liquidsnakehpks: the downloader kinda deletes the download files after installing isn't it ? i always backup the downloaded content as soon as the downloader says download complete
Even if you make the choice to backup the downloaded content after installing, you aren't left with a functioning install file as the GG downloader "hides" it somehow. If you want to reinstall, you will still have to log on, provide your screen name and password, and then it will install (although it won't have to redownload). And as you know, that's DRM.
There's a trick to getting the plain old install files to do with as you wish, but it's too long to explain here so instead of explaining it here I'll try and find an old post explaining it and just put a link here. Back in a few.
ADDED: Well, I suck at searches and can't find anything. So I'll try and explain it the best I can here. Apologies up front to the OP for the OT, and to you for my lack of ability to be brief.
First of all, you'll need to install the game, and then choose "Save the install files" (or whatever the choice is called). When you do this you'll be left with two things:
1) A GG downloader file for the game
2) A directory with your downloaded game files in it. Unfortunately, GG doesn't name it's directories based on the name of the game, it instead names all of it's directories with numbers. So you'll have to find out which numbered directory corresponds to which game you're interested in. In this example, I'll use Europa Univeralis and the corresponding name of the directory containing it's downloaded files is "77". Also unfortunately, if you look into any of these numbered files, none of them contain a functioning installer. That's why these steps I'm laying out are necessary if you want to have a true DRM free installer.
Next, you will need to uninstall the game. If you don't uninstall the game, reopening the installer will only give you the option of removing it.
After you uninstall the game, then, armed with the knowledge of which numbered directory corresponds to the game you're interested in, double click on the GG downloader file again just as though you were going to reinstall it. It will ask for your login and password, enter it, and click okay.
After you enter your login and password and click okay, the installer should start. NOW JUST STOP HERE. Don't cancel the installation or continue it. Just ignore it, and press the Windows Explorer button to open up your Windows Explorer.
Navigate to the numbered directory that corresponds to your game. In this example of Europa Universalis, I would navigate to the directory named "77". AT THIS POINT, the directory DOES CONTAIN a functioning install file. So, make a copy of the directory somewhere, and name it with the name of your game.
After you've made the copy, the new, named directory should have a fully functioning, 100% DRM free, installer, with all the necessary game files downloaded.
You can then go back to the installer you left open, and then you can either cancel the installation completely or go ahead and reinstall it while you've got it up. Either way, when you're done, the old "77" file will revert back to a directory WITHOUT a functioning installer but the new, copied and renamed directory WILL have an installer.
Again, sorry for the OT and length.
