delays my startup, spam my e-mail, ...
- i still can't play because the Steam Servers are overloaded and offline mode isn't available.
- i can take a look on the map which was bundled to the DVD Box and enjoy fantasies about Exploring the Lands of Skyrim.

Next time i know that even for offline Singleplayer Games the message is:

Don't play at patchday, the Servers wont make it.

Sad but true

You may want to try to change your DL location, i switched to another country and went from a speed of 75k (Swedish overloaded server) to 4.1 MB/s (Uk).

Steam -> Setting -> Download + Cloud

I registered just so I could also say that STEAM svckS. I bought the DVD specifically to avoid this crap, and yet here it is, over an hour since I installed it and STEAM still will not let me play MY game I paid for. Drop Steam or I buy no more Bethesda games. Have a lovely day.

As far as I can tell the Steam tie-in might prevent me from playing Skyrim at all. I pre-ordered PC edition of Skyrim, which arrived from Amazon around lunchtime - for 9 hours since then I have been trying in vain to get to actually install and play the game. Steam has been the barrier.

I've tried all the tips I can find on forums, Steam tech support FAQs etc and I cannot make any progress beyond this:

- Put disc in DVD drive. Click 'Install Skyrim.'

- Agree to licence conditions. Install Steam.

- Progress bar headed "updating Steam" pops up - showing zero progress - and sits there doing nothing for about 20 minutes.

Steam either goes unresponsive, or comes up with the "Steam.exe (main exception): To run Steam you must first connect to the internet."

I have been connected to the internet all day, looking up ways to try to fix this problem! Reinstalling, changing firewall/internet settings, deleting/renaming the .blob file.... I've never used Steam before - my internet connection isn't amazing (but adequate for general browsing, downloading some add-ons for games like Dragon Age etc) so I don't download games and have no interest in doing so. I like a box and a manual! I just want to verify my copy of Skyrim is genuine and get dragon-slaying!

I think I might have to just give up before I go mad. I've seen lots of references to this problem with Steam and tried all the fixes I've come across several times each - nothing. Lots of refs to people just not being able to play games they've bought for years at a time if ever again. I'm seriously unhappy that this problem is stopping me from playing a game I've bought and paid for.

I have read that Steam will also restrict me to playing only from one region and that when I travel out of the area I will not be able to play. Is this correct?