Steam is ignoring Big Picture's launch setting

[toby3d]

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): 1715979898
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Arch Linux 6.8.9-arch1-2
• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
• Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
• GPU: Nvidia

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Every attempt to run the Steam client is always in Big Picture mode. I want to run Steam in default desktop mode, but the BP mode setting is ignored.

The "Run in Big Picture" option in the settings is always enabled at the moment of startup and disabling it has no effect. The status of the "Run Picture while controller connected" option has no effect. "Big Picture in window" works as usual.

• Disabling the option in BP mode and exiting Steam has no effect: the next launch will still launch the client with the option enabled.
• Disabling the option in BP, then exiting to Steam desktop mode, then exiting the desktop client results in the same behavior: the next launch in BP with forced enabling of the option in the settings.
• Exiting BP, then disabling the mode in the settings of the desktop version of the client also leads to nothing.

The status of the beta version of the client (nor Family Beta, or just Beta) or exiting outside their channels does not affect the launch mode. Other settings work as usual. Launch with --reset flag won't fix this behavior.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

🤷‍♂️

[toby3d]

At some point, I locked the file ~/.steam/registry.vdf from modification, so the Big Picture setting was permanently locked to default startup. Unlocking the profile file and changing the settings helped.