v2 of the script has a new home at https://github.com/AveYo/Gaming/blob/main/steam_min.bat
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October 27, 2025 06:00
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Steam minimal resource usage after removal of -no-browser & -vgui options. Enter script in powershell then use Steam_min shortcut on Desktop instead
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| @(set "0=%~f0" '& set 1=%*) & powershell -nop -c "$env:2=gc -lit $env:0|out-string; $env:2|powershell -nop -c -" & exit /b ');.{ | |
| " Steam_min : always restarts in SmallMode with reduced ram and cpu usage when idle - AveYo, 2025.06.11 " | |
| $FriendsSignIn = 0 | |
| $FriendsAnimed = 0 | |
| $ShowGameIcons = 0 | |
| $NoJoystick = 1 | |
| $NoShaders = 1 | |
| $NoGPU = 1 | |
| ## AveYo: steam launch options | |
| $QUICK = "-silent -quicklogin -forceservice -vrdisable -oldtraymenu -nofriendsui -no-dwrite " + ("","-nojoy ")[$NoJoystick -eq 1] | |
| $QUICK+= ("","-noshaders ")[$NoShaders -eq 1] + ("","-nodirectcomp -cef-disable-gpu -cef-disable-gpu-sandbox ")[$NoGPU -eq 1] | |
| $QUICK+= "-cef-allow-browser-underlay -cef-delaypageload -cef-force-occlusion -cef-disable-hang-timeouts -console" | |
| $STEAM = resolve-path (gp "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Valve\Steam" -ea 0).SteamPath | |
| ## AveYo: abort if steam not found | |
| if (-not (test-path "$STEAM\steam.exe")) { write-host -fore red " Steam not found! "; return } | |
| ## AveYo: close steam gracefully if already running | |
| $focus = $false | |
| if ((gp "HKCU:\Software\Valve\Steam\ActiveProcess" -ea 0).pid -gt 0) { | |
| start "$STEAM\Steam.exe" -args '-ifrunning -silent -shutdown +quit now' -wait; $focus = $true | |
| } | |
| ## AveYo: force close steam if needed | |
| while ((gps -name steamwebhelper -ea 0) -or (gps -name steam -ea 0)) { | |
| kill -name 'asshole devs','steamwebhelper','steam' -force -ea 0; del "$STEAM\.crash" -force -ea 0; $focus = $true; sleep -m 250 | |
| } | |
| if ($focus) { $QUICK+= " -foreground" } | |
| ## AveYo: lean and mean helper functions to process steam vdf files | |
| function vdf_parse { | |
| param([string[]]$vdf, [ref]$line = ([ref]0), [string]$re = '\A\s*("(?<k>[^"]+)"|(?<b>[\{\}]))\s*(?<v>"(?:\\"|[^"])*")?\Z') | |
| $obj = new-object System.Collections.Specialized.OrderedDictionary # ps 3.0: [ordered]@{} | |
| while ($line.Value -lt $vdf.count) { | |
| if ($vdf[$line.Value] -match $re) { | |
| if ($matches.k) { $key = $matches.k } | |
| if ($matches.v) { $obj.$key = $matches.v } | |
| elseif ($matches.b -eq '{') { $line.Value++; $obj.$key = vdf_parse -vdf $vdf -line $line } | |
| elseif ($matches.b -eq '}') { break } | |
| } | |
| $line.Value++ | |
| } | |
| return $obj | |
| } | |
| function vdf_print { | |
| param($vdf, [ref]$indent = ([ref]0)) | |
| if ($vdf -isnot [System.Collections.Specialized.OrderedDictionary]) {return} | |
| foreach ($key in $vdf.Keys) { | |
| if ($vdf[$key] -is [System.Collections.Specialized.OrderedDictionary]) { | |
| $tabs = "${\t}" * $indent.Value | |
| write-output "$tabs""$key""${\n}$tabs{${\n}" | |
| $indent.Value++; vdf_print -vdf $vdf[$key] -indent $indent; $indent.Value-- | |
| write-output "$tabs}${\n}" | |
| } else { | |
| $tabs = "${\t}" * $indent.Value | |
| write-output "$tabs""$key""${\t}${\t}$($vdf[$key])${\n}" | |
| } | |
| } | |
| } | |
| function vdf_mkdir { | |
| param($vdf, [string]$path = ''); $s = $path.split('\',2); $key = $s[0]; $recurse = $s[1] | |
| if ($key -and $vdf.Keys -notcontains $key) { $vdf.$key = new-object System.Collections.Specialized.OrderedDictionary } | |
| if ($recurse) { vdf_mkdir $vdf[$key] $recurse } | |
| } | |
| function sc-nonew($fn, $txt) { | |
| if ((Get-Command set-content).Parameters['nonewline'] -ne $null) { set-content -lit $fn $txt -nonewline -force } | |
| else { [IO.File]::WriteAllText($fn, $txt -join [char]10) } # ps2.0 | |
| } | |
| @{'\t'=9; '\n'=10; '\f'=12; '\r'=13; '\"'=34; '\$'=36}.getenumerator() | foreach {set $_.Name $([char]($_.Value)) -force} | |
| ## AveYo: change steam startup location to Library window and set friendsui perfomance options | |
| dir "$STEAM\userdata\*\7\remote\sharedconfig.vdf" -Recurse |foreach { | |
| $file = $_; $write = $false; $vdf = vdf_parse -vdf (gc $file -force) | |
| vdf_mkdir $vdf["UserRoamingConfigStore"] 'Software\Valve\Steam\FriendsUI' | |
| $key = $vdf["UserRoamingConfigStore"]["Software"]["Valve"]["Steam"] | |
| if ($key["SteamDefaultDialog"] -ne '"#app_games"') { $key["SteamDefaultDialog"] = '"#app_games"'; $write = $true } | |
| $ani = $key["FriendsUI"]["FriendsUIJSON"] | |
| if ($FriendsAnimed -eq 0 -and ($ani -like '*atedAvatars\":true*' -or $ani -like '*RoomEffects\":false*') ) { | |
| $ani = $ani.Replace('atedAvatars\":true','atedAvatars\":false').Replace('RoomEffects\":false','RoomEffects\":true') | |
| $ani = $ani.Replace('PersonaNotifications\":1','PersonaNotifications\":0') | |
| $key["FriendsUI"]["FriendsUIJSON"] = $ani; $write = $true | |
| } | |
| if ($write) { sc-nonew $file $(vdf_print $vdf); write-output " $file " } | |
| } | |
| ## AveYo: enable Small Mode and library performance options | |
| $opt = @{LibraryDisableCommunityContent=1; LibraryLowBandwidthMode=1; LibraryLowPerfMode=1; LibraryDisplayIconInGameList=0} | |
| if ($ShowGameIcons -eq 1) {$opt.LibraryDisplayIconInGameList = 1} | |
| dir "$STEAM\userdata\*\config\localconfig.vdf" -Recurse |foreach { | |
| $file = $_; $write = $false; $vdf = vdf_parse -vdf (gc $file -force) | |
| vdf_mkdir $vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"] 'Software\Valve\Steam' | |
| $key = $vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"]["Software"]["Valve"]["Steam"] | |
| if ($key["SmallMode"] -ne '"1"') { $key["SmallMode"] = '"1"'; $write = $true } | |
| foreach ($o in $opt.Keys) { if ($vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"]["$o"] -ne """$($opt[$o])""") { | |
| $vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"]["$o"] = """$($opt[$o])"""; $write = $true | |
| }} | |
| if ($FriendsSignIn -eq 0) { | |
| vdf_mkdir $vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"] 'friends' | |
| $key = $vdf["UserLocalConfigStore"]["friends"] | |
| if ($key["SignIntoFriends"] -ne '"0"') { $key["SignIntoFriends"] = '"0"'; $write = $true } | |
| } | |
| if ($write) { sc-nonew $file $(vdf_print $vdf); write-output " $file " } | |
| } | |
| ## AveYo: save to steam if pasted directly into powershell or content does not match | |
| $file = "$STEAM\steam_min.ps1" | |
| if ($env:0 -and (test-path -lit $env:0) -and $env:2) { | |
| $source = $env:2.Trim([char]13,[char]10) -split '\r?\n'; $output = gc -lit $file -ea 0 | |
| if (!(test-path $file) -or (compare-object -Ref $source -Diff $output)) { $source | set-content -force $file } | |
| } else { | |
| $source = "@(set ""0=%~f0"" '${0=%~f0}');.{$($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition)} #_press_Enter_if_pasted_in_powershell" | |
| $source -split '\r?\n' | set-content -force $file ## lean and mean bat-ps1 hybrid - AveYo 2025 | |
| } | |
| ## AveYo: refresh Steam_min desktop shortcut | |
| $wsh = new-object -ComObject WScript.Shell | |
| $lnk = $wsh.CreateShortcut("$([Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop'))\Steam_min.lnk") | |
| $lnk.Description = "$STEAM\steam.exe"; $lnk.IconLocation = "$STEAM\steam.exe,0"; $lnk.WindowStyle = 7 | |
| $lnk.TargetPath = "powershell"; $lnk.Arguments = "-nop -nol -ep remotesigned -file ""$STEAM\steam_min.ps1"""; $lnk.Save() | |
| ## AveYo: start Steam with quick launch options | |
| [void]$wsh.Run("""$STEAM\Steam.exe"" $QUICK", 1, "false"); sleep -m 250 | |
| ## AveYo: cleanup com | |
| [void][Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($lnk) | |
| [void][Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($wsh) | |
| } #_press_Enter_if_pasted_in_powershell |
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| * text=auto | |
| * eol=crlf |
Author
update: new script to always launch steam in SmallMode
- reduced ram usage when idle, it's rather lazy (after 15minutes is now 127.9MB on win11)
- like the old version it adds a
Steam_mindesktop shortcut + updates startup entry if set - using only supported steam launch options and cfg edit, no more ifeo hijacking
- should not require admin rights, but if it does not work run it once as Admin
the project I talked about that patched the steamui dynamically was more efficient but less reliable
have been using this script instead and everything works normally
I can switch back to Large Mode when needed, and when I start Steam_min next time it is back in Small Mode!
Author
update: made it fully hybrid i.e. can enter raw code into terminal/powershell directly for installation
Shouldn't you be defining $sharedconfig = $true and $localconfig = $true within the loops so the first time it hits a file that switches it to $false it still works?
Here's what I came up with, uses -pv and gets rid of the need for StringBuilders by streaming directly to a variables and joining resulting arrays:
dir "$STEAM\userdata\*\7\remote\sharedconfig.vdf" -pv vdf |foreach {
$sharedconfig = $true; $t = gc $vdf |foreach {
if ($_ -match '\s+"SteamDefaultDialog"\s+"') {
if ($_ -match '#app_games') { $sharedconfig = $false }
"`t`t`t`t""SteamDefaultDialog""`t`t""#app_games"""
} else { if ($sharedconfig) { $_ } } }
if ($sharedconfig) { set-content $vdf ($t-join"`n") -nonew -force -ea 0; " $vdf" }
}$re = '\s+"(LibraryLowBandwidthMode|LibraryLowPerfMode|LibraryDisableCommunityContent|LibraryDisplayIconInGameList)"\s+"'
dir "$STEAM\userdata\*\config\localconfig.vdf" -pv vdf |foreach {
$localconfig = $true; $t = gc $vdf |foreach { if ($_ -notmatch $re) {
if ($_ -match '\s+"SmallMode"\s+"') {
if ($_ -match '"1"') { $localconfig = $false }
"`t`t`t`t""SmallMode""`t`t""1""`n$_"
} elseif ($localconfig -and $_ -match '\s+"LastPlayedTimesSyncTime"\s+"') {
"`t`t`t`t""SmallMode""`t`t""1""`n$_"
} elseif ($localconfig -and $_ -match '\s+"FavoriteServersLastUpdateTime"\s+"') {
"`t""LibraryDisableCommunityContent""`t`t""1""`n`t""LibraryDisplayIconInGameList""`t`t""0""`n$_"
"`t""LibraryLowBandwidthMode""`t`t""1""`n`t""LibraryLowPerfMode""`t`t""1""`n$_"
} else { if ($localconfig) { $_ } } }}
if ($localconfig) { set-content $vdf ($t-join"`n") -nonew -force -ea 0; " $vdf" }
}Also got rid of using sc for set-content since that alias is removed in PowerShell 7 due to conflicting with sc.exe
Oh, and I escaped the quotation marks by doubling them instead of doing `" since that makes it a bit more readable.
AveYo, you are a lifesaver! This goddamned web "helper" was devouring my network activity and memory, and this is the first fix that has actually worked. thank you very kindly.
Author
@God-damnit-all thank you very much for your feedback!
I actually planned an update to the script, and made it to work in PS 7 just for you!
added a switch that makes it more readable, still using sb for compatibility with PS 2.0
and it's not like one has thousands of active accounts on a tape drive to matter ;)
@Derbear2112 glad to help!
I have updated the script, further changes will probably happen here:
Author
updated for latest steam
Uh the scripts works and now the window is minimized, but you guys are saying if I run the script again then it revert back to normal but I'm doing that but it's not changing back, help.
How do i restore game icons?
check this out: https://github.com/Aetopia/NoSteamWebHelper it works good after launching a game webhelper will disappear
Does anyone have a solution in March of 2024? Aetopia has stopped updating NoSteamWebHelper, was working fine previously.
Oh god damnit.
I haven't stopped working on the project, there was no reason to update it since Valve didn't push any Steam Client update that could break NoSteamWebHelper.
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Yeah it looks promising and I'll look into it. For now, NoSteamWebHelper has been working quite well. Thanks for the code, I'll check it out!