Audio Problems with HL2

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josh7485 said:
Well first off I got a DX8 videocard and I have the problem so to the guy who thinks its DX9 VDs your wrong.

Second, using your harddrive as Vram WILL NOT WORK DO NOT EVEN TRY IT, well you can if you want, but its a waste of time. WHY wont this work? Because your RAM on your computer is a BILLION times faster then your harddrive so by haveing your CPU access this from your HD you MIGHT (not sure) make it even worse! but anyway I dont think your CPU uses HD Vram till its out of the good stuff anyway so itll most likely do nothing!
Click to expand...
Josh, you're seriously confused. Are you a Macintosh user by any chance? A RAM drive does exactly the opposite of what you've described: it actually assigns a drive letter to a section of your physical memory. Any file you've copied to your RAM drive loads as quickly as it would from the physical memory that's left over.
 
Well I was going to test things, but evidently Halflife 2 needs to be validated for the 35th time. Cause, you know.... Offline mode is ready. Steam is the biggest pile of shit ever.
 
Well now I can't walk forward. No matter what I do I can't walk forward. I've remapped the keys, even tried a joystick. Nothing. Thanks Valve for your ****ing amazing product. I officially give up. I had hope for about half an hour and then this happens.
No way am I spending another 3 hours installing and autheticating again for some small chance that what I'm trying to do might pay off.
 
Registered to support everyone and get valve off their but.

I have an a64 3200+, 6800GT, audigy. I get the same problem as everyone else. Used the tweaks from the first 10 pages and 90%gone. I still can't play at the settings i want to but substantially better.

Still, not good enough valve. Please fix it.
 
Do people who have this problem still have stuttering while playing in offline mode?
 
shinrai said:
How do you make -autosave "0"- permanent?
Click to expand...
The option you're looking for is sv_autosave "0". And it doesn't disable in-game autosaves.

To permanently disable autosaves I believe you have to make the following files in \half-life 2\hl2\SAVE read-only.

autosave.sav
autosave.tga
autosave01.sav
autosave01.tg
 
At a guess, the autosave 0/1 works like this:

The game chugs along with autosave set to 0 until it gets to a point in the game where it needs to autosave and it sets the autosave cvar to 1 then saves the point, then back to 0. autosave 1 just makes it autosave?

I'm probably wrong...
 
Aidenn said:
I didn't write this as a solution because I wasn't experiencing any stuttering before, only a wee tiny bit on autosaves and at the beginning of each level, and this was on a pretty messed up desktop with firewall and antivirus software enabled. Simply defragging made it even better if not perfect.
Thus I believe, that the stuttering is not caused by imperfections and slowness of your hard disk, RAM or processor. Maybe Valve are unable to recreate the problem in their office because it only exists within certain copies distributed by Steam? (and their copies are probably offline-only ones, like those given to the press)

My file sizes are as follows:

half-life 2 content.gcf - 879 344 156 bytes
source engine.gcf - 68 960 228 bytes
source materials.gcf - 1 083 560 476 bytes
source models.gcf - 471 097 048 bytes
source sounds.gcf - 1 022 930 344 bytes
Click to expand...

My problem is'nt stuttering but lock up in beginning of HL2 (usually lock ups after pressing new game) and CS (lock up before first loading screen even)

My differences:
Source materials.gfc - 1*083*559*104 bytes
source models.gfc - 471*094*324 bytes
source sounds.gfc - 1*022*935*072 bytes

Going download em all again and test....one more time to see if i get same file sizes.
 
Should I use driver cleaner when updating my audio drivers? I haven't been because I was afraid it would get rid of all my eax/mixer software etc...when all I'm doing is updating drivers.
 
OK guys....I started a new game, because I was waiting for a patch after only playing one hour and I turned off smooth mouse and guess what, right now it only stutters at autosave points..try it out..for some odd reason this worked for me..
 
the poster who asked if it also happens in OFFLINE mode - YES it does (I have only ever played in offline mode apart from the first play) it happened the 5 times I have run it...
 
ShivaX said:
Well now I can't walk forward. No matter what I do I can't walk forward. I've remapped the keys, even tried a joystick. Nothing. Thanks Valve for your ****ing amazing product. I officially give up. I had hope for about half an hour and then this happens.
No way am I spending another 3 hours installing and autheticating again for some small chance that what I'm trying to do might pay off.
Click to expand...

I just had the exact same problem, and restarting the game hasn't helped. I've checked the key bindings in the .cfg file, and w is bound to +forward. ShivaX, have you managed to fix this problem?
 
appoooh said:
Josh, you're seriously confused. Are you a Macintosh user by any chance? A RAM drive does exactly the opposite of what you've described: it actually assigns a drive letter to a section of your physical memory. Any file you've copied to your RAM drive loads as quickly as it would from the physical memory that's left over.
Click to expand...

Umm??? First off I'm A+ Certified so I think I know a thing or two about computers and all I heard in the previous threads is the idea of using the HD as extra ram??? Maybe I read it wrong, but I KNOW that if you use your HD as ram it WILL NOT PERFORM NEARLY as fast as your regular ram.
 
I have the same problem too. Damn audio stuttering. I have an Audigy 2 sound card & 1 Gig of RAM. There should be absolutely no problem with preloading the sounds and textures. Doom 3 runs fine at the same settings. But then again, Doom was made by iD, and this is Valve.

Hmm... with this being so widespread it is "surprising" that none of the reviews mentioned this bug.
 
A RAM drive does exactly the opposite of what you've described: it actually assigns a drive letter to a section of your physical memory. Any file you've copied to your RAM drive loads as quickly as it would from the physical memory that's left over.
Click to expand...

josh7485 said:
Umm??? First off I'm A+ Certified so I think I know a thing or two about computers and all I heard in the previous threads is the idea of using the HD as extra ram??? Maybe I read it wrong, but I KNOW that if you use your HD as ram it WILL NOT PERFORM NEARLY as fast as your regular ram.
Click to expand...

A ram drive is not using a HD as RAM... it's making a virtual drive out of RAM.
For more technical info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM_drive
 
Stalk3r said:
it works!!

Yes! I've fiannly completly got rid of stuttering in game. there a second stutter just as the loaded game start and than ir rock solid and smooth.

here my autoexec.cfg


cl_forcepreload "1"
sv_forcepreload "1"
cl_smooth "0"
snd_mixahead "0.5"
mod_forcedata 1
snd_async_spew_blocking 1
Click to expand...

where is autoexec.cfg, and if it's in the gcf files, how do i open those?
 
Okay.... I tried IGN's Optimization Guide (except defragging) in order to get it to run faster, and then I put all the settings to their lowest, INCLUDING 640x480 resolution.

I started a new game and although the stuttering was signficantly reduced, I still got the stuttering about every 5-7 seconds of voice (even when G-man was the only thing there).

I have 2.68 Ghz, 1.28 MB RAM and a RADEON 9600 PRO... Which Half-Life 2 was supposed to work WELL on (well, the SE, but that's "less powerful" than the PRO) and I'm still getting stuttering on settings significantly lower than the "reccommended"?

In CS:S I got an average of 62 fps on the stress test... So I should be FINE, right? Well, I was talking with someone I work with at our gaming site and it turns out that Doom 3 does something similar, even with good FPS.

So yeah, I don't know. :(
 
where is autoexec.cfg, and if it's in the gcf files, how do i open those?
Click to expand...
You must create one yourself in your cfg folder.

This can be found:
X:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\AccountName\half-life 2\hl2\cfg\

Go to that folder.
Create a new text document in notepad.
Copy and Paste the values from that quote.
Click save as.
In the file name box, type "autoexec.cfg" WITH the inverted commas.

The end.
 
I'm having a similar problem (if not the same). I can start the game and get into the initial intro, but you can't really hear anything that's being said because of the audio studdering. When it comes time to actually move the character around, I get shelled to XP, and an error that my GPU has been reset because commands were not being sent to it.

I have the following:

P4 3.0E
1GB PC3200 Crucial Memory
Radeon 9600SE
2 SATA HDD, RAID 0, 64k Cluster
The AC97 SoundMax job built into the Asus P4P800SE
(note: I installed an older SB Live, but no difference)

I have Doom 3 and FarCry, and run both on max settings without any problems. I've been trying suggested solutions for the last 4 hours, and can only think of one thing: 1) maybe Valve and Sierra should have waited ANOTHER year before releasing this game.

Oh well, since you can only get support until 16:00, I guess I'm on my own. I noticed the support number isn't toll free. The only saving grace is that they charge people in France by the minute. :p
 
"O-o-o-o-o its d-d-d-d-d octor freeman ... hurry, get into-o-o-o-o the bas-s-s-s-s-semen-t-t-t-t"

In one of the driving levels i stuttered so badly i had to reload teh level several time because the game stuttered so much i suddely found myself in the ocean, on a cliff, upside down or dead.

Im running a midrange computer: Athlon XP 3000+
512 mb ram 3200@400 FSB
Onboard nForce2 audiocard.
ATI 9500 pro 128.

Its above recommended specs so dont come with the "your system sux" bull :) It would run the game fine if this bug was out of the game.
 
valve1.jpg
 
appoooh said:
Windows is the pits but you can normally accomplish what you want using 3rd party utilities.

1. Download Winbolic Link 1.0
http://www.tucows.com/preview/343105.html

2. Work out from what directory the sound files are being loaded. I haven't investigated this, but half-life 2\hl2\maps\soundcache looks promising - and it's only 151 MB.

3. Copy this directory to your RAM drive. Rename the original soundcache folder. Create a link in half-life 2\hl2\maps called soundcache that points to the soundcache directory on you RAM drive.

Load Half Life 2 and enjoy stutter free gameplay. (Untested)
Click to expand...

I doubt this will work... but its worth a shot, maybe if i feel th eurge to create a virtual disc i might try it. But the problem is that the game tries to load the soundfiles in complete sync wiith what you see on the screen. Normally not a problem in other games, but source seems to run differently and is working teh drive hard to run these sound files ... i have no idea whats going on, im no computer guru.. but source does something no other game i have does.

... i have no clue.

EDIT: I have noticed something strange though.. when you fire a gun the game stutters, when you open a door, look too a new area, switch weapons and so forth, it loads the audio and the game stutters, it already has the graphics there so it tries to have everything in sync, thats where the stutter comes in, it syncs up everything, but the trange thing is that when you use the async command it does the same!

So... if you reload the level from a quicksave it should have the audio in ram right? Am i understanding? But even if you quickload the game loads the soundfiles from the harddrive AGAIN! One would think that when the game uses ram and you quickload the soundfiles doesnt need to be cached again, but it does ragardlessly, again and again, stutter stutter stutter. I have played from the beginning of a level, quickloaded over and over again but the game stutters no matter what, and on simple things like switching weapons!
 
I noticed something interesting when I was fooling around with this problem. I tried copying the mss32.dll file for the Miles Sound System from the Miles Sound System tools folder that I installed over to the bin directory in the half-life 2 directory. What's odd is that, upon starting the game, it somehow detects this change and overwrites it with the old file (I guess that's what it's doing when it says "Preparing to play Half-Life 2"). Apologies if this has already been posted.
 
Turning CMSS off might do the trick

Yesterday I have seen a post where someone told us his copy of HL2 runs smoothly. He (or she) gave his system specs and (this is the interresting part) stated that CMSS was turned off. Now, as this is clearly a sound problem everybody is encountering (including me) I tried to see if things would better when CMSS was turned off. AND IT DID GET BETTER. :bounce:

No more long loadings, no more stuttering when entering a new room or making a new sound in a new part of the game or whatever. It works crisp clear now.

So maybe this is a sollution for every audigy owner that has CMSS turned on. For all the others that got a different soendcard, maybe there is an option such as CMSS for their card as well. I donno off course, but it's worth the try isn't it?

Hope a real solution is found soon or Valve gives us a patch soon.
Meanwhile be --> :smoking:
 
- Tried disabling Fast Writes on my 6800 - did nothing.
- Tried reinstalling HL2 and it just went back to being terrible... it's obvious how much some of these tweaks are helping to improve it. Man it was worse than I remembered.
 
efilflah said:
You must create one yourself in your cfg folder.

This can be found:
X:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\AccountName\half-life 2\hl2\cfg\

Go to that folder.
Create a new text document in notepad.
Copy and Paste the values from that quote.
Click save as.
In the file name box, type "autoexec.cfg" WITH the inverted commas.

The end.
Click to expand...

actually, i should have updated, i did a search and found the autoexec.cfg in a cstrike/valve folder in steam. i did the changes, and well the stuttering isn't gone(was never too huge a problem), but i was getting a crash every time the first gunship appeared, and THAT at least is fixed. so i can continue my gaming pleasure :)
 
Eric said:
I'm having a similar problem (if not the same). I can start the game and get into the initial intro, but you can't really hear anything that's being said because of the audio studdering. When it comes time to actually move the character around, I get shelled to XP, and an error that my GPU has been reset because commands were not being sent to it.

I have the following:

P4 3.0E
1GB PC3200 Crucial Memory
Radeon 9600SE
2 SATA HDD, RAID 0, 64k Cluster
The AC97 SoundMax job built into the Asus P4P800SE
(note: I installed an older SB Live, but no difference)

I have Doom 3 and FarCry, and run both on max settings without any problems. I've been trying suggested solutions for the last 4 hours, and can only think of one thing: 1) maybe Valve and Sierra should have waited ANOTHER year before releasing this game.

Oh well, since you can only get support until 16:00, I guess I'm on my own. I noticed the support number isn't toll free. The only saving grace is that they charge people in France by the minute. :p
Click to expand...

Good news -- I configured the autoexec.cfg as mentioned in the earlier post and the game is definitely playable. The speech in the intro still studders some, and makes a bit of a popping noise, but the game plays good after that. I am getting no sound or video studdering whatsoever after getting through the intro.

As it turns out, I've almost already forgotten about the 4 hours I spent trying to get it to run; this game is remarkably cool.

Hope everyone else is able to get it to work properly.
 
One more to add to the frey

System Specs:

AMD Athelon XP 3200
1GB PC3200 RAM
biostar m7ncd ultra
nforce2 sound (Also have a TB Santa Cruz- but not installed)
gefoce fx5900xt
Latest drivers on everything

The game is *very* playable on both high and medium settings- though I am getting a slight stutter when new items (graphics / sounds) are loaded into the game. (sounds very similar to others on the thread) Read the whole bloody thing- back to playing- just adding another voice to help convince Valve that there is an issue here. Doom 3 has no issues (other than not even beginning to be as sweet of a game as hl2/ )

Re: Complaints on the thread- This is easy for me to say, as the game is quite playable for be, just a few annoying pops / stutters that should be taken care of in a patch- but this game is a masterpiece- and frankly seems to have far fewer issues than most newly released titles- Valve will get it taken care of- in a few weeks we will all be chatting about finishing the game- building mods/ multiplayer maps, et all. The ongoing community has been what caused hl1 to be such a popular game over the years- and I am sure hl2 will be the same.

Brad
 
Turning off CMSS

Go to your EAX console by doubleclicking the sound icon in the taskbar (next to the hour-notation). then find the icon for EAX at the bottom (should be a speaker icon) and click on it. Next go to CMSS tab and deselect the use CMSS option. That's it.

You can always look up your manual otherwise. :D

Good luck with the game.
 
It's not a sound problem.

(add -nosound 1 to your command line, play with no sound, surprise, it still locks up/stutters)
 
How is EAX even involved with this game? I'm a bit confused by that.
 
Alright guys, I have found a possible fix. At leat it worked for me. I have 1gb corsair ram. In the bios I changed my agp aperature size down to 128 from 256 mb. The aperature uses memory addresses and the apparent stuttering is caused by lack of addresses. I also turned down by heapsize to 450000 insted of 512000. I have a 5700 fx ultra vid card btw.

Synopsis:
1. Do all the autoexec commands (cl_smooth, etc.)
2. Turn down your aperature size in the bios from whatever it is
3. (if necessary) turn down your heapsize a little
4. Still have issues? Make sure your ram latency times are optimized
For help with that go to www.tweaktown.com

Note-I am now playing with an audigy zs2 card with eax, cmss, and the sound quality on high with no interrupts of gameplay.
 
same problem here. just played for an hour and i get both the autosave stuttering followed by some strange sound looping. check out my system specs, it isn't hardware related.

fx-55@2881
1gb ram
wd 74gb raptor
nvidia 6800 ultra 450/1200
audigy 2

i am bummed. the game is basically unplayable right now. the constant pauses freakin suck.

max
 
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