Master.America
Premium Member
BattleForums Steam FAQ
I. Steam Setup
1. Q: Does Steam cost money?
A: No.
2. Q: Does Steam require a CD key?
A: Yes. It uses any valid Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Blue Shift, or Day of Defeat CD key.
3. Q: My CD-Key doesn't work.
A: It's not a valid CD key. This means that the key was created by a CD-key generator, is not a true Half-Life CD key, or has been stolen. If any of these are true, then you will need to get a new CD key. Oh yeah, make sure you entered it correctly.
4. Q: I lost my CD case so I can't find my CD key. Can I get it back?
A: Yes, assuming you have previously installed Half-Life/Counter-Strike. Finding your CD key is simple:
- Click RUN in your Start Menu.
- Type in REGEDIT and hit ENTER.
- Open the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Valve > Half-Life/Counter-Strike > Settings folder.
- Find the entry called "key", double-click it, and copy it down.
5. Q: How do I install a Half-Life mod?
A: SImply install the mod as you normally would, except change the installation directory from the Sierra\Half-Life folder to the \SteamApps\user@email\Half-Life folder. Once installation is complete, restart Steam and the mod should show up under Third Party Mods.
II. In-game Issues
1. Q: My weapons are left-handed even though I defined them as right-handed in the Options menu.
A: Open Console and enter cl_righthand 1. Also ensure that your models folder (particularly the weapons in the folder) is empty; any pre-1.6 models are switched and will override the default models if they exist in your models folder. If you have your game set to software mode, then you are forced to use lefthand.
2. Q: Steam's server list is always empty. Where is everyone?
A: Everyone's there. These steps should fix the problem:
- Close Steam.
- Delete masterservers.vdf and serverbrowser.vdf in the \Steam\config directory.
- Launch Steam.
If this doesn't solve the problem and you use a router or a firewall, you may need to open ports for the router or firewall. (I'm not sure which ports need to be opened for Half-Life... if anyone knows, please send me a PM)
III. Graphical Issues
1. Q: Why is my framerate in CS 1.6 so much lower than it was in CS 1.5?
A: For some reason, Steam likes to use the wrong opengl file to run Counter-Strike. Follow these steps to fix this problem:
- Open your Windows\System32 directory and search for the following file (based on your hardware):
- Nvidia-based card: nvoglnt.dll
- ATI-based card: atioglxx.dll
- Any other card: opengl.dll
- Copy this file (DO NOT remove it) into your \Steam\SteamApps\user@email\Counter-Strike\gldrv folder
- Edit the drvmap.txt file as follows:
Default Default
gldrv/(YOUR FILE).dll OpenGL Driver
This should make your FPS just about equivalent to the FPS you had in 1.5, assuming you hadn't tweaked the game's configuration for performance.
2. Q: The rain makes de_aztec lag horribly. Is it possible to turn off the rain?
A: Yes. Type cl_weather 0 in console to disable weather.
3. Q: I have a great graphics card, but my game still lags or my game crashes upon launch or everything just looks screwed up.
A: The game is probably launching using a bad rendering mode. In almost all cases, OpenGL is the best rendering mode. If you can reach your Options menu in-game, you can change it in the Video settings. If not, follow these instructions:
- Open Steam's Games menu.
- Right-Click Counter-Strike and click Properties.
- Click Launch Options, type in -gl and hit enter.
If this FAQ doesn't help you, send a private message to KillerMe or myself.
I. Steam Setup
1. Q: Does Steam cost money?
A: No.
2. Q: Does Steam require a CD key?
A: Yes. It uses any valid Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Blue Shift, or Day of Defeat CD key.
3. Q: My CD-Key doesn't work.
A: It's not a valid CD key. This means that the key was created by a CD-key generator, is not a true Half-Life CD key, or has been stolen. If any of these are true, then you will need to get a new CD key. Oh yeah, make sure you entered it correctly.
4. Q: I lost my CD case so I can't find my CD key. Can I get it back?
A: Yes, assuming you have previously installed Half-Life/Counter-Strike. Finding your CD key is simple:
- Click RUN in your Start Menu.
- Type in REGEDIT and hit ENTER.
- Open the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Valve > Half-Life/Counter-Strike > Settings folder.
- Find the entry called "key", double-click it, and copy it down.
5. Q: How do I install a Half-Life mod?
A: SImply install the mod as you normally would, except change the installation directory from the Sierra\Half-Life folder to the \SteamApps\user@email\Half-Life folder. Once installation is complete, restart Steam and the mod should show up under Third Party Mods.
II. In-game Issues
1. Q: My weapons are left-handed even though I defined them as right-handed in the Options menu.
A: Open Console and enter cl_righthand 1. Also ensure that your models folder (particularly the weapons in the folder) is empty; any pre-1.6 models are switched and will override the default models if they exist in your models folder. If you have your game set to software mode, then you are forced to use lefthand.
2. Q: Steam's server list is always empty. Where is everyone?
A: Everyone's there. These steps should fix the problem:
- Close Steam.
- Delete masterservers.vdf and serverbrowser.vdf in the \Steam\config directory.
- Launch Steam.
If this doesn't solve the problem and you use a router or a firewall, you may need to open ports for the router or firewall. (I'm not sure which ports need to be opened for Half-Life... if anyone knows, please send me a PM)
III. Graphical Issues
1. Q: Why is my framerate in CS 1.6 so much lower than it was in CS 1.5?
A: For some reason, Steam likes to use the wrong opengl file to run Counter-Strike. Follow these steps to fix this problem:
- Open your Windows\System32 directory and search for the following file (based on your hardware):
- Nvidia-based card: nvoglnt.dll
- ATI-based card: atioglxx.dll
- Any other card: opengl.dll
- Copy this file (DO NOT remove it) into your \Steam\SteamApps\user@email\Counter-Strike\gldrv folder
- Edit the drvmap.txt file as follows:
Default Default
gldrv/(YOUR FILE).dll OpenGL Driver
This should make your FPS just about equivalent to the FPS you had in 1.5, assuming you hadn't tweaked the game's configuration for performance.
2. Q: The rain makes de_aztec lag horribly. Is it possible to turn off the rain?
A: Yes. Type cl_weather 0 in console to disable weather.
3. Q: I have a great graphics card, but my game still lags or my game crashes upon launch or everything just looks screwed up.
A: The game is probably launching using a bad rendering mode. In almost all cases, OpenGL is the best rendering mode. If you can reach your Options menu in-game, you can change it in the Video settings. If not, follow these instructions:
- Open Steam's Games menu.
- Right-Click Counter-Strike and click Properties.
- Click Launch Options, type in -gl and hit enter.
If this FAQ doesn't help you, send a private message to KillerMe or myself.