Computing Infrastructure: Steam Setup

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Installing Steam

Valve requires Steam to run as admin to perform many of the game installs via Steam. To do this at AHA we run Steam as admin via a program called Runasgui.

Runasgui runs a service as admin, encrypts the admin password and locks it down to a specific application (in a secured location). The resulting shortcut it makes runs the Runasadmin client and escalates the program running to run as an administrative user!

RunAsGui Quirks

The admin tool attempts to substitute "%programfiles%" for your C:\Program Files directory. When installed on a 64 bit instance it doesn't handle the (x86) folder structure and attempts to duplicate it by displaying "%programfiles% (x86)" in boxes instead of just "%programfiles%". You'll need to remove the " (x86)" for the installer to work.

Steps

  • Download RunAsGui from Link or get it from the NAS AHASoftware\Steam Setup\ folder.
  • As Admin install Steam to c:\Steam (RunAsGui Flips out otherwise)
  • You may need to install .Net runtime 3.5 if the following installers do not work. They require the 2.0 runtime and 3.5 is the backwards compatible option.
  • As Admin install RunAsGui Admin to default install path (Install for just this user)
  • As Admin install RunAsGui Client to default (for all users)
  • Start RunAsGui Admin
  • Pick Steam application

  • Point it to the RunAsGuiClient

  • Fill in Credentials (We use gameradmin and localmachine. Password is known by admins)

  • Create a shortcut to later copy to all users.

  • Finalize the creation of the link by pressing finish.

  • Copy the resulting desktop c:\users\Public\Public Desktop (hidden folder)
  • Logout and test it out as a non admin user.