If I register my Dawn of War games with STEAM, can I play them without the discs?

[shortylickens]

Searched on Anandtech but couldnt find exactly what I want. Same with the STEAM help.

I have Dawn of War and all the expansions, on CD & DVD. (Why they ever had CD versions I will never know.)
They each have a key.
I know each of them can also be purchased on STEAM. Is it possible to register them with STEAM somehow so I get automatic updates, or at the very least dont have to insert the freaking discs each time?

I did it with Counterstrike Condition Zero but I dont know if it can be done with non-Valve games. I dont even recall how I did it, since I did it at the same time as installing Half-Life 2 and that was years ago.
Have never reinstalled it since. Whenever I move my OS over to a new hard drive I just copy the STEAM folder over and everything works. For all the complaints people have with STEAM its been awefully darn convenient for me.

I did see the "Add shortcuts to My Games" thing but that doesnt do everything I want. I'd like to play without discs and not have to reinstall if I ever copy the STEAM directory over to a new computer again.

 

[LumbergTech]

generally it is not possible, in some special situations they set it up to work..

it MIGHT work with the dawn of war games since they allowed soul storm to be added..you just have to try..you go to activate product on steam i believe

 

[Fenixgoon]

if you have the latest patches, DOW should no longer require the CD/DVD

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Only Soulstorm can be activated through steam. The rest can not be activated as a steam version.

https://support.steampowered.c...php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601

The list of retail games which can be activated on steam.

 

[Eeezee]

Normally you can only activate Valve games on Steam.

I know for a fact that you can't activate Dark Crusade, since I tried it.

 

[cheapherk]

I bought Dark Messiah when it came out; activated it on Steam. Now I am able to DL the game. I will never need the CD again.