this is part of the protection guys ! once u been sent one youll have to wait 24 hrs for another etc etc.

the answer is in there on that silly steam support site. i distinctly remeber having logged on the next day to find the email awaiting me, and laughing thinking "what a jerk idea that was"...

i remeber it all happened because i felt steam had issues as it would disconnect when trying il2 multiplayer. so i in theory re installed it which caused all the comotion.

edit: also try start it in offline mode and change settings might be possible. pull the internet cable if necessary.