It's what you agreed to when you made a Steam account and started using this platform and purchase of or activate products on Steam.

As long as you're on Windows 10 64bit or modern Linux distro then you should be fine.

Steam still works on Win7 SP1 64bit as long as it's up to date as far as that goes along with the Visual C++ Runtimes and dot-NET Framework. It's just tbat Steam would only update but so far and would not receive further updates or features if on Win7/8

you can set steam to offline mode and it wont update and things will work as is as long as you dont reinstall an os

I have to have what I bought. It's like if you bought a jacket and the seller stole it from you because he wanted to.

or because it would seem to him that the jacket is not in the current fashion. It's not for him to do it, to decide what I need and what I don't need.

Originally posted by Eugene:

I have to have what I bought. It's like if you bought a jacket and the seller stole it from you because he wanted to.

This is more like running the same retro modded car yet not wanting to keep it street legal, then complaining that the rules changed.

No, they really don't actually, you should try reading what you sign.

No one forced you to buy a game on Steam. You have to adhere to the Valve / Steam user agreement. The terms are also subject to change without warning. But companies like Valve do give proper warnings ahead of time. Like the need to update and/or upgrade your Operating System. It's a given to have to do that over time. While a game may bave minimum requirements, if there is a game client or launcher DRM involved then the user must adhere to do what is required to keep up in order to keep the game client / launcher up to date in order to keep using the products there within, such as your Steam games for example

Some old games were made when Windows XP was still most modern Microsoft OS. Ain't nobody gonna be running their games on Windows XP in 2025.

> Ain't nobody gonna be running their games on Windows XP in 2025.
Speak for yourself, not for others. Others will decide for themselves whether they want to run something on Windows XP or not. Many people use much older versions of software. And Steam now sells a HUGE number of old games, made before Windows XP even existed. People love old-school games, and even many new games are made in this style. This applies to the OS too.

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Steam should allow these games to run if they were sold for Windows XP. There's nothing complicated about it; Steam has an older client that does this. However, the older Steam client may not support new features that don't affect the actual operation of the games.

Furthermore, the ban is clearly artificial. Steam simply had to NOT add the Windows version check and that's it. It's a very difficult task to do nothing at all! Old operating systems don't change, they don't get updates—the old Steam client would still work if Steam hadn't specifically blocked it. They could have checked their checks—if the OS is old, allow the old client to run (don't block the servers), if it's new, then so be it—require an update.

I have hundreds of games. Many of them aren't even designed for Windows 10-11. Would I have bought them if I knew in advance that they would stop working? Unlikely!

Steam had a reputation for being a very customer-friendly and honest platform. That's why people spent their money there. Now these people have been deceived.

I don't want to upgrade to the new Windows operating system, and it doesn't even matter why—I just don't. But I can tell you the main reason: I don't want my data sent without my permission, I don't want to be tracked. Moreover, it's clear that this will be followed by new requirements and new coercions in new OS versions, which are updated without the user's consent. MS already believes that it's a computer and the data doesn't belong to the owner, and they can do whatever they want with it.

People still don't want to agree to this, and they're twisting their arm, and Steam is involved in this.

Originally posted by Eugene:

> Ain't nobody gonna be running their games on Windows XP in 2025.
Speak for yourself, not for others. Others will decide for themselves whether they want to run something on Windows XP or not. Many people use much older versions of software. And Steam now sells a HUGE number of old games, made before Windows XP even existed. People love old-school games, and even many new games are made in this style. This applies to the OS too.

------------------------------
Steam should allow these games to run if they were sold for Windows XP. There's nothing complicated about it; Steam has an older client that does this. However, the older Steam client may not support new features that don't affect the actual operation of the games.

Furthermore, the ban is clearly artificial. Steam simply had to NOT add the Windows version check and that's it. It's a very difficult task to do nothing at all! Old operating systems don't change, they don't get updates—the old Steam client would still work if Steam hadn't specifically blocked it. They could have checked their checks—if the OS is old, allow the old client to run (don't block the servers), if it's new, then so be it—require an update.

I have hundreds of games. Many of them aren't even designed for Windows 10-11. Would I have bought them if I knew in advance that they would stop working? Unlikely!

Steam had a reputation for being a very customer-friendly and honest platform. That's why people spent their money there. Now these people have been deceived.

I don't want to upgrade to the new Windows operating system, and it doesn't even matter why—I just don't. But I can tell you the main reason: I don't want my data sent without my permission, I don't want to be tracked. Moreover, it's clear that this will be followed by new requirements and new coercions in new OS versions, which are updated without the user's consent. MS already believes that it's a computer and the data doesn't belong to the owner, and they can do whatever they want with it.

People still don't want to agree to this, and they're twisting their arm, and Steam is involved in this.

The point is, you can't run Steam on Windows XP and there is a reason for that. The same reason 99% of all the othe game clients no longer work on XP. Security and also the online certificates and things like that. They would have to keep supporting those old OS. Something no one should have to do. The client and games will work perfectly fine under Win10, 11 or a proper Linux distro.

You want to bave an old machine running WinXP, that's your personal problem. It no one else's problem but yours and yours alone. The requirements have changed, therefore YOU must change or stop using the product it's that simple.

Take it up with the government if you want better online purchasing rights. Not the people selling you things.

Companies don’t do ♥♥♥♥ unless they have to. Legally.

We only have a refund policy because Valve lost in court. Never forget that.

Originally posted by 𝔇𝔬𝔬𝔪𝔤𝔲𝔶:

Some old games were made when Windows XP was still most modern Microsoft OS. Ain't nobody gonna be running their games on Windows XP in 2025.

I still play a bit of Half-Life for a bit of fun. I first played it on a plain Windows 95 PC, and can still play it through Steam on a newish Windows 11 PC.

half life is one thing. that was released by valve. of course that will still work. they will see to that. the biggest problem is third party games. conquest frontier wars for example works in windows 7 but, not in newer systems. at least there is versions of steam stil working in windows 7 and those outdated games that was never updated to work on newer systems can still be downloaded.

Well put it this way... games like the original STALKER ShoC and GUN still run fine on Win11. That says alot right there. And I had no problems playing the original Decent 1 and 2 via DosBox

yes they should.

**people should have the right to forever install games (and run them) on the OS they bought them on.
-> if a service like steam abadons that service there should be a law mandating them to release some alternative method to install them (an .iso or .exe)

similair by consumer law in my nation and what steam already fals to apply to.. it is NOT allowed to chance the terms of a product after purchase..
thus installing updates that brick a game on a certain os is also not allowed.

-games still bought on fysical disk often under xp.. had an eula printed with them.. it was always illigal and against the law to force an alternative eula on them it is irrelevant if people pressed I accept per dutch consumer law.. any contract that is made under illigal terms which is altering the terms after purchase is made is illigal

YES steam as service can legally drop an OS and deny you acces to their services..
but the games themselves have independend OS and eula's and steam is basicly an DRM service..
thus if steam drops that drm service for that game for that OS.. you should just get that game for that older os WITHOUT that drm layer

if not it will brick every game out there at some point.. and kill retrogaming.
as games are expressions of art and literature like books and movies, they belong to all of mankind.. and just as it is a criminal offense to destroy books and movies .. so is this killing games for this drm..

the "anti piracy" bulllocks should NOT be used as a way to kill games.
-if you drop drm.. than drop it.. and provide drm free copies.
but not brick out games..

for there are already many games that cannot be installed and played anymore.. due they need xp or 7 to run and won't work on win 10 or 11.. at all.
those are now bricked.. and that is not acceptable..

and even if they are not bricked.. a drm should NOT have the power to alter the terms
when you buy a product you look does this run on my os.. a boxed copy of yesteryear.. with or withour steam.. drm .. or a steam bought copy.. are the same..
well than.,.. it is not allowed to than change that AFTER the fact.
***by all means GAMES (not the drm that is steam) can say for every new update past x or every furture dlc you need newer os.. thats allowed..
but they cannot change the terms on what was already bought after the fact..
so even for games updates that brick a game on a certain os are again the law

and we need collective lawsuits to force steam to abide by this...

the LEAST they should be forced to do is
**every dev that changes the OS requirments for an update.. must keep available the last working version for the OS it originally worked (so that users themselves can select that older last working version for download)
**if steam drops OS support users have the right to download a drm free .iso copy of all their games in their library that can be offline installed on that OS..

-> that still would mean you cannot get a win 7 copy of a game working on win 7 if you bought it today.. but at least would commit to the minimum demand of the law that you do NOT change terms on users after the fact.

ofcourse steam is fully in their right to add the condition that doing this will remove the game from their library.. that the user after download is themselves responsible to keep that copy safe.. that the download must happen from a newer os. and such

but the bare minimum must be done..


=====
idealy I also would like to push
we should have 2d hand sale for games.
at LEAST for those no longer listed on steam..
--like a book antiquariat for books no longer in print.

so that users can have a way to obtain them after they be removed from store..