You are here

Counter-Strike: Source Portable

9 posts / 0 new
Last post
colacadstink
Offline
Last seen: 15 years 7 months ago
Joined: 2008-08-15 17:59
Counter-Strike: Source Portable

I have made a (barely) portable version of Counter-Strike: Source. I say barely as it only fits on a 4GB drive with compression turned on (I use NTFS). Due to both legal and logistical concerns, I cannot post the file, but I would like to provide instructions for those curious as to how to do it.

Before you begin, you should get a copy of 7-Zip (portable is a plus). This will be needed for getting some of the necessary files out of the installer.

First, you should download, but not run, the Steam installer from http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=about&cc=US . After downloading the file, find it in 7-Zip. Right click on it, and select the open inside option (double clicking may not always work). Then extract the "Steam.exe" file to anywhere, preferably a designated folder, but must be on your hard drive or some other LARGE drive, as it will be spawning ~30 more files into the directory where it is located.

From here on out it is much more straightforward. You can even multitask a bit:

I. Run Steam.exe and let it update (it will take a good bit). Once it is done updating, install Counter-Strike: Source by method of choice:

a. Download the files through Steam: This is the least complicated, but may take some time if you have a small amount of bandwidth.

b. Copy most of the files from a previous installation, and let Steam do the rest: You will want to copy the following .gcf files that are located in the steamapps directory:

base source engine 2.gcf
counter-strike source client.gcf
counter-strike source shared.gcf
source engine.gcf
source materials.gcf
source models.gcf
source sounds.gcf
sourceinit.gcf
winui.gcf

You should also copy the contents of your steamapps\username\counter-strike source folder.

Then rerun Steam. It should claim that it is 100%, but it might go through an update process to get some other small files. (It has been awhile since I made my build of CS:S:P, but this should pretty much do it.)

c. Install by CD: This is almost identical to the previous method, but requires much less fiddling with files, as well as no previous installation of CS:S on that computer. Simply install the game as normal, making sure that the install directory is that of the soon-to-be-portable steam. (There is some way to fool the CD installer into thinking that there is no CS:S installation on your machine, but I do not know what it is, I simply know it exists because I installed CS:S to an external hard drive, removed the drive, "uninstalled" it from the CD, and then reinstalled it to the new Steam. I suspect that it is a registry entry.)

II. Format your drive to an NTFS with compression on, or some other format with built in compression. It will not fit on a straight 4GB stick, even with UPXing, because Steam will complain about not having elbow room. Touchy, touchy...

After both I and II are done, you can then move your folder to the drive. THIS WILL TAKE AWHILE. Go get some coffee or tea Mountain Dew and sit back. Then, when it finishes, tada! You now have CS:S:P. Here are a few suggested upgrades:

* autorun.inf - This makes it look REALLY NICE when you plug it in for your friends. One even asked me where I bought CS:S installed on a memory stick! Simply make a file called autorun.inf in the root of your drive, and put the following text into the file (use Notepad or similar):

[Autorun]
Open="Portable Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 240
Action=Start Counter-Strike: Source
Icon="Portable Steam\css.ico"
Label=Counter-Strike: Source: Portable

shell\play=Play Counter-Strike: Source
shell\play\command="Portable Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 240

shell\steam=Start Steam
shell\steam\command="Portable Steam\Steam.exe"

shell=play

Remember to replace Portable Steam with whatever your directory for Steam is. Also, I do not know if the "240" above will work for all installations of CS:S:P, if it doesn't work, create a shortcut for CS:S on your desktop and look at the properties for it. For a description of what all this does, I recommend DCoT's guide to autorun.inf's at http://www.dailycupoftech.com/?page_id=149 .

* Shortcuts located in the root directory of your drive are a nice touch as well, and much simpler than the above Biggrin

That's about it! Please post any comments/questions about this, and I will try to respond in a timely manner.

CS:S:P FTW!

Thrawed
Offline
Last seen: 11 years 1 month ago
Joined: 2008-08-10 16:38
Uhmm.. This probably violates

Uhmm.. This probably violates Steams ToS: http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=subscriber_agreement

I wouldn't recommend formatting your flash drive with NTFS, it wears the drive out much faster.

If you know where to look you can find portable versions of cs 1.6 at about ~100mb.

RMB Fixed
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 2 months ago
Joined: 2006-10-24 10:30
How ?

Exactly HOW do you think this "violates" the TOS ?
A CSS-license is not tied to hardware, in fact one of the points of Steam is that it gives you access to your Valve-games on any computer .
So, please state exactly how this should be a "violation" ..

That being said this method is more complicated than it needs to be .
You simply install CSS on your computer and then copy
the Steam-DIR to your flash-drive.
Remember NOT to save your Steam-logon to any "alien" host !

colacadstink
Offline
Last seen: 15 years 7 months ago
Joined: 2008-08-15 17:59
Not a violation

As said above, it is not a violation of the TOS to install Steam/Steam games on a memory stick. If I were 'cracking' the game and allowing for anyone to play it without an authorized username, it would be, but this still requires a login.

Yes, that would be simpler, but you would need to get a fresh install of Steam, and Steam only allows for 1 installation at a time. So you could either do all your work on a 'virgin' computer and then move the files over, or completly uninstall Steam from your computer, make a new install, install just CS:S, copy it, then REINSTALL all of your other Steam programs! This is more complicated, but it does actually save effort.

Also, that's fine that you can get 1.6 to fit small, but what if you want Source!

RMB Fixed
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 2 months ago
Joined: 2006-10-24 10:30
..

It works fine just copying your working Steam-"installation"
to your flash-drive. I backed up the Steam-DIR with 7-zip when I installed it on a long gone OS and just unzipped it to the new machine and it worked fine, still does .
I don't think you violate anything because you can only log on from one "installation" anyways.
True, it's large but you could delete the games you don't play and just keep HL and CSS .

Giggity Giggity Gu
Offline
Last seen: 10 years 6 months ago
Joined: 2013-01-04 09:50
Sometimes its best to find a

Sometimes its best to find a new game because counterstike has a lot of bugs. i reccomend downloading AssultCube from portableapps.com

farat_as
Offline
Last seen: 7 years 1 month ago
Joined: 2012-02-14 09:02
1- I have a portable Counter

1- I have a portable Counter Strike - Condition Zero. It is about 1 GB. All maps inside, Also I can play with bots and LAN. I use this portable to play at office with my friends. But I don't trust that portable executable. Because it is not official. On this topic you have make portable of "Source" version. But I need "Condition Zero". Can you please explain for "Condition Zero" version?

2- I download SteamInstall.msi from that link you have write. I open it with 7-zip. But there is no "Steam.exe" file. There is "Steam.exe1" file. Should I extract JUST THIS executable? Or all files?

Ken Herbert
Ken Herbert's picture
Online
Last seen: 51 min 51 sec ago
DeveloperModerator
Joined: 2010-05-25 18:19
This is a 5 year old topic,

This is a 5 year old topic, so don't expect an answer from the original poster.

farat_as
Offline
Last seen: 7 years 1 month ago
Joined: 2012-02-14 09:02
Ops..!.. I didn't notice :/

Ops..!.. I didn't notice :/ Smile

Log in or register to post comments