Trouble joining servers

Jessicka

<div class="IPBDescription">Reaches "Precaching resoruces" and then it stalls</div>Hi, I just downloaded the mod yesterday and it’s a blast.

I am able to load and play on all the available servers just fine.
The problem is when there is a map change it'll go through the process of loading for the next map and then completely stop at "Precaching resources."

I've tried letting it just sit there, hoping that it would 'do its thing', but I ultimately have to Ctrl-Alt-Delete out of the game and restart it. I've left it sitting there for a good 20 mins and nothing happens. When I restart the game and rejoin the server, it works just fine... until the server changes maps.

Also, I just tried joining a server, playing around a bit and then disconnecting. I then tried to join another server and the same thing happens where I have to restart the game to play.

Basically each time I run NS, I can only join one server and play on one map before I have to restart the game to keep playing <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />

I really like this mod and would appreciate any help.

Here's my system info from steam:


Processor Information:
Vendor: GenuineIntel
Speed: 2800 Mhz
2 logical processors
1 physical processors
HyperThreading: Supported
RDTSC: Supported
CMOV: Supported
FCMOV: Supported
SSE: Supported
SSE2: Supported
3DNOW: Unsupported

Windows Version:
Windows XP (32 bit)
NTFS: Supported

Video Card:
Driver: RADEON 9600 Series Secondary (Omega 3.8.330)
DirectX Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.10.6660
DirectX Driver Version: 6.14.10.6660
Driver Date: 17 Dec 2006
Desktop Color Depth Not Detected
Monitor Refresh Rate Not Detected
DirectX Card: RADEON 9600 Series (Omega 3.8.330)
VendorID: 0x1002
DeviceID: 0x4152
Number of Monitors: 1
Number of Video Cards: 1
No SLI or Crossfire Detected
Primary Display Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Desktop Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Primary Display Size: 13.27" x 10.63" (16.97" diag)
33.7cm x 27.0cm (43.1cm diag)
Primary Display Type Not Detected
Primary Bus Type Not Detected
Primary AGP GART Not Detected
Primary VRAM: 128 MB
Primary Monitor Vendor Not Detected
Primary Monitor Model Not Detected
Supported MSAA Modes: 2x 4x 6x



Game Display Settings
Half-Life: Source Resolution: 1280 x 1024 (Windowed)
Half-Life: Source MSAA Level: 4x
Half-Life 2 Resolution: 1280 x 1024 (Windowed)
Half-Life 2 MSAA Disabled
HL2DM Resolution: 1280 x 1024 (Windowed)
HL2DM MSAA Disabled
Counter-Strike: Source Resolution: 1280 x 1024 (Windowed)
Counter-Strike: Source MSAA Level: 1x
Day of Defeat: Source Resolution: 1280 x 1024 (Windowed)
Day of Defeat: Source MSAA Level: 1x


Sound card:
Audio device: Sound Blaster Audigy

Memory:
RAM: 1535 Mb

Miscellaneous:
UI Language: English
Microphone: Not set
Media Type: DVD
Total Hard Disk Space Available: 114474 Mb
Largest Free Hard Disk Block: 11386 Mb

Comprox

I'll start off with some basic questions to try and narrow it down:

1. Do any other Half-Life mods do this for you? Have you tried any?
2. Do you have your latest sound/video drivers? I've seen a similar problem with old sound drivers which was odd.
3. When you ctrl-alt-del to close it, did it say it was not responding or not?

Sarisel

It's usually something to do with your Steam install when this happens.

Thansal

you could try <a href="http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=65&p_created=1092413043&p_sid=lZOgCYDi&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MyZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1QcmVjYWNoaW5nIHJlc29ydWNlcw**&p_li=&p_topview=1" target="_blank">This</a>

However if you are not getting the problem with other HL1 games/mods that probably isn't it.

Sarisel

Reinstall half-life and ns.

neonz

<!--quoteo(post=1633076:date=Jun 13 2007, 06:26 AM:name=Thansal)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Thansal @ Jun 13 2007, 06:26 AM) [snapback]1633076[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
you could try <a href="http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=65&p_created=1092413043&p_sid=lZOgCYDi&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MyZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1QcmVjYWNoaW5nIHJlc29ydWNlcw**&p_li=&p_topview=1" target="_blank">This</a>

However if you are not getting the problem with other HL1 games/mods that probably isn't it.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also this would be for your Half Life install <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

Jessicka

Ok, here's the update.

None of the other HL mods that i've played (Team Fortress, Zombie Panic) have had this problem.
My video card driver is up to date, but my sound card was not; updated it and the problem remains.
When I ctrl-alt-del, it says that NS is "responding"

I've also noticed something else: The game will stall at "Parsing game info" and it isn't until after I hit the windows key or bring up the task manager that it then switches to "Prechacing resources"


Over the last couple of days I've done the following.


I first un/reinstalled my video card's driver.

I updated my sound card.

I uninstalled NS, redownloaded NS from another server, and reinstalled.

I then unistalled HL and NS, removing all the content as discussed by the steam article.

I redownloaded HL through steam; opened it up and played through the training level. (It may be important
to note that i also have HL: source installed on my comp... idk)

I made sure to "verify the game's content" (Steam article) and even deleted the HL folder so it would reload the content properly.

I then installed NS (for 4th time, been trying out different combos) and it still has the problem where I can join and play on a server once, and then hangs up when i try to join another server/map.

My friend also mentioned/walked me through adjusting my page file size (was 1.5GB with 1.5GB of RAM, i increased it to 3GB), but the problem still persists.


So, that's what i've been up to. I'm really enjoying NS, I just wish I didn't have to restart the game so often.

Thanks for the support, please keep it coming <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Sarisel

Out of curiosity, try to go to windows while you're in-game and open task manager (ctrl-alt-delete, the usual), then set Steam.exe priority to above normal or high and see if it changes anything at all. It's surely something to do with Steam.exe, since that is what determines the precaching - something in it is glitching in conflict with your PC's setup.

Also, it could be something to do with where you are installing Steam - it could be on a bad sector of your hard-disk. If you can install it on a different partition or different hard-drive, try that.

neonz

Reinstall Steam i.e. uninstall and install

Jessicka

just reinstalled steam... it still deoes the exact same thing :/

*edit* I just removed everything and did a defrag; reinstalled it all and it yet again I can only join on server for one map b4 i have to restart NS ><

Alurcard2

This happens to me as well, but only every now and then. Also, brining down the console and typing retry usually fixes it.