So I want to reinstall Shogun 2. I have a retail copy. I try to install it. But it keeps wanting to download the whole game from the steam server.

I go through the tech support. It says a bunch of steps (in the official help list). I do them 5 times. Still nothing.

What the hell is going on here? Why the hell is it refusing to recognize my goddamn discs?

If it's a Steamworks game, which is likely, it will keep trying to do that. I think even if you don't have Steam installed, it will attempt to install it first.

Not 100% sure, but I prefer my games running through the service, retail or otherwise.

not when i have to download 13 gigabytes. it takes too damn long and sucks up too much band.

bugrimmar said: not when i have to download 13 gigabytes. it takes too damn long and sucks up too much band.

Understandable.

I had similar problems with Modern Warfare 2 back in the days.
Steam wanted me to download 14GB even though I had both discs in my tray already.

Try deleting everything Steam has downloaded so far and try to install it again.

Barozi said: I had similar problems with Modern Warfare 2 back in the days. Steam wanted me to download 14GB even though I had both discs in my tray already. Try deleting everything Steam has downloaded so far and try to install it again.

that would completely defeat the purpose of me trying to save time by installing the game from the disc. if i did that, i would be spending even more time reinstalling every single game i ever got.

bugrimmar said: Barozi said: I had similar problems with Modern Warfare 2 back in the days. Steam wanted me to download 14GB even though I had both discs in my tray already. Try deleting everything Steam has downloaded so far and try to install it again. that would completely defeat the purpose of me trying to save time by installing the game from the disc. if i did that, i would be spending even more time reinstalling every single game i ever got.

lol sry I meant you should delete all Shogun 2 files that Steam already downloaded on your HDD.

Yeah, I also had to download Portal2 after installing it from disk. Really annoying and absolutely makes no sense.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5357-FSQM-0382

Follow these exact steps. Make sure Disc 1 is in as well. As you go through the steps at the end it may still showing you as "downloading" -- you're not, it's just how it installs from the disc,

Shogun 2 is a large game with numerous patches, so there is also a chance that you'll still have several gigs to download once the game finishes installing from disc.

When it installs from the disk it still says downloading it just installs way faster. Deus ex, dungeon siege 3 both did this.

Then it automatically downloads patches unless you turn it off (which is annoying since some games are more movable with different patches),