Does someone have a working config.vdf nowadays? I get manifest unavailable when trying to install anything with config.vdf from here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-FbdgMar7Q

Still works

thanks for share!!!

SteamCMD is stopped working under Windows XP 32-bit. After downloading update it crashes with an error message "bcrypt.dll could not be find".

https://youtu.be/6-FbdgMar7Q installing games works perfectly fine

It still works, although a game i tested (Stardew Valley), simply refuses to run as it says it needs to update the game first. Trying to update the game or install any other results in "Content Servers Unreachable". Hope there is a fix for this.

The user mesterak helped me out a lot. And it does work to this day of March 25th, 2021. Yet however STeLL29 is very right, and I cannot freaking get games to work at all even if I copy and paste them from my Windows 10 computer to my XP computer. Then all it does tell me is that there is an update queued, and so then I try to double click it and it keeps just saying that there was a connection issue.

This is bull, someone find a way to fix this please.

Follow the steps indicated by the mesterak user and it will work for you. The next problem would be to install the games, it is not enough to just copy the files since they will appear in the library as if you had not installed them. Any solution, I want to play the mythical counter strike :)

i can now continue to play serious sam 2 on my old rig!

edit: still works as of March 10th 2020

edit 2: still works as of february 10th 2021

I don't know where guys with this kind of IQ come from, but I'm sure glad they exist. Worked great for GTA San Andreas and Vice City. I have run into an issue with Fallout 3 GOTY and TES V: Skyrim where it does not work due to steam "Content Servers Unreachable"; so I can't get it to work for those. Hope another smart guy can figure that out, but thanks so much the hard work.

Guide on Installing and Using Steam on WinXP by DeadSkullz - UPDATED 2020-12-26
==========================================================
Just thought I would share my Steam setup and game copy/transfer steps here since there appears to be pieces of most of the steps scattered in the comments below but none appear to lead to success as-is or by themselves. I found a combination of things are needed to get Steam working on WinXP here in December 2020. Hopefully, these instructions will help many of you get XP happily running Steam.

DISCLAIMER
The Steam setup and copy/transfer methods outlined below only works for your account and games you have purchased that are listed in your Steam Library tab. Steam will not recognize or run games you don't own. Ultimately, this guide only allows you run games on WinXP under Steam that you legitimately own, so this this guide is **NOT** in any shape or form condoning or contributing to piracy. The goal here is to enable Steam to run on WinXP and play your Steam Library games.

Things You Need to Download
===========================
The latest version of Steam: https://store.steampowered.com
Root Certificates Updater: https://msfn.org/board/topic/175170-root-certificates-and-revoked-certificates-for-windows-xp/page/3/#comment-1110568 (the download link and password are listed at the top)
The Steam package files from 2014: http://www.mediafire.com/file/klk15d0c917mvfb/Nov_2014_Steam_Client_Packages.zip/file
The PackageInfoConverter tool from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tyAKh00acJgtjk-poBABud40VR7ft37E/view
The archive listed in this post: steam.zip

Getting Steam Working on WinXP
==============================
1. Update root certificates via Cert_Updater_v1.6.exe and reboot the PC
2. Download and install the newest version of Steam (close/ignore the "unsupported system" dialog) and ensure Steam is not running post install
2. Go where Steam is installed and delete the Steam folder
3. Unzip the 2018 version of Steam and replace the old Steam folder

Wrong -> C:\Program Files\Steam\steam -> files
Right -> C:\Program Files\Steam -> files

4. Modify the Steam shortcut on the desktop to add the -no-browser attribute
Example: "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -no-browser
5. Run Steam via the shortcut and login/authenticate into Steam
6. Steam will run but will probably not display anything, so kill Steam via WIndows task manager after 30 seconds or so.
7. Cut and paste the steam.cfg file from the Steam folder to the desktop
8. Use CCleaner or something similar to disable/delete having Steam start on Windows startup, and then reboot the PC
9. After Windows loads, make sure Steam is not running and go into the Steam folder and delete everything in the package folder
10. Unpack the November 2014 package files into the Steam\package folder
11. Disconnect from the internet and run Steam via the desktop shortcut
12. After the Steam updater completes, close the client updater or kill Steam if it is running
13. Cut and paste the steam.cfg file back into the Steam folder
14. Reboot the PC
15. Do not run Steam yet! If you run Steam now, it will get stuck on the login screen. Get a copy of the packageinfo.vdf file from Steam installed on a Windows 7/8/10 system, which will be located in the Steam/appcache folder.
16. Copy the packageinfo.vdf file to where you have the PackageInfoConverter tool file located. Run the tool. It will generate a new file called packageinfo.vdf.new.
17. Go into you Steam/appcache folder and delete or rename the packageinfo,vdf file.
18. Copy/move the packageinfo.vdf.new file to your Steam/appcache folder and rename it to packageinfo.vdf. Right click, choose properties, check the box for Read-only, and then select Ok.
19. Run Steam via the desktop shortcut - Steam should be running fine now.

NOTES:
* If you do not disconnect from the Internet per step 11, the newest version of Steam will be downloaded and installed again. You will have have to start all over if you skip this step.
* I am able to install and play games from Steam because of the steps to fix packageinfo.vdf listed above. If this stops working, you will need to follow the steps below to copy games from Win7/8/10 to your XP system.

Copying Games from Win 7/8/10 to WinXP
======================================
1. On your Win 7/8/10 system, go into your Steam\steamapps\common folder and locate the game folder you want to copy over. Make sure you have launched/played the game on this system at least once.
2. You can direct copy the whole folder over or archive it to a file onto a USB drive. (I prefer the later using 7zip so I can keep games stored on an external drive in case I need to install it to another XP system later...plus the storage space used will be smaller.)
3. Under Steam\steamapps folder there are app manifest files, such as appmanifest_41500.acf. You need to use notepad to view each of the manifest files until you find the one that shows the name of the game you are trying to copy. Copy the correct manifest file for your game over to the USB drive.
4. If you have a shortcut on your desktop for the game, then copy over the shortcut to the USB drive as well.
5. Sometimes there are workshop files and/or Steakworks Shared files that are needed for a game. If there is a workshop folder under steamapps, then copy it over to the USB drive. If there is a SteamWorks Shared folder under steamapps\common, then copy it over to the USB drive.

Your USB drive should have a set of folders and files similar to this example:
workshop
Steamworks Shared
appmanifest_41500.acf
Torchlight.7z
Torchlight (shortcut file)

6. Now connect your USB drive to your XP system.
7. Ensure Steam is **NOT** running! Close/kill Steam if it is running.
8. Copy the workshop folder (if exists on your USB drive) to the Steam\steamapps folder.
9. Copy the Steamworks Shared folder (if exists on your USB drive) to Steam\steamapps\common
10. Copy the game's manifest file over to the Steam\steamapps folder
11. Now copy over the game folder or unpack the game folder archive to Steam\steamapps\common
12. Copy the game shortcut to your desktop
13. Start Steam via the desktop shortcut
14. Either start the game via the desktop shortcut or run it via the Library tab in Steam

Notes
* Game folders can be quite large, so ensure you have a USB drive formatted in NTFS that is large enough for you to copy over the game folder or archive file (if you created one instead.)
* Be careful if you archived the game folder that you extract it correctly to the steamapps\common folder; otherwise, the game will not run.
Wrong -> steamapps\common\Torchlight\Torchlight - > files
Right -> steamapps\common\Torchlight - > files
* The number in the manifest file is the Steam ID number for the game. I don't know if the ID is the same for everyone or if it's specific to your account. I recommend only setting up Steam on XP using the same account used to install/run Steam on your Win 7/8/10 system.
* I have tested copying over and running at least 10 games to WinXP successfully, but I cannot guarantee this game copy/transfer method will work for all Steam games.

Excuse me.
PackageInfoConverter keep say "Wrong packageinfo version"

Which version i should use?
Or can someone share renew ver ?

Everything works< but be careful - Steam is corrupting packageinfo.vdf file every launch - I made it read-only, it helped
UPDATE: Overlay is doesnt working. How it can be fixed?

This file can be obtained by downloading SteamCMD GUI and login through it to your account. Then copy PackageInfoConverter to your SteamCMD GUI's "appcache" folder, which contains files "packageinfo.vdf" and "appinfo.vdf", and run it. Then copy "packageinfo.vdf.new" to your old steam (you can use SharkVader's link to get it) "appcache" folder and rename it to "packageinfo.vdf".
Then add in "steam.cfg" file string "BootStrappedForceSelfUpdate=disable" and launch steam.

Turns out it isn't the login that is causing it to freeze past 2020, but an updated packageinfo.vdf format.

Use these instructions except using this archive instead of the one mentioned in the post:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/discussions/3/1607148447829468911/?l=english&ctp=248#c2566438616666512525

Tharon's converter will downgrade the package format allowing it to be used in this version of Steam.

This version was running perfectly until yesterday, but when i tried strating it today, it got stuck on login screen.

After following steps in review/comment by masterak, it started working again. Even steamoverlay which never work for me in this version is now working again! So if you have problem running this version, just follow the steps in comment by masterak.

Thank you so much for the fix masterak!! You are madlad.

Greeting folks.

I figured out the login issue: certificates problem. Same build works on 7, this is what made me figure it out.

I have uploaded a version with the updated certificates (and a version of Steam, you dont need to use it), make sure you read description as there are 2 things you need to login with XP.

Good luck.
https://archive.org/details/steam_for_xp_2020

Works on Windows Vista with all certificates up to date and Steam works perfectly

"still works for me
i have no problems with signing in"

Well unless you are some troll post some guide..

still works for me

i have no problems with signing in

not sure about other posts because it still works for me but i only play counter-strike

2 things:

1. The version posted here (https://archive.org/details/SteamWindowsXPCompatibilityBuild) has always worked for me since it was posted.

2. Note the -no-browser parameter that version uses. It disables a lot of stuff that could be related to why people are having problems. Also I don't let steam save login credentials, perhaps another clue.

Good luck!

The 2014 build linked in the review below me kind of works but I also couldn't get any games to download (content servers unreachable).

EDIT: You can use this build of Steam to play online in games such as Half-Life through Steam servers just fine. Just download HL (for example) with SteamCMD/the Steam client elsewhere and copy the steamapps/common/Half-Life and steamapps/appmanifest_70.acf (the number will change based on the game's Steam app ID) to your XP machine's library. This is working perfectly for me.

EDIT2: I disagree that the 2014 client is useless. Combined with SteamCMD (which still fully works on XP, even without SSE2), you have a fully functioning Steam client. I am able to update games on the computer and connect to VAC secured servers in games such as Half-Life.

The only way to get a functioning steam client is to download one from November of 2014. I discovered this while attempting to get the old library on windows 7. Installing games doesn't work for me. But using the fix provided by the original download. You might be able to get it working. Here are the package files for this version: http://www.mediafire.com/file/klk15d0c917mvfb/Nov_2014_Steam_Client_Packages.zip/file

EDIT: The way you get this client working is by completely exiting steam, moving your steam.cfg file to your desktop (its in your root steam directory) then delete everything in your package folder, drag the Nov. 2014 files into your package folder. Then, run steam. It should say extracting packages, then it should install the update. Once its done close the client updater and drag your steam.cfg file back into your steam directory. Presto!

I don't know, what people are saying it not working. Even tho it might give you an error for logging in first, just try a couple of times and it will log in. You can't view the store page tho, but you can still download games and send messages.

I am new to steam and installed it recently. For some time it worked great and a bit after I had the problem with everlasting connection issue. Tried many things (among them reinstalation on different partition, instalation on different hard drive, changing password to steam by web browser account and others). I was to give up so I requested money return for games I purchased recently (from linux machine). As a reason I wrote that I can't connect to my windows steam application anymore. Few days later magic happend and I can use it againg. I log in with no problems at all! In my opinion problem is on Steam servers. If you change your games library (by buying or returning) steam app refreshes your account information and that is your chance to log in again (or crash if it worked previously).

Guys and girls, this archived version of Steam doesn't work anymore.

Not working :(

Same problem..! :(

Not working for me anymore either. Worked last week. No fault of the uploader. Valve must've blocked something. Hoping someone can find a fix!

this archive doesn't work anymore as for 8-06-2020 , it just won't connect anymore and showing the connecting tab forever , hope they will quickly find a FIX !

Doesn't work for me anymore since 06.06.2020, but worked in the past pretty well.

No longer works as of 6-6-2020

sad day... unless someone finds a fix... stuck at connecting...

Now I can play retro games that I have on steam on my old pc

I am unable to log in to this steam version. "Steam is having trouble connecting to the steam servers" error is shown when trying to login.

Just a simple question some games have a "steam API missing" should I try to install actual steam on my system first to get the api's and then use this?

this is the thing that proves xp is not dead.highly recommend to xp/vista users