How to install a game without Steam downloading

If you've bought a game on DVD and it has to be validated through Steam, chances are the people who put the DVD together were too lazy to tweak the installation to install from Steam. This happened to me with Fallout: New Vegas. There is an official workaround, UNLESS you have a Mac.

Installing from Disc instead of Steam
I try to install my retail game from the included disc(s), but the game begins downloading through Steam instead. What can be done?

Mac Users:
If you are using a Mac, you will not be able to install from the disc. Please double-click on the game in your Library list to begin downloading and installing the software.

Using Steam launch options to install retail games from disc

1. Log in to Steam and click on Library.
2. Right-click on the game, select Delete local content, and confirm.
3. Insert the first disc into your computer.
4. Close Steam (Steam > Exit).
5. Press Windows Key + R to open Run
6. In the Run window type:
   "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install E:
   Replace E: with the CD/DVD drive you are installing from if is not correct.
   Replace C:\Program Files\Steam if your Steam installation is not in the default location.
7. Press OK. Steam will launch and ask you to sign in if you do not have your password saved. Your installation should continue from the disc.

Note:
This process is only intended for retail store bought copies of Steam games (ie. Left 4 Dead, Modern Warfare 2). It will not work for backup discs of any Steam games.

STEAM is Stupid

Sometimes you really have to wonder about the great disconnect between programmers and users. That, or companies really need to get better focus groups.

Now that I'm in the last stages of Fallout 3, I ordered Fallout: New Vegas (plus all the DLCs, of course) from Amazon. It came in the mail recently and I installed it.

First thing that happened was Steam installing itself. That took long enough, but then... nothing. WTF? Where's my game, dude?

After signing up on Steam (did I really need to do that?), I had to poke around a bit to figure out that I needed to select the game I bought. Even though my game came on a DVD.

Then the stupid thing hung on me.


Restarted, and finally it starts downloading. 9 GB of data. No estimated time because it STOPPED at 1.5 M for the longest time. Eventually it resumed.


While it was downloading, I looked through the DVD. Lo! There was Fallout: New Vegas, just sitting on the DVD. Couldn't Steam have just downloaded a patch? There was a "Play" button that wasn't greyed out. Maybe it's already installed? I clicked on the button. There was a message about starting the game. But it got stuck, because obviously it hadn't finished downloading. Why is the button even available to click on when the installation isn't complete?

I had to Google an answer on how to install FNV without Steam. First answer that came up was a Youtube on where to get a pirated copy via Torrent. Honestly, given all the runaround from Steam, that was probably the best and most convenient answer.
Ever notice how pirates who put up Torrents make things soooo easy to install, but it takes longer with an official copy? Finally, after some scrounging around, I found this on the Steam website: