Steam users are familiar with the fact that the platform uses Game Cache Files (GCF) to store information related to most of its games, be it Half-Life or Portal 2. In order to enjoy graphics and sound features in a game to their full potential, it is mandatory that all Steam users download and install GCFScape.

GCFScape is a software tool that helps gamers in extracting the Game Cache Files (.gcf) or Valve Pak Files (.vpk) in order to facilitate the smooth running of a video game and its graphics. It was developed and published by Nem’s Tools in 2013. It is free to download software and requires at least 585KB-worth of disk space to be downloaded.

GCF files are generally used as storage folders for information related to video games such as maps of a game, models and other forms of original game content. The good part is that the contents of these files can be used by mods to modify games as well.

Apart from .vpk and .gcf files, GCFScape also supports other file formats such as .bsp, .ncf, .pak, .wad, and .xzp packages. Although GCFScape helps in the extraction of files related to games available on the Steam platform, it can run independently of it.

Installing GCFScape | The Process

Before a player installs GCFScape, there are some pre-requisites to be met. These include:

  1. Downloading and installing .NET Framework
  2. Downloading and installing Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Routine.

Both these applications are necessary to run the GCFScape software. Once a user has downloaded and installed both this software, they can proceed with the installation of GCFScape via this link: http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/files/files/. After downloading it, run its installation process and follow these steps:

  1. Once the installation has been completed and the software has been launched, open the folder to view files.
  2. If you have downloaded your games via the Steam platform then their files will appear under the folder named ‘Steam Apps’.
  3. If you did not download your games from Steam’s platform, you will have to search for the folder consisting of their GCFs.
  4. The files contained in the ‘Content’ folder consist of GCFs such as maps, scenery, etc, and the ones contained in a folder named ‘Dialogue’ consist of the music, background scores, or dialogues of games.
  5. Browse through the files and select the ones you wish to extract.
  6. The extraction location can be anywhere outside the folders, whether desktop or documents.
  7. It is important to note here that files with .gcf extension can only be opened with GCFScape and no other program will be able to open them.
  8. Users must not delete any GCF files without having full knowledge about it. All files contained in GCF file folders are used in playing video games and launching their effects smoothly. The deletion of one file may upset the whole program and cause malfunction.
  9. Similarly, users who want to open a .vpk file using GCFScape would need to visit the folder where the .vpk file is located. This can be done using the GCFScape window and upon being located users simply need to double click on it to open it.
  10. For users who wish to open .vpk files on MAC, they can use this link to download GCFScape for MAC.

A Word of Caution

Before installing GCFScape onto your device, make sure your device is malware-free and has an antivirus running. Additionally, make sure the Windows Operating System is properly installed and is running without a fault. Make room for storage and delete unused files. Also, bring to halt all unnecessary processes running at the back. All of this is being done to ensure safe and error-free download and installation of GCFScape software.

Some of the most common errors a user may encounter, in case the GCFScape installation goes bad, include:

  • Application Errors
  • Software not found
  • Software not running
  • Not a valid application
  • The application failed to launch

The only way to deal with each of these errors mentioned above is the procedure already specified. Cleaning up disk space, running antivirus to detect and quarantine bad sectors, removing malware, and then going over the whole installation process is what will help users stuck with messages like these.

Uninstalling GCFScape

Just like players felt the need to install GCFSCape, they might at some point in time feel the need to uninstalling it either to free up disk space or give up gaming as a habit. In such cases, the uninstalling of GCFScape software is quite easy. Follow these steps and free your computer from it:

  1. Go to ‘Start’.
  2. Search for ‘Control Panel’. All Windows users have this folder located in varied locations. As per your version of Windows, locate it then double click to enter it.
  3. Search for ‘Programs’ or ‘Uninstall Programs’ option.
  4. Double click on it.
  5. Now select GCFScape from the list of programs and click on it to select it.
  6. Now press the ‘Uninstall this program’ button.
  7. GCFSCape has been completely uninstalled from your device.

However, it is advised that once downloaded players must keep the GCFScape software and its related files with them if they wish to resume gaming in the future.