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AveYo/. steamwebhelper_min.bat

Last active January 24, 2026 21:17
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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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. steamwebhelper_min.bat
@(set "0=%~f0" '& set 1=%*) & powershell -nop -c "type -lit $env:0 | out-string | powershell -nop -c -" & exit /b ');.{
" Steam_min : always restarts in SmallMode with reduced ram and cpu usage when idle - AveYo, 2025.08.23 "
$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"
## AveYo: abort if steam not found
$STEAM = resolve-path (gp "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Valve\Steam" -ea 0).SteamPath
if (-not (test-path "$STEAM\steam.exe") -or -not (test-path "$STEAM\steamapps\libraryfolders.vdf")) {
write-host " Steam not found! " -fore Black -back Yellow; sleep 7; return
}
## AveYo: close steam gracefully if already running
$focus = $false
if ((gp "HKCU:\Software\Valve\Steam\ActiveProcess" -ea 0).pid -gt 0 -and (gps -name steamwebhelper -ea 0)) {
start "$STEAM\Steam.exe" -args '-ifrunning -silent -shutdown +quit now' -wait; $focus = $true
}
## AveYo: force close steam if needed
while ((gps -name steamwebhelper -ea 0) -or (gps -name steam -ea 0)) {
kill -name 'steamwebhelper','steam' -force -ea 0; del "$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']) { 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 $file -force)
if ($vdf.count -eq 0) { $vdf = vdf_parse @('"UserRoamingConfigStore"','{','}') }
vdf_mkdir $vdf.Item(0) 'Software\Valve\Steam\FriendsUI'
$key = $vdf.Item(0)["Software"]["Valve"]["Steam"]
if ($key["SteamDefaultDialog"] -ne '"#app_games"') { $key["SteamDefaultDialog"] = '"#app_games"'; $write = $true }
$ui = $key["FriendsUI"]["FriendsUIJSON"]; if ($ui -notlike '*{*') { $ui = '' }
if ($FriendsSignIn -eq 0 -and ($ui -like '*bSignIntoFriends\":true*' -or $ui -like '*PersonaNotifications\":1*') ) {
$ui = $ui.Replace('bSignIntoFriends\":true','bSignIntoFriends\":false')
$ui = $ui.Replace('PersonaNotifications\":1','PersonaNotifications\":0'); $write = $true
}
if ($FriendsAnimed -eq 0 -and ($ui -like '*bAnimatedAvatars\":true*' -or $ui -like '*bDisableRoomEffects\":false*') ) {
$ui = $ui.Replace('bAnimatedAvatars\":true','bAnimatedAvatars\":false')
$ui = $ui.Replace('bDisableRoomEffects\":false','bDisableRoomEffects\":true'); $write = $true
}
$key["FriendsUI"]["FriendsUIJSON"] = $ui; if ($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 $file -force)
if ($vdf.count -eq 0) { $vdf = vdf_parse @('"UserLocalConfigStore"','{','}') }
vdf_mkdir $vdf.Item(0) 'Software\Valve\Steam'; vdf_mkdir $vdf.Item(0) 'friends'
$key = $vdf.Item(0)["Software"]["Valve"]["Steam"]
if ($key["SmallMode"] -ne '"1"') { $key["SmallMode"] = '"1"'; $write = $true }
foreach ($o in $opt.Keys) { if ($vdf.Item(0)["$o"] -ne """$($opt[$o])""") {
$vdf.Item(0)["$o"] = """$($opt[$o])"""; $write = $true
}}
if ($FriendsSignIn -eq 0) {
$key = $vdf.Item(0)["friends"]
if ($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"; $file_lines = if (test-path -lit $file) {(gc -lit $file) -ne ''} else {'file'}
$env0 = if ($env:0 -and (test-path -lit $env:0)) {gc -lit $env:0} else {'env0'} ; $env0_lines = $env0 -ne ''
$text = "@(set ""0=%~f0"" '${0=%~f0}');.{$($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition)} #_press_Enter_if_pasted_in_powershell"
$text = $text -split '\r?\n'; $text_lines = $text -ne ''
if (diff $text_lines $env0_lines) { if (diff $file_lines $text_lines) { $text | set-content -force $file} }
else { if (diff $file_lines $env0_lines) {$env0 | set-content -force $file} }
## 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(); $lnk = $null
## AveYo: start Steam with quick launch options
[void]$wsh.Run("""$STEAM\Steam.exe"" $QUICK", 1, "false"); $wsh = $null
} #_press_Enter_if_pasted_in_powershell
Raw
.gitattributes
* text=auto
* eol=crlf
@God-damnit-all
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God-damnit-all commented Jan 17, 2025 •
edited
Loading

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.

@Derbear2112
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Derbear2112 commented Feb 1, 2025

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.

@AveYo
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AveYo commented Feb 12, 2025

@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:

https://github.com/AveYo/Gaming/blob/main/steam_min.bat

@AveYo
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AveYo commented Jun 10, 2025

updated for latest steam

@OumElma
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OumElma commented Aug 19, 2025

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.

@oigroig1987
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oigroig1987 commented Sep 11, 2025 •
edited
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How do i restore game icons?

@Aetopia
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Aetopia commented Oct 27, 2025 •
edited
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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.

@DragonLore1234
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DragonLore1234 commented Jan 24, 2026

Is there a way you can add the feature that steam used to have where you can press enter in small mode in the library and you can launch the game and install it very easily Let me know please because this was available in VGUI

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