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The Preferences tab allows to configure most of CF Toolbox functions and to keep it up to date with the latest Steam network information.

Steam network

Configuring the Steam network connection and CDR updates.


CF Toolbox requires an internet connection in order to retrieve the latest Steam Content Description Record (CDR). The CDR allows CF Toolbox to be aware of the latest Games/Media/Tools released on the Steam network and of the GCF/NCF files list and versions.

The Config Server parameter allows to configure the address and port of the Steam server used for online operations (CDR update, authentication, download). Use the Set button to activate the new configuration. The known Steam servers are:

  • gds1.steampowered.com:27030
  • gds2.steampowered.com:27030
  • steam2.steampowered.com:27030

If the Automatic update on startup option is enabled, CF Toolbox will automatically connect to the Steam network on startup in order to retrieve the latest CDR, and thus be aware of the latest released Games/Media/Tools and updates. If disabled, the user has the possibility to update the CDR on demand, using the Update Content Description Record button.

Accounts

Configuring the Steam accounts used for downloading content.


A valid Steam account is required in order to download content. The account must own the desired content. It is possible to use more than one Steam account with CF Toolbox. These Steam accounts can be registered using the official Steam Client.

To configure a new Seam account, press the New button and specify a unique account identifier. This identifier will be used for selecting accounts in CF Toolbox. Once the new account identifier is created, specify the Steam Account name (login) in the Account name field, and the account password in the Password field. Press the Set button to save the Steam account credentials and authenticate the account. This button can be used anytime to reauthenticate the Steam account.

If the Remember my password option is disabled, the password will not be kept by CF Toolbox, and will have to be specified if required. If the option is enabled, the password will be stored in the CFToolboxRegistry.blob file without encryption. Thus, it is strongly advised not to enable this option on public computers or if the access to this file is not secured.

If you do not wish to authenticate the account on each startup, the Don't reset ticket on startup allows CF Toolbox to keep the ticket allocated by Steam servers in the CFToolboxRegistry.blob file. This ticket is encrypted and allows accessing the Steam network content without the Steam account name or password. Be aware that this ticket is bound to an IP and has an expiration period. It may then be needed to reauthenticate the account in case of unexpected content download errors.

Use the Set button in order to update the state of these two options.

Folders

Configuring the Folders used for storing GCF/NCF files and other files.


The GCF/NCF folder will be used for storing the GCF/NCF files to be managed. If the chosen folder is shared with a Steam client (the Steam client's steamapps folder), it is strongly advised to specify it in the Misc options.

The Output folder will be used for storing the archives, updates, mini GCFs,...

Batch command lines

Configuring the batch command lines.


These two fields allow to configure the command line to be executed when selecting the Run batch function of the contextual menu.
The GCF/NCF command line will be executed in case of a GCF/NCF files selection.
The G../M../T.. command line will be executed in case of a Games/Media/Tools selection.

Please refer to the Plugins section for more details about the command lines syntax.

If the Wait option is enabled, CF Toolbox will wait for the batch command line execution to complete before starting the next one. If disabled, the next batch command line will be executed immediately without waiting for the current one to complete.

On double click

Configuring the double click action.


These two fields allow to configure the action to be executed when double-clicking on a GCF/NCF file or a Game/Media/Tool. The list of available operations can be extended by plugins.

Steam apps language

Configuring the Steam apps language.


Localized versions are existing for most SteamApps. Selecting the appropriate Steam apps language is important in order to allow CF Toolbox to correctly identify the required localized GCF/NCF files.

Logs level

Configuring the logs tracing level.


The logs console detail level can be adjusted to the needed level. It is important to select an appropriate logs level in order to avoid important performance issues. The recommended logs level is "Error". The following logs tracing level are available:

  • All : Fully detailed traces, has a strong impact in global performances
  • Debug : Allows to trace CF Toolbox operations
  • Info : General information
  • Error : Errors only (recommended level)
  • Todo : Unsupported errors
  • No logs : No logs tracing, best performances.

Maximum active tasks

Setting the maximum active tasks limit.


Having too many concurrent tasks has a negative impact on global performances, especially during operations requiring frequent disk access such as GCF/NCF files validation. Specifying an adjusted value for your system is essential.

Misc

Miscellaneous parameters.


  • The Validate download streams option makes CF Toolbox validate the content downloaded from Content servers. This has an impact on performance and it may be interesting to disable this option.
  • The Pre-validate files before archive/update/download option forces CF Toolbox to validate and correct GCF/NCF files before creating an archive, or an update and before resuming a GCF/NCF file download. This ensures the quality of the processed GCF/NCF files and produced patches. This has an impact on performance and it may be interesting to disable this option.
  • The Secured GCF/NCF files updates option forces CF Toolbox to update the GCF/NCF files headers after each allocation table modification instead of updating them at the process completion only. This allows to avoid GCF/NCF files corruption in case of crash but has some impact on global performances.
  • The Sharing the Steam steamapps folder option must be enabled if CF Toolbox and the official Steam client are sharing the same GCF/NCF storage folder in order to avoid GCF/NCF files corruption. If this option is enabled all the active tasks will be interrupted when the Steam client is started
  • If the Show real bandwidth consumption option is enabled, the bandwidth monitor will display the real bandwidth consumption instead of the GCF/NCF files download speed. The download speed can be greater than the system maximal download limit thanks to data compression. The configuration is effective for the future content downloads.
  • If the Set MiniGCF content as incomplete option is enabled, the mini GCF content will be marked as empty. If the option is disabled, the mini GCF will look like a fully (or partially) downloaded GCF file.
  • The URL of the Games/Media/Tools Update news page available in the Properties popup is configured in the CFToolboxRegistry.blob file in the /TopKey/SteamNetwork/UpdatesHistoryUrl key.