Cannot Start Half Life 2 - Need Help

[vishtaspa]

Hi Guys, need your help here.

I just purchased Half Life 2. Got the installation done in the default location. While trying to start the game, it tries to connect to some steam for authentication. My net connection is on and i can surf other sites so i do not see that as a problem. Steam gives me an option to create a new account however after a few steps, it does not let me go forward saying that "This operation cannot be completed while in the offline mode". I checked up on the steam site which says that the mode is online.

Just how do i start this game ??? Pls help. I wanna play...

[slayerking]

fucking annoying isn't it! You will have to get connected to steam first and save your password so it doesn't ask for it again. When you start HL2 it should say connecting to steam. If you look in steam it says that you only have 98% of the files needed to play the game so you have to connect to steam and let it update the game. It took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to be able to play this game after installing it, what a joke.

[vishtaspa]

You are at least playing. I cannot even seeem to get it started.

[slayerking]

You are at least playing. I cannot even seeem to get it started.

yeah sort of!! every 30 seconds it stops for "LOADING" and you have to wait for 45 seconds for it to load. Like i said in an earlier post it should be called half loading

[vishtaspa]

I cannot even get to the loading part. It just lets me enter a name - password. Asks me a question and then says that you cannot create an account in the offline mode. The steam site is up when checked. What am i supposed to do ?

[Sinastar]

If your trying to connect thru a University connection If may be blocking the update. Or maybe your .isp is? Here's the steam forum dealing with this
problem.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=61587

[Asid]

Steam is a really bad piece of software. I recently did a clean install of HL2, Counter Strike and all the extra tools you get with it from the backup DVD that you create through steam. After installation I thought steam would just update all my software. Damn thing downloaded files for a good 50 mins at full speed on a 1MB connection.

[Cyker]

I feel your pain Vish. I actually took mine back in the end.

It's a bad sign when you buy something and can't get it to work due to copy protection and authentication crap, then your friend warez the thing and gets it working straight away and starts telling you how good it is over the phone.

I'm not bitter.

Actually, I tell I lie - I'm VERY bitter. DIE VALVE DIE!!!!!!!

[PC-GUY]

Lets hope :Z Microshit doesn't pick anything up from this!!!! :a
Cause I'm sure they could make it worst.

[brantdk]

I heard that there is a registery hack to stop Steam from loading up everytime windows starts.

[slayerking]

I heard that there is a registery hack to stop Steam from loading up everytime windows starts.

There's a checkbox in the settings for that.

[chas0039]

Try unloading Steam and them reloading. I had a similar problem, along with many others, and I would go through some system of unloads and reloads and disconnects to get it to work.. Also I had to logoff and log in again to get it to work. I did so many different things I cannot be sure what actually worked or not.

[brantdk]

There's a checkbox in the settings for that.

I know of a registery hack so that Steam doesnt go out on the net, but I dont know if this work before you install the game. It stops Steam from going on the net after HL2 is installed.

[vishtaspa]

I know of a registery hack so that Steam doesnt go out on the net, but I dont know if this work before you install the game. It stops Steam from going on the net after HL2 is installed.

Tell me.

[brantdk]

Tell me.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\Steam]
"OfflineAFS"=dword:00000001
"Offline"=dword:00000001

[ckin2001]

isnt that what offline mode is for?