If your objection to Steam is purely (you don't like launchers), then you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. If your objection is technical (no internet, blocked by IT), then Method 1 (copying the folder) is your only safe bet.

If your goal is to use SFM without an active internet connection (rather than avoiding Steam entirely), you can: Install SFM through Steam once. Switch Steam to (Steam > Go Offline...).

Officially, SFM is distributed exclusively through Valve’s Steam platform. But what if you have a restricted school laptop, a work computer with Steam blocked, a poor internet connection that can’t handle Steam’s background processes, or simply a philosophical opposition to game launchers? The search for a is surprisingly common.

Reddit user reported: "I downloaded SFM from a 'no steam' site to save time. Within an hour, my GPU was mining cryptocurrency at 100% load. Had to wipe my PC."

Using SFM independent of Steam offers several distinct advantages for animators and creators:

Not a single release is safe. Analysis of TPB SFM torrents shows they all contain svchost.exe or wmiprvse.exe masquerading as SFM files. These are remote access trojans (RATs).