A friend of mine lent me his HL2 to play through single player. Apparently its a non-steam version. Unfortunately after installing I can't seem to get it running. I'll make it past the valve and copyright screens and as soon as I hit the loading screen it stays up for about 10 seconds and crashes to my desktop.

I'm running all the latest drivers for my hardware and I've got XP Pro SP3. According to the minimum requirements, I should be able to run this game no problem.

I've done some googling and I don't seem to be the only one with this problem but I've tried most of the other solutions and none have worked. (including uninstalling/reinstalling 3 times)

Any ideas?

There's no such thing as a non-Steam HL2 that I'm aware of.

Just get the Orange Box.

A non-Steam version would be one that doesn't have the updates due to not connecting to Valve servers, no?

I think he means a pirated version, since there's no such thing as a "non-steam" version

I think he means boxed copy, not downloaded

there is... but it's not legal

now onimusha if you want HL2 legally... PM me your email address or your steam id and i can send you a copy... i still have a free copy of it through my orange box gifts

retail box still requires steam activation

^ boxed copy, I think. I don't know for sure. He burnt a CD with an install file on it, so I'm not entirely sure where it came from. It just says (non steam).


I got it running though. Just ended up trying to run as admin but ended up unchecking the security box and it runs fine.

DrkJedi i'll take you up on that in case it is a pirated version. PM sent.

my offer still stands... i also have a gust pass for The Ship if anyone is interested

What's the ship about?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/2400/ read for yourself

Hey DrkJedi thanks alot man. I owe you one.

I installed my HL2 from boxed copy with the CDs which didn't require steam, at least I don't think so (been a while.)

As to the crashing, I haven't a clue why it won't work.

All legitimate versions and copies of HL2 require Steam, even the boxed copies that were published by Vivendi.

theres like a million people out there with free HL2 copies.

Yup. Any version of HL2 that doesn't require Steam has been hacked to do so, and then uploaded into P2P land. Steam is Valve's DRM flavor of choice, you don't see their games without it.

You could get someone who owns the game legitimately to lend you their username/password, but I don't recommend sharing of usernames/passwords since inevitably someone will change the password and steal all your games (happened to a friend of mine). Fortunately for you not everyone with a Steam account feels that way.

If you want to play HL2 for free so bad, here's the free demo: http://store.steampowered.com/app/219/

You could also support all of Valve's hard work. They actually picked a system of DRM that empowers users rather than limiting them. They didn't have to do that.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/220/ - $20 (Half-Life 2)
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/469/ - $30 (HL2 + Lost Coast + Episodes + Portal + Team Fortress 2 + Bonus Minigame)
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/716/ - $35 (HL2 + Deathmatch + Episodes)
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/715/ - $50 (HL2 + Deathmatch + Episodes + HL1 + Opposing Force + Blue Shift + Team Fortress Classic)
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/1134/ - $100 (Every Valve Game. I recommend this one, easily the best value. 22 games, new and classic alike, for the price of two new games.)

[Edit: Ah, Jim7 aka DrkJedi82 aka SATAN gave you a copy, cool. Still, my recommendation for the last package there stands. There are other packages on Steam which don't include HL2 but include other Valve games... all of Valves games are good, spend a few bucks and check 'em out.]

I have a gift copy of HL2 I'm willing to give away too.

^ that package is sweet but I know my box won't run half of the valve games.

I'm suprised it runs HL2 as smoothly as it does..

considering most of the games in that package are older than HL2, I think youll do fine

Ah, I see.


Also, I am quickly learning that the crowbar is your best friend.

If anyone else wants a copy of HL2 I have an extra too. PMing me is probably best because I probably won't check this thread.

You left out the part where old HL1/HL1 expansion CD-keys will work with Steam. For example, my HL Gold key netted me every HL1 game (Including the Blue Shift that I never bought) and CS1...possibly something else too.

HL1 key gives you these... Half-Life, Opposing Force, Blue Shift, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Deathmatch Classic, Team Fortress Classic, and Ricochet

so basically all the HL1 based games except for Condition Zero

Value is very generous with their older games. I wish I had more HD space to keep more of them installed.

Since I dont own CS:S I use my friends login to play it, but he doesn't even own a computer

Surprisingly, I need a new hard drive.

Oh yeah, and that pic is out of date. Since then I have bought... Eets, Audiosurf, and Left 4 Dead. And I have the old Steam 3 UI, which looks awesome.

Wow I didn't know many of those games were even on steam.

You can add non-Steam games to your Steam game launcher.

you can view mzzt's steam games here http://steamcommunity.com/id/mzzt/games

and you'll notice the majority of that image above is non-steam games