Within 3 years it probably will stop working on Windows 7 too.

cde wrote on 2022-01-02, 12:11:

gundstaff wrote on 2022-01-02, 04:24:

silikone wrote on 2021-12-31, 16:37:

It turns out that you don't even need a Steam emulator. You can trick Steam into launching these old copies. Zero custom files needed.
The details vary depending on the retail version. The GOTY release doesn't need decryption and can be launched directly from hl2.exe when placed in the correct Steam folder. Otherwise, you can replace the real Half-Life 2 installation and launch it as normal. I did this using the build from October 2004.
Of course, this still leaves Windows XP behind thanks to Valve's negligence.

How did you manage to make the 2004 version work, can you explain in detail? I have it installed but I have never had success.

I originally bought HL2 on Steam, and to play it on my current XP build, had to use Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition which is available on archive.org. It is unfortunate that Steam no longer works on XP.

I haven't set out to do this yet, I'm trying to figure out how to make the original install work. I'll probably download it from archive.org and compare the files and try to make the original installation work by changing a few files, I don't want to risk taking viruses to my Windows 98.

IIRC in the original install media the various files are encrypted and unusable without Steam. That's why the use of a separate tool is necessary to make it standalone, which is what was done in the release I've mentioned.

cde wrote on 2022-01-03, 19:49:

IIRC in the original install media the various files are encrypted and unusable without Steam. That's why the use of a separate tool is necessary to make it standalone, which is what was done in the release I've mentioned.

I have the GOTY version and just extract the files and replace Steam dll with the revemu version, no problems on XP. On Windows 98 I was hoping to find a simple solution like GOTY for the DVD Collectors version. I'll check if archive.org version is still compatible with 98.

For 9x if you don't want to use kernelex with revemu then steamemu should work. Last time I bothered with steamemu was 2004 or so but I remember it working in 9x.

I'm thinking HL2 builds v4104 and below should work without using kernelex.

Build 3300 from Detonation releases is EP2 + Portal + TF2
Build v3531 is HL2 and EP1 from the Orange Box DVD

Still working on my vm project for the vogonsorg github so haven't yet gotten to setting up my test PC with images for 9x yet for testing OGL/D3D games but it's on the list.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2022-01-02, 13:28:

Within 3 years it probably will stop working on Windows 7 too.

This is why I don't buy games from Steam/Origin/Ubisoft anymore. GoG is hit and miss with Windows XP (so I pretty much stick to disk versions instead of GoG for XP), but at least everything works with W7.

I do hope to one day get HL2 working in XP as some have here.

You can always install Linux. Proton and Wine can easily cover most old Windows titles without much trouble. In fact, it's highly endorsed by Valve.

Yeah, especially for older games that has compatibility issues with modern Windows (8+), my experience is that through proton they run faster with better stability.

Steam and GoG and especially GoG are not terrible, even for old games. You just have to accept that they target reasonably up-to-date systems.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2022-01-02, 09:30:

mihai wrote:

but I cannot update the library at all

Importing appmanifest file to Steam library folder, with optional editing, should work fine.

i do not know how to do that, nor have i ever seen any guides. i have many games; finding the steamid manually and importing them one by one is not doable.

anyway, the steam xp client still works (after lots and lots of tweaking) and connects directly to some steam servers, so at least i was able to update the game list.

unfortunately, it seems that steam client for windows 7 will stop being supported in january 2023, despite windows 7 getting 3 more years of extended support.

If you use the Goldberg Steam Emulator (https://gitlab.com/this_isnotme/winxp-goldberg-emulator), Steamless (doesn't run on XP anymore but the fixed binary can) or crack the game you almost never have to hunt down the app id. If you use SmartSteamEmu you do but you only have to do it once and never have to worry about it again versus constantly fiddling with the Steam client to get it to work and/or troubleshooting issues with it.
If you want all your app id's there are many ways to do so, SteamInfo 1.0.5.2 for instance can do this.

This is all out of scope for this thread though since HL2 runs fine with the switches (as long as you use a XP compatible ver of HL2) unless you want to run an ancient version and then you need to use a steam emulator.

I am still searching for the collectors edition that does not require steam and is an old build that can run from DX6 cards up to DX9 cards.
I own the original "orange box" but I am interested in earlier versions to test them on different cards like MGA G550/P650....

dr.zeissler wrote on 2023-09-11, 21:56:

I am still searching for the collectors edition that does not require steam and is an old build that can run from DX6 cards up to DX9 cards.

I don't know what you mean by requiring, but collector's edition also comes with steam files on the disk.

I will play it on old retro machines under Win9x/2K with DX6/7/8/9 cards.

AFAIK it still wouldn't work out of the box. You need to apply fixes.

It's been a while. I misremembered. When I installed the old release a while back, I didn't want it to install steam at all, but still wanted it to use its own installer, so had to go through a process for that. It wasn't the one mentioned in the OP.

As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the version on REMOVED works fine. I've used it on several XP machines, and I also installed it on a Windows 98 SE machine by using KernelEX. Yes it installs Steam, but it won't connect or update, and you should use MSConfig to disable it from starting up. The version of Half-Life Source that's on that disk works fine as well. Disclaimer - I have purchased these games on Steam as well.

Repo Man11 wrote on 2023-09-12, 21:55:

As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the version on REMOVED works fine. I've used it on several XP machines, and I also installed it on a Windows 98 SE machine by using KernelEX. Yes it installs Steam, but it won't connect or update, and you should use MSConfig to disable it from starting up. The version of Half-Life Source that's on that disk works fine as well. Disclaimer - I have purchased these games on Steam as well.

What is removed? can't follow this too well since I don't know what this is referencing.

Bohemond1099 wrote on 2023-09-15, 07:38:

Repo Man11 wrote on 2023-09-12, 21:55:

As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the version on REMOVED works fine. I've used it on several XP machines, and I also installed it on a Windows 98 SE machine by using KernelEX. Yes it installs Steam, but it won't connect or update, and you should use MSConfig to disable it from starting up. The version of Half-Life Source that's on that disk works fine as well. Disclaimer - I have purchased these games on Steam as well.

What is removed? can't follow this too well since I don't know what this is referencing.

What it referencing is that sharing links to pirated versions of software is forbidden. Even for abandonware. And I think mentioning the names of those distribution platforms is also forbidden.

RandomStranger wrote on 2023-09-15, 07:52:

Bohemond1099 wrote on 2023-09-15, 07:38:

Repo Man11 wrote on 2023-09-12, 21:55:

As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the version on REMOVED works fine. I've used it on several XP machines, and I also installed it on a Windows 98 SE machine by using KernelEX. Yes it installs Steam, but it won't connect or update, and you should use MSConfig to disable it from starting up. The version of Half-Life Source that's on that disk works fine as well. Disclaimer - I have purchased these games on Steam as well.

What is removed? can't follow this too well since I don't know what this is referencing.

What it referencing is that sharing links to pirated versions of software is forbidden. Even for abandonware. And I think mentioning the names of those distribution platforms is also forbidden.

Ah ok thank you.

There is a YT video which has a link to an old build from mega that works just fine. I tested it on my P4 2ghz with MGA G550 and it works! Not fast but really good for a DX6! card! The only thing that was a bit strange was that my machine had DX7 (win2k) and hl2 refuses to start and requested DINPUT8, after installing DX8.1 by the next start the game complains D3D9...so I had to install DX9 in order to play it and yes it does and shows software-level DX9 hardware-level DX6.

So in short does HL2 really require DX9 to be installed or is this version messed up too? ThX!

...and yes I bought/own the OrangeBox and bought the mac-releases too.

Even the first release of HL2 requires d3d9.dll. It's a Direct3D 9 game that also has compatibility render paths for older cards.