Uh, Steam's just a piece of software, it does not install DRM drivers or anything like that. All you had to do was remove it from your startup folder, not re-image the entire computer.

That said, even that shouldn't happen: I suspect your XP setup dying is entirely unrelated to you installing Steam.

I didn't realize it was in the startup folder, and I could have gone into Safe Mode to remove it.

However, I'm pretty sure it did something to my install. Everything else about it works as it should.

boxpressed wrote:

I do have a Steam account that recognizes my HL2 purchase.

Then yes, all you have to do is download Steam from the official site and install Half-Life 2 from there. Even if you try to install HL2 from the DVD, it will probably want to update itself anyway.

boxpressed wrote:

Well, Steam tried to update itself from its 2004 version. It seemed to stall and take a long time. Eventually, it did update because the splash screen changed. However, about ten seconds after XP loaded, the computer would spontaneously reboot. It cycled through this sequence a few times before I reimaged the drive.

Why did you install the 2004 version first and not download the newest one?

If software pirates had the certainty that they would be immediately put to death upon arrest, legitimate users wouldn't be dealing with all this drm garbage today.

teleguy wrote:

Why did you install the 2004 version first and not download the newest one?

I thought I had to install HL2 off the DVD first. The install loads HL2 (plus other games) and Steam all at the same time. Then Steam starts to update itself automatically.

I will go ahead and load the latest version of Steam off the website and see how that goes.

I have installed Steam on XP sp2. I just put the latest installer on a USB and installed it that way.

I used the installer on the Steam website and loaded the latest version. It did the same thing! Steam would load, then the computer would reboot.

This time, I disabled the Steam startup in Safe Mode. Then, I went ahead and installed SP3 just for kicks. If there was no change, I'd reimage again.

This time it worked. So, for whatever reason, my system needs some fix from SP3 or Steam will begin a loop of reboots.

I went ahead and loaded HL2 and the other games from the DVD. However, when I tried to run them, Steam wanted me to download and install it rather than running the version off the DVD.

Obviously, I'm behind the curve with the state of DRM, but what I don't really understand is why even have a DVD-ROM at all? If Steam will only allow you to run the version on its servers, why even have retail packaging? Maybe I'm missing something here.

Uncheck option in "Startup and Recovery" in sysdm.cpl to not automatically restart so you can at least see the BSOD.

As for the Steam requirement last time I converted my copy to load without Steam was with RevEmu back in 2011. Unknown if that method still works today.

The DVD was for when Steam was still in it's infancy and for those without the bandwidth to download the game. The retail ver still requires Steam and when you install it will want to download the difference. There have been alot of updates over the years.

OK, so I guess that some Steam games are "modular," with a chunk on the DVD and a variable chunk to be downloaded. I did notice that there were two "Half Life 2" applications in my program listing in the control panel. One was about 3.5GB, and one was about 1.0GB.

I guess they require SP3 then. I use Steam all the time on XP SP3. Two days ago I had a 939 setup with Half Life 2 installed.

DosFreak wrote:

The DVD was for when Steam was still in it's infancy and for those without the bandwidth to download the game. The retail ver still requires Steam and when you install it will want to download the difference. There have been alot of updates over the years.

Even when the game was originally released there were lots of people who were absolutely furious that it insisted on doing a massive download as soon as it installed. Steam was mighty unpopular for a while.

boxpressed wrote:

Obviously, I'm behind the curve with the state of DRM, but what I don't really understand is why even have a DVD-ROM at all? If Steam will only allow you to run the version on its servers, why even have retail packaging? Maybe I'm missing something here.

Yes indeed, it is kind of silly.

DosFreak wrote:

Uncheck option in "Startup and Recovery" in sysdm.cpl to not automatically restart so you can at least see the BSOD.

Yarg, I forgot about that. That is a very good idea. (It should also turn up in Event Viewer in Administrative tools.)

I use Steam on my XP SP2 Athlon3200+/Radeon9800Pro machine. No problem so far. Autorun is disabled so that I don't have to listen to it whining about the absent internet connection.

I also use this machine for internet from time to time. It has no anti-virus software whatsoever and I don't care. If you don't go pirating from unreliable sources or watching porn, you're pretty much safe. Viruses do not appear without reason.

RacoonRider wrote:

I use Steam on my XP SP2 Athlon3200+/Radeon9800Pro machine.

Cool! I was wondering about Steam and the requirement for SSE2. Looks like it's working 😀

Can I ask you what driver you're using for your Radeon? Something period correct, or the latest?

I think Steam updated Half Life 1 and possibly 2 a fair few times (as I've had numerous updates over the years). Hopefully none of them made it less compatible with XP?

I remember using HL2 Lost Coast on an Athlon 64 with XP SP3 without any issues 😀

Valve is good with compatibility. I see in the beta channel they still support Athlon XP for Steam.

The latest version of Half-Life 2 can be launched without Steam.

Half-Life 2 - hl2.exe
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 - hl2.exe -game episodic
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 - hl2.exe -game ep2
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - hl2.exe -game lostcoast
Half-Life: Source - hl2.exe -game hl1

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source & Half-Life 2 Deathmatch won't load maps ("CD key authentication invalid for internet servers").

Firtasik wrote:

The latest version of Half-Life 2 can be launched without Steam. […]
Show full quote

The latest version of Half-Life 2 can be launched without Steam.

Half-Life 2 - hl2.exe
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 - hl2.exe -game episodic
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 - hl2.exe -game ep2
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - hl2.exe -game lostcoast
Half-Life: Source - hl2.exe -game hl1

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source & Half-Life 2 Deathmatch won't load maps ("CD key authentication invalid for internet servers").

That's cool. I just played about five minutes this way. Has HL2 been this way for a while, or did it happen recently?

Now, it seems as though you can "freeze" a version in time to play offline, which will safeguard against any incompatibilities in the future. Just like the old days. I don't really play multiplayer, so the Deathmatch problems aren't a loss.