Feature Request: Advanced (Hardware-id) Profile Isolation for Steam Accounts

[faeton]

I primarily use TcNo Account Switcher for managing multiple Steam accounts. This tool is incredibly helpful for quick and seamless account switching, especially for users like me who need to maintain different accounts for varying purposes—e.g., playing games with friends at different ranks. Also using one computer among my family members, all having steam accounts and same games.

However, one significant limitation arises when dealing with Steam's sensitivity to hardware identifiers and configuration data. Currently, switching accounts doesn’t address the issue where Steam ties certain settings or behaviors to hardware identification of some kind. For users managing multiple accounts, having the ability to isolate each account’s hardware profile virtually would be a game-changer.

Proposed Feature: Virtual Hardware Profile Switching
Introduce a functionality that allows TcNo Account Switcher to associate a unique virtual hardware profile (e.g., hardware ID, registry settings, and other relevant identifiers) with each Steam account. Upon switching accounts, the software would load the corresponding virtual profile, effectively emulating a separate "device" for each account. This feature would offer better isolation, improved compatibility with Steam’s backend, and added flexibility for multi-account users.

Is it doable?

While I’m not a relevant developer myself, I’ve researched and identified a few elements that might be relevant for implementation:

• Hardware ID Spoofing: Incorporate an open-source library or script to modify virtual hardware IDs (CPU, GPU, motherboard serials, etc.) upon account switching.
• Registry Profiles: Allow TcNo Account Switcher to export/import specific registry configurations tied to each account.
• Steam Configuration Reset: Add an option to clear and reinitialize Steam’s local configurations (like userdata folders or config.vdf) for a truly fresh session with each account.
• Open-Source Tools: Leverage existing open-source tools or techniques (e.g., hardware ID spoofers or VM-like environments) to create a lightweight, modular solution.

Would it be feasible to implement such functionality in TcNo Account Switcher? I believe this addition would significantly enhance the utility of TcNo Account Switcher for Steam users managing multiple accounts.

[faeton]

To build on the original idea, I wanted to suggest a few potential approaches that might simplify the implementation process or serve as stepping stones to the full functionality:

Configurable/Randomized Hardware ID Templates:

Instead of fully virtualizing hardware profiles, perhaps a simpler approach could be to allow users to define "templates" for hardware-related data (e.g., MAC addresses, GPU identifiers) that the switcher would apply during account transitions. These could be tied to existing account profiles for quick application.
Set-ScHardwareProfile cmdlet probably would be just too easy and Steam digs deeper.

Lightweight Sandboxing Options:

Leveraging tools like Sandboxie, TcNo Account Switcher could integrate sandbox profiles for Steam. Each Steam account could launch in its own sandboxed environment, effectively isolating configurations and system interactions. (Although, I've read that it is directly banned in some code of CSGO for example)

##Registry Snapshots for Quick Switching:
A straightforward but powerful addition might be the ability to take "snapshots" of Steam-related registry entries and quickly restore them during account switches. This could create the illusion of separate configurations without fully modifying hardware IDs. If its how Steam manages that.

Steam Configuration Reset Module:

Adding a simple button or script in TcNo Account Switcher to clear userdata or refresh config.vdf for specific accounts could reduce cross-account conflicts, which might be a major portion of the issue.

[faeton]

Enhancing Isolation with GPU Access and Additional Ideas

Building on the previous suggestions, one critical aspect for effective isolation is ensuring GPU access for each environment. Here are some updated ideas:

1. GPU Passthrough
   Tools like QEMU with VFIO (Virtual Function I/O) can enable direct GPU passthrough to virtualized environments. This allows each Steam account to have isolated hardware profiles with full GPU support. It’s more complex to set up but offers near-native performance.

2. Filesystem and GPU Hybrid Isolation
   Combining shared filesystems for common Steam libraries with isolated GPU configurations might strike a balance between performance and resource efficiency.

3. Leveraging Windows' Built-In Hyper-V
   Windows' built-in Hyper-V could be used for creating isolated environments. This might simplify implementation and improve integration with Windows. Hyper-V offers features like GPU passthrough and virtual networking, which could be beneficial for hardware isolation and managing network configurations for each Steam account.

4. Exploring Application Virtualization
   Application virtualization technologies like Microsoft App-V or VMware ThinApp could isolate applications from the underlying operating system without requiring a full virtual machine. This approach could be lighter than full virtualization and might offer a good balance between isolation and resource usage.

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Would it be feasible to explore GPU passthrough or vGPU solutions for integrating hardware isolation into TcNo Account Switcher? It could open up more possibilities for gamers who rely on GPU-intensive applications. Exploring the use of Hyper-V and application virtualization techniques could also provide valuable alternatives for achieving effective isolation with varying levels of complexity and resource usage.