Not this again! GRRRRR

[giraffe]

Riiiiight, hl2.exe. My bad. My advice still stands: "Wait for Steam Support."

Maybe try doing something outside? Ride a bike? Street Hockey?... Bowling? Read a book?

Seriously though, find something else to do for the weekend, and see what Steam Support has to say. Although, if you really want to, go ahead and do a system restore; it IS your computer. Up to you.

You could also do what REpear suggests: (might take up some of your TF2-less time)

Everyone that I know that does techincal work creates documentation on what they are doing. If you have a problem, write it down and the steps you have done to attempt to fix it. When you get it fixed, write down what fixed it. Use this material for future reference material.

<snip>

I think you need to give the techs who post here a step by step process of what you are doing to create your issue. Not all the time do other forum posts out on the net have created the same error by the same way others have. In other words there could be multiple ways of getting to an error.

He is totally correct.

 

[izPhil]

Today I've tried some things like running TF2 and a lower resolution and in directx8 and 7 modes and also trying to run in on windows safe mode but (starting to sound like a broken record here?) it didn't work.

I'm also starting to remember that last time I didn't actually fix the problem. I had my uncle reinstall windows on that computer and I didn't even bother installing TF2 again that time. I started playing TF2 again after I bought my new computer.

Plus valve still hasn't replied to my question on the steam support forums...

*sigh* if only you guys knew how much this sucks.

 

[DeFy]

Something like this happened with CS:S with me earlier this year. It wouldn't run at all!!! And just crashed every time i started it, but TF2 worked fine as did L4D. Randomly about a month later CS:S just started working and has worked since. I haven't changed any settings and it's still running fine. Sorry man i have no idea why it happens...just fail programming probably :\

 

[izPhil]

Valve just replied to my topic. They told me to do something I a had told them I already did:

Exit Steam.
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories
Launch the Command Prompt by right clicking on it and choosing "Run As Administrator"
Type in the following command and press enter:
net localgroup Administrators /add Local Service
Then, type in this command and press enter:
net localgroup Administrators NetworkService /ADD
Close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer.

Of course this didn't work. I replied asking if reinstalling windows was my only option.

..... :facewall:

 

[Green Lantern]

lol

 

[izPhil]

Valve replied, told me to update my Video, Sound and Chipset drivers. Doing that didn't solve the problem either. Hopefully none of you end up with the same problem I do.

 

[giraffe]

Well, I suppose they'll get down to a tailor-made fix... at some point.

 

[Furiosity]

Try putting -windowed in one of your steam games and launch it, for some odd reason that fixed it for me when I had it... then I removed it and never got it again...

Edit: Maybe DX8 also... but try windowed first.

 

[izPhil]

Steam replied again. They told me to do something else I had already told them I've done previously. I tried it though, I reinstalled Steam and Team Fortress 2. It didn't work either. Also I did try running TF2 on lower resolutions, windowed mode and DX9 and 8 but that doesn't do anything either.

 

[giraffe]

Once they verify that your problem isn't covered by their blanket fix-all solutions (it looks like they're going from most common to least common fixes) they should come up with one that works for you... hopefully.

If you're bored in the meantime try downloading Revo Uninstaller and uninstalling TF2 and Steam with that. Make sure it tries to clean some registry files, and when you get to that point, post screenshots of the files it wants to delete here. Make sure you don't pick them on your own... modifying your registry can destroy your computer.
Let us help pick them please.

 

[izPhil]

I went ahead and reinstalled windows. The time it took between putting the recovery disk in and starting to install updates surprisingly only took between half an hour and 45 minutes. At the moment I'm installing a ton of updates and certain things like Steam and Itunes. If TF2 still won't work then x1000000 + ragequit.

 

[nHR_]

try turning you DirecX sound down to low that worked for me

 

[izPhil]

*gigantic sigh of relief* TF2 works again! I guess if any of you get it and all else fails, system restore your computer to factory settings. I consider myself lucky it only took one night to get it done. Anyway I guess that's it. Problem solved sorta...

 

[Mecha Angel]

I am sorry you had to system restore.

I would get this all the time before then it stopped...and is back again as well.

I noticed it only happens for me though if I am clicking on other things while TF2 is loading thus not having TF2 as my main window when it loads up.

I hope it doesn't get as bad as your case. @_@