Half-Life 2 randomly crashes.

[Bramstein]

I have no idea why this is occurring. While playing, my game crashes at random intervals. It usually occurs after a good amount of playtime--on average, I crash about 15-20 minutes into a session. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in these crashes, though I have noticed that the latest section is most troublesome (the section in the wastewater, right after the guy says "looks nasty in there, good thing you've got that suit on!")


The culprit may be Windows 7 64-bit. I've already reinstalled my graphics card drivers twice and reinstalled HL2 once, as well as verified my game files.

I have all the minidumps that HL2 created, I just have no idea how to read them or what to even do if I could. Help please.

Computer specs:
- Windows 7 64-bit on SSD
- Steam + HL2 on HDD (dunno if this matters)
- ATI 4890 1GB
- 4GB RAM
- Intel Pentium Dual-Core E6500 Processor 2.9 GHz

[gorpie]

Does anything happen when it crashes? Sound looping or anything?

You could verify the game cache files in your Steam games list.

You could try lowering your DX level (see this article (https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1216-JMTZ-0860#force)). I don't know if that's going to do anything, though, since it runs fine before it crashes...

Might your firewall be causing this for some reason?

[Bramstein]

My sound loops and the game freezes. Then, there's two possible outcomes from there:

- I see checkerboards, then my display drivers restart and I can play the game as if nothing happened.
- The sound keeps looping forever and I have to close hl2.exe from the Task Manager.

And yeah, I've verified my game files countless times, as well as reinstalled the game yet again. I don't know what to do.

[gorpie]

Maybe update the drivers for your sound card? Check this article (https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6416-EYDH-0477) if you need help with that.

[Bramstein]

Hmm, I didn't think to update my sound drivers...maybe I'll try that.

[ThatoneJeff]

Hmm, I didn't think to update my sound drivers...maybe I'll try that.

Drivers Drivers Drivers!
Nothing can make a game perform better (unless you get new hardware. than the latest video drivers. )


Off Topic:
Is a 64-bit computer expensive?
Ive been thinking about getting one for maximum performance.
And are they really that faster than 32-bit?

[DinoThrasher]

I thought the 64-bit installation discs were the same price as 32-bit installation discs.

http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Windows-7-Home-Premium/product/7ADA0BF6

If you scroll down through the details it clearly states that both versions of the software are included.

[gorpie]

Hmm, I didn't think to update my sound drivers...maybe I'll try that.

Yeah, it's not the first thing that comes to mind... :)

[seseorang]

Many computers are 64bit capable now. The older ones won't be as good as the more recent ones.
Any computer you buy will 99% be likely to be 64bit capable, it's down to the operating system you install on it. If it's a 32bit version, it will refuse to run anything 64bit.

Some say that 32bit is better than 64bit, this is because many developers design with 32bit in mind and don't really bother with 64bit, so 32bit is very fine tuned. It's all about sales, as long as there are 32bit operating systems, ie Vista and Seven, then many developers may refuse or be unwilling to develop solely for 64bit as they could lose potential sales.

But many people have 64bit capable computers now, they just choose to use 32bit as their friends tell them to, or they don't understand it fully. I don't think Microsoft should have even released Windows Seven in 32bit, Vista should take that one. Some versions of Windows Seven will be useless in the next couple years as they are the cheaper end of the scale and have limits imposed on them. I'm not sure if they can be "upgraded" by buying a new key for a newer version.