Steam and HL2 Episode 1

Windows 7 x64 RC
Ati (latest catalysts drivers)
Asus P5Q Pro board

I am having problems getting Half Life 2 Episode 1 to run in W7 x64. Steam starts fine and the game launches (I see the Valve logo etc) but when it tries to go any further it crashes back to desktop. Aero Peek is showing the game as trying to load (still pic before the menu) but if I try to go back into it the games crashes out completely. I previously has osme success using the -windowed launch option but now even that is failing. Has anyone any ideas I could try?
Have tried running HL2 in various compatibility modes and also Steam in the same

works fine here, sorry

Originally Posted by mrbenn

Windows 7 x64 RC
Ati (latest catalysts drivers)
Asus P5Q Pro board

I am having problems getting Half Life 2 Episode 1 to run in W7 x64. Steam starts fine and the game launches (I see the Valve logo etc) but when it tries to go any further it crashes back to desktop. Aero Peek is showing the game as trying to load (still pic before the menu) but if I try to go back into it the games crashes out completely. I previously has osme success using the -windowed launch option but now even that is failing. Has anyone any ideas I could try?
Have tried running HL2 in various compatibility modes and also Steam in the same

Did it work no issues in your Vista ?

Originally Posted by mrbenn

Windows 7 x64 RC
Has anyone any ideas I could try?
Have tried running HL2 in various compatibility modes and also Steam in the same

If it worked fine in Vista x 64, then it could help if you install it Vista SP 1 compattible (i.e. make your installer file vsp 1 compattible). Can't guarantee, but I know this way people install and play certain games. As for me, I use Vista x 64 as the primary OS, including for PC games.

Good luck.

I have a dual boot with Vista 32 and it works perfectly in that. Will try installing steam in compatibility mode this evening and report back

Try adding -32bit to the startup options. I think HL2 and HL2EP1 have the option to run an old 64bit exe of the game, which isn't that stable.

ok, tonight I have tried the following: Uninstalled Steam and reinstalled in compatibility mode, downloaded directx updater program, uninstalled and re-installed HL2 Episode 1 via steam client, removed and reinstalled ATI catalyst 9.6 x64 Win 7 drivers and set the game to -32bit mode. None of them have made any difference, still bombs straight to desktop when it gets past the Valve logo. Only way I can get into the game is to set to a 4:3 resolution using the -height 1024 -width 768 switches, but as soon as I switch to any 16:10 or 16:9 resolution, its back to the desktop. Really starting to lose the rag with this now

update: Rebooted back into Vista to make sure, and game ran perfectly right away, so it's definitely a Win7 issue. It is also not just steam, have now tried several other games and all of them do the same, bomb straight back to desktop as soon as they try to go fullscreen. I have removed the ATi driver completely and reinstalled it but no difference

Also tried running Smartclose which closes ALL running programs except for protected system processes and still same crash to desktop

When I first tried to install steam it said some kind of error and terminated. I right clicked on the steam ican and said run as administrator, and it said something about 64 mode and updated. After that every thing workrd with occasional notes it was in 64 bit mode.

Joe