How to Install a Working Version of Steam for Windows 8 (Tested on 8 Pro)

Step 1: Download & Install Steam

1. Download Steam from the official Steam website.
2. Install Steam, but do not run it yet!

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Step 2: Create a Shortcut for Steam.exe

1. Go to your Steam installation folder (usually "C:\Program Files\Steam" or your custom path).
2. Find Steam.exe and create a shortcut for it.
3. Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
4. In the Target field, you’ll see the path to Steam.exe. It should look something like this:
   • "C:\Program Files\Steam\steam.exe" (Default)
   • Or, your custom path like "C:\Steam\steam.exe"

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Step 3: Force Old Steam Update

1. Add this code to the end of the Target path after the original Steam.exe path:
   
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   1	-forcesteamupdate -forcepackagedownload -overridepackageurl http://web.archive.org/web/20230531113527if_/media.steampowered.com/client -exitsteam

2. Click Apply and then OK.

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Step 4: Update Steam via Shortcut

1. Run Steam using the shortcut you just edited.
2. Wait for the update to complete. Steam will close automatically once it’s done.
3. Go back to the shortcut’s properties and delete the previously added code (make sure you don’t delete the path to steam.exe!). You no longer need this shortcut, so you can delete it.

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Step 5: Prevent Steam Auto-Updates

1. Open the main Steam folder:
   • Default: "C:\Program Files\Steam"
   • Or, your custom location.
2. Create a new file named steam.cfg inside the folder (make sure the file extension is .cfg and not .txt).
3. Paste the following into the steam.cfg file:
   
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   1 2	BootStrapperInhibitAll=Enable BootStrapperForceSelfUpdate=False

4. Save the file.

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Step 6: Fix Broken Friends Menu

The Friends menu in Steam will likely be broken after this process. You can fix it by using this patched UI:

• Download the fixed Steam Friends UI from this GitHub release.

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Step 7: Disable "What’s New" Shelf (Broken in Windows 8)

1. Navigate to the \Steam\steamui\css folder and find the file:
   • sp.css (Use this one for Windows 8 Steam, as the build is from May 2023).
   • chunk~2dcc5aaf7.css (as of August 2023).
2. Open the file in Notepad or Notepad++.
3. Find the first instance of this phrase:
   
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   1	libraryhome_UpdatesContainer_17uEB

4. Place your cursor after the first curly bracket { following this phrase.
5. Press the INSERT key on your keyboard so you’re in overwrite mode.
6. Manually type this in right after the opening bracket:
   
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   1	display: none !important;

7. Press the space bar until you reach the closing curly bracket }. It should look like the image below now.
   

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Step 8: Remove Steam Warning: "Steam will stop running on Windows 8 in 0 days"

1. Go to the shortcut located at: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Steam.
2. Right-click on the Steam shortcut and select Properties.
3. In the Target field, add this to the end:
   
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   1	-pretendeol=w10

4. Click Apply and then OK.

Credits to Elvis M for the Steam warning removal trick! Check him out on YouTube here.

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Step 9: Enjoy Steam Skins

With this version of Steam, you can use classic skins that don’t work on modern versions. For example, you can use Metro for Steam, a popular clean and modern skin.

• Download Metro for Steam from this GitHub repository (installer not tested).
• Or, get it from this archived version of the Metro for Steam website.

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Step 10: Final Steps

1. Restart Steam. You can now enjoy using this version, which supports Steam skins like Metro that aren't compatible with modern versions!

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And that's it! You've successfully installed and configured a working version of Steam on Windows 8.