Welp. Steam worked for quite a while after the "gonna stop working on Win8 in x days" counter reached zero, but now it won't open.

From some quick googling, it looks like the Win8 issue is because they made some features dependent on Chrome, which is also no longer supported on Win8, and must have updated beyond "we're no longer updating this" version of Chrome I still have.

might I suggest Supermium?

it's a backport of Chrome.

Releases · win32ss/supermium

see if that works?

oh??? hang on, I'll try it.....

...if I can figure github out, lol, I haven't really used it before

what do I do? download all the assets into a folder?

I'd suggest just starting work installing it. Sec, I'll find the download package <3

with, I can't type, lol

you'll want one of those two that say setup. I think you'll probably want the 64 bit one.

It was the link I sent, just scroll down a little

Can you tell me what I'm looking at? What are the nonsetup zips? Do I need the rest of the assets?

First off, no, not all. Those are different download options, for different computers. It's like looking at a list where the items are labeled as being for Mac or Linux or which version of Windows or whatever.

I suspect the non-setup ones are just zips of the program folder itself, for the weirdos like me that already have ideas and want to do something nonstandard with the thing. You just want to set it up.

32 vs 64 has to do with your cup architecture. Comps nowadays are basically all 64-bit. in the days of Win XP, 32 was common, and this Supermium prokect is someone porting/rebuilding Chrome (or Chromium, I guess? idk) for like, Win 2k and Win XP and the other left-behind Windows editions.

....omg, autoincorrect.... CPU architecture, not CUP architecture.... XD

Yeah, 32 vs 64 I know about, though I couldn't have explained it to someone else.

...."autoincorrect" heeee

It has to do with how many bits are used to write each number, lol

Hmm. Download failed.

Trying again.....

8 bits? it's base 2, so 256 possibilities. 16 bits is 2^16....

Etc

It's how we have Unicode with millions of possible characters now, not just ASCII encoding, like the 8-bit DOS days

...Almost half downloaded.....

Ok, got the exe! Do I just run it with my current version of Chrome turned off?

oh! 32 vs 64 in simplest terms: it's a little like "how many decimal places can the comp use, to write numbers?" inaccurate due to the comp not thinking in decimal, just base-2, but.

that makes sense!

Idk? I don't know if you have to close Chrome. I suspect it'll install as its own thing.....

oh! that definitely makes more sense than what I was thinking

right, wish me luck!

/installs anyway

lol, run anyway

XD

Ok, installed it and restarted, and now Steam does open, but in compatibility mode. Turned off compatibility mode and Steam started not opening again. Turned it back on and it's still not opening again.

Restarted again, Steam won't open even on compatibility mode. :/ Thanks for your help, though, it's always good to have a chrome alternative.

ok, that's weird, Task Manager thinks it's running

/eyes the 5 Steam Client Webhelper processes suspiciously

....now 7 processes

using a huge amount of CPU, too

and they just pop right back up when I end them

"Most of Steam is rendering webpages. The Webhelper is Steam's browser." :|

Unfortunately, since the program opens but stays invisible, I can't access settings to do anything about it.

This keeps happening too. It's happened before while I had Steam running, but now it's happening every time I try to start the program. Time for some more research.

ok that's a whole can of worms

Went to the webhelper's properties, set it to run as administrator for all users, and am now getting this:

Progress?

....nope. Didn't want to unsandbox, so tried with gpu acceleration off, and it's still opening invisibly.

Aha. Trying to go ahead turned the webhelper right back on again.

It's really looking like Steam can't be run without the version of Chrome attached to Win10 and up, and isn't acknowledging Supermium because it's specifically only associating with Chrome.

I might have an ancient Chrome install package on my external HD but not sure if that would help.

Unfortunately probably not; I'm guessing that the reason it's not working with the version of chrome that I have is that it's only allowed to work with new versions of chrome now.

But thank you<3

Big computer just really wants me to ditch win8. XD;;;;;

Win10 is definitely the Newest One you can get that isn't infected with /gestures at chatbot of choice
and it runs Steam ~just fine!~

(I mean, not to go full "We put a twelve on the box!" but if you're looking then Win10 is the last safe-from-inclusions Windows)

Support for it Officially Ends next year (Oct. I think) but, lmao

from my cold, dead hands. XD

SAAAAME

also, I'm about 100% certain a Win 8 product key is good for Win 10, plus if you want the Win 10 install media (as in, a usb drive to install from) I can dig out the link to download the downloader-and-usb-maker thingy from Microsoft themselves...

I'm scared to switch to the last bastion of freedom from AI and have it yanked out of my hands yet again XD;;;;; I was only on Win8 for a short time before support ended for that too.

I'm just so tired of relearning how to use this essential tool and then being forced to relearn everything again; it's as if you're just trying to live and a huge team charges in and renovates your home every year, but also leaves a bunch of things half done and then does the whole thing again just when you've learned to work around what they did last time

everything moved around without asking you, all the executive-function hacks you had to figure out and invest in on your own just gone

if I switched to linux, would I be able to just... use it for more than two years before everything had to change again?

( Nightsail I appreciate the offer though!)

...what I should do is frontload the switchover process that will have to happen eventually -- figure out what I need to have on hand for the reinstalls, make a list, put it all in one place

idk if it helps, but on my end:
in a process that started back in the days of Windows 2000 Pro, I've kept a single Downloads folder in which I've been slowly curating the stuff I want to have on hand for reinstalls and new installs. this folder's changed over the years, obviously, but whatever I want, more or less, from Chrome to VLC, it's right there.

my Photoshop CS, openCanvas, Notepad3, whatever it is that's still relevant... the drivers for my current Wacom graphics tablet, too. all in one tidy place, which is currently a USB drive, in a folder alongside the Windows 10 installation data.

I came in first from Windows 2k, to Windows XP, then Windows 7, to Windows 10... and I wasn't on board with some-

of the changes from 7 to 10 either, but I've found ways to fix what's turned out to mostly be cosmetic, and would be happy to share, if you'd like!

I know that this is leaning back into the Classic Windows/Win7 aesthetic, rather than the Win 8 side, but the offer is absolutely there, and if you were ever into 7 or the others, it might not be too alien for you!

I'll second the idea of keeping a folder w your essential downloads somewhere; I have mine on a usb and backed up on gdrive and have for years, tho granted that's because I've awful luck w computers and mine tend to brick themselves hard drive wise, so it became purely pragmatic

but it does help w the pain of upgrading

yeah. it takes "setting up the comp" from an issue of slowly beating it back into a shape you're comfortable with over a long period of time, like breaking in a new pair of shoes, into more of a checklist you can get through in a day at your leisure. that thing that annoys you? the fix is right here in this folder, apply it before it ever pops up!

I found it essential back when, originally, not just for the programs I'd use, but drivers. here's my graphics card, my sound card, my internet connection/lan port, my motherboard chipset for the weird little things like that button on the case, etc etc... I'd put Windows on it again, and just install everything in this folder. presto, it's perfect!

realize I forgot something later, because an issue popped up that I know I've dealt with before and it was such a pain in the neck back then? or comp doesn't know what to do with this particular filetype, and omg how did I fix this before? I know I did, but- hold on, lemme check the folder.... aha, yeah, the notes are right here, here's the fixit-file.

no more googling for hours. XD

see, that's smart, I should do that

everyone should do it.

my new Win 10 setup: back to the old Win 7-esque start menu and taskbar appearance, within honestly just a few minutes of finishing up having it jump through initial Windows Updates hoops. shut off Windows Update's automatic nonsense, so it'll be manual-only from now on, check. god I hate waking up to find all my unsaved stuff just GONE

finagled Chrome into working how I want it to again. disabled the stupid nonsense on the lockscreen so it's down to only the time/date on it, yes, good. brought in the HD remakes someone did of the old 3D Silver Windows XP cursors. brought in the HD version of the Windows 7 userpic I like (that colorful one of the pretty scarves draping so nicely)...

my favorite backgrounds/bg colors? check, check, check... quick-install the fix to prefer local/per-app zoom/dpi settings, check (Surfaces have such high DPI they need to operate at about 200%, and openCanvas can't cope with that, see...) install Process Explorer, Notepad3, 7zip, openCanvas 1 and 3, my 3D modeling stuff....

only an hour in, as far as actual time spent, and I'm down to just needing to copy over my files... you know, the stories I've been working on, the art I've been poking at, stuff like that... and my Chrome appdata so that it'll load Chrome and presto, it's like I'm on the same comp, with the same unholy terror-inspiring abomination of tab abuse and all!

smooth as butter.

also for anyone wanting an assist with setting that up for themselves, I'd be happy to talk them through it, help them figure out their checklist. I can easily enough provide a version of my own checklist to start you off, etc.