Installing COD MW2

Genoma · 13 Jan 2010 at 23:57

I'm building a new PC for a friend on Friday. Just wondering what is the best way to install MW2 so we put the rig through it's paces and do some joint multiplayer.

Does the retail CD install integrate with Steam (I.e. is it the same as a Steam purchase/download)

Or would a better option to buy it on Steam, and restore a Steam backup from my PC to his? Would this work?

Floogie · 14 Jan 2010 at 00:35

Genoma said:
Does the retail CD install integrate with Steam (I.e. is it the same as a Steam purchase/download)

The retail CD forces you to install the Steam client and will integrate with it as a regular Steam download would.

Or would a better option to buy it on Steam, and restore a Steam backup from my PC to his? Would this work?

I would avoid that. If I'm understanding you correctly, this would involve launching your steam account on seperate occasions but on 2 different IP addresses within a short space of time. Theoretically Valve could close the account down with the suspicion of it being shared. Albeit chances are slim.

Genoma · 14 Jan 2010 at 00:55

no no

I didn't mean that for the second option. My friend would buy the game on Steam, and I simply would backup my PC MW2 files with the Steam backup utility, restore them on his PC, just to avoid him downloading the content.

dovey · 14 Jan 2010 at 01:33

You wouldn't need to use the backup feature. To do it you could set modern warfare 2 downloading on his steam, pause the download and close steam. Copy your modern warfare installation to the relevant location on his pc and then reopen steam and tell it to verify mw2 game files. Once done his steam should pick up that all the files are present and be ready to play.

Genoma · 14 Jan 2010 at 19:30

Cheers all, looks like either a retail copy or a steam purchase + copy of files should do the trick.

Genoma · 19 Jan 2010 at 23:39

if anyone is interested, I did what dovey recommended. My friend bought the game on Steam, we paused the download, copied the contents from my machine and verified the files. Worked spot on, just had to delete the contents of the 'players' directory as it had my single player game progress in it.

ssharp59 · 20 Jan 2010 at 07:32

dovey said:
You wouldn't need to use the backup feature. To do it you could set modern warfare 2 downloading on his steam, pause the download and close steam. Copy your modern warfare installation to the relevant location on his pc and then reopen steam and tell it to verify mw2 game files. Once done his steam should pick up that all the files are present and be ready to play.

good thinking that man, i didnt realise steam would work like this. Could certainly save a hell of a lot of time for myself.