Offline explained:

[CR0M]

...or if it doesn't run on your system. Which in a lot of cases, it doesn't.

DARTH_DJ, did you get it to run in the end?

 

[Darth_DJ]

DARTH_DJ, did you get it to run in the end?

I'm wayting for my copy of HL2 [legal of course]. I think they will send it to me today...so I'm sitting, reading posts and wayting It's now 09 am of Polish time, I think I'll have it about 11 am if not.... :sniper:

 

[Darth_DJ]

I'm wayting for my copy of HL2 [legal of course]. I think they will send it to me today...so I'm sitting, reading posts and wayting It's now 09 am of Polish time, I think I'll have it about 11 am if not.... :sniper:

EDIT:
Everything is OK now. After about 2 hours of instaling, registering, unlocking etc. I was running whith the crowbar What can I say? HL2 is the best shooter I ever played. Nothing more, nothing less. Grate job Valve :thumbs: Unfortunately I don't have Gravity Gun yet so I can't "play whith the physics"

 

[CR0M]

great news. the ball really starts to roll after the first coupla chapters, the grav gun is only a part of it

 

[wassup]

Yeah i've been playing offline since the day it came out but on three different instances when i clicked play ofline when loading steam it gave me a can not connect warning and i had to go online to play. then after that ofline worked again (i think i needed to reboot).

 

[JImbo_152]

WOW....I see a lot of people have off-line difficulties. Mine worked fine off-line after the 2-3 hour auth. and cd registry nightmare, but last night I try to download the upgrade that I read about here. So after it's upgraded it won't work off-line anymore. So I go on-line and it updates again and I decide to play online instead of waste any more of my valuble HL2 time. Hopefully it will work fine off-line tonight, but I agree with the above thoughts that it iis just a bit much to registar a game. I don't mind paying the money for a game but I just ask the it installs and plays relieably.

 

[confused]

Just wondering if anyone has just called the tech support phone number during the open hours to fix the offline problem? Yes I know its not toll free but I'm willing to give it a try on Monday just so I can speck to a LIVE person who can walk me through the steps.

I do appreciate all the help and solutions that have been given here but its still not working for me.

So has anybody called??

 

[CR0M]

sorry dood, I can't ring them from work and nobody bothers to reply to my emails, either directed to steam support or valve themselves. If anyone gets any feedback on this ongoing problem I would also be interested to know what's going on.

 

[Erman]

Finally HL2 has been released!! 5:30pm,,ran out and Bought the game, realized i needed an internet connection "After" opening package. (never read the requirements because I have a high-end machine for gaming). Best Buy ,says no return if package has been opened,, called and explained to no avail,,Great!! Now I own this puppy!!
Hoped to use my older PC used for the internet for authentication... Called Sierra tech support they said "No-way!" (which I found out later,,,turned out to be false)., ran out to buy 56K modem for my Gaming PC,,damn!! cheap ones are all sold out, and it's late,,,,Have to take the modem out of my Older PC,, Ok,,, installed,drivers loaded, configured, setup dialup info,, finally got on the net.
Now I connect to Stream via clicking on the HL2 icon, (running Updates) waiting, waiting, waiting,,, 3 hours go by, still waiting for verification, ah!! almost 4 hours later, I'm IN!!! now to play,, uhoh!!! got a "Fatal Error" message?? On NO!! why?, I wonder,,
OK, time to reboot I guess,, OK, here we go again, connected to internet, click on game,, Whew!! i'm in this time,,and no fatal error,, OK,,game starts, time to get my "Gaming only" machine off the net,,before something else weird happens,,shut down connection. unplug phone line,,take out modem, reinstall in older PC, Ok, I'm back on the net on that one again.
I'm a bit tired and got the munchies,,now, save game,, take a break, come back,, restart game,,,Damn! it's trying to connect to server,,Oh well! I'll click on the "offline mode" button,, damn!! It says can't be played without connecting to Steam again,
Oh NO!! I gotta do all that again?? Now I'm seriously cussing Steam, Valve, and whoever else made the stupid decision to authenticate this way. Well, I'll try to get the bitterness out of my mood,, so I can enjoy my offline experience. OK! I tell myself,, I can handle this,, Here we go again.
Go through all of the above to get game playing again,, shut down game go back to web-site to get more info on offline playing,,Yep!!
I did exactly what they (Steam) told me.
Well, I'll try again,, Oops! roommate wants to use phone,, Damn!! more waiting,,,, OK, got the phone line back,,and in the game again,, OK I quit steam, disconnect from server,, and just to be sure , shut down HL2,, reboot PC,,click on Icon to play,, first message, "trying to connect",,, Damn!!! OK, now I get the choice of "retrying or offline mode" click on offline,,, "Game can't be played without connection",,,WOW!! I sure enjoyed my HL2 experience so far,,That's It!! it's 3am by now,,,,I'm going to bed,,, Good Night!!

 

[CR0M]

That's pretty much how it worked for me too Erman (only with less commas) before I figured out you not only have to authenticate but also have to wait until Steam VERIFIES your authentication and gives you a message saying it has done just that before you can play offline. This took 2 days for me.
Bear in mind that there are also a lot of people saying that even after verification Steam won't let them play offline, so don't get your hopes up...

just cross your fingers.

 

[barnybalster]

major problem

Has anyone else had this problem? Buy a copy from a store ( wall-mart) load all the disks, connect to steam and go through the process, then after entering the C D Key....it tells you that someone else has regestered your C D Key number ? Now what the he// am I suoopsed to do....I have followed the instructions about sending a copy of receipt and C D Key and disk photos. But how long is one supposed to wait for a reply....Boy does this suck, spend 60 bucks for a game and not be able to do a dam thing with it....Valve should have made 2 versions One for one line use and one just for off line only.. I can;t return the game cause I opened it, and I already have enough coasters around my confuser...Boy if I could get face to face with someone from Valve I would BITCH SLAP them into tomorrow for putting out such a messed up P O S... If anyone has a solution to this Major Problem Please help....Thanks

 

[confused]

What a difference a day makes....

Ok, I read everyone of these post....and cause of you great people I have been able to play this great game (up tp Highway 17) but this morning I went to play it says Operation can not be completed while Steam is offline" Now everyday I boot up I would get the Steam message Internet not BLAH BALH, retry or play offline mode (which I choose) and the click on thee game Icon. Bingo, Im playing but NOT TODAY!!! What could have happened?? What could I have possibly done. Please help. Not sure whats worse,,,buying the game and never being able to play or play half way thru and never finish!!! Btw, I checked on:

Status: ready to play
Amount: 100%
Offline: Ready

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[CR0M]

Try logging in online once and see what happens. If Steam feels the need to connect, humour it. Maybe then you can quit again to play offline. Stranger things have happened...

edit - reading back, maybe i misunderstood you - do you not have an internet connection or are you saying STEAM just won't connect even though tha intarweb thingy is fine?

 

[confused]

Actually, I have dial-up so when I first bootup it knows there no internet connection and gives me the option to retry or play offline mode Which I have in the past inorder play offline. Its alway worked till the other day.

I will try your suggestion and see what happens, but to tell you the truth I think I tried that already. If it doesn't work I post another whiney plea for help.....thanks!

 

[confused]

Try logging in online once and see what happens. If Steam feels the need to connect, humour it. Maybe then you can quit again to play offline. Stranger things have happened...

QUOTE]

Who DA MAN?.....CROM DA MAN!!!!!! Thanks, it WORKED!!
Still not sure how it happened but who cares....you ROCK!!

 

[CR0M]

Who DA MAN?.....CROM DA MAN!!!!!! Thanks, it WORKED!!
Still not sure how it happened but who cares....you ROCK!!

 

[lister]

B4 the patch came out i could play in offline mode but i have just updated HL2 so it can play without the CD and now i cant play in offline mode. i get the error.. "Steam cannot play in offline mode"

WTF?

 

[WarthogSpudGun]

OK I am about to give up. I've read through the whole thread and am still confused. I have installed the game, setup steam account but now when I dclick to play, steam activates and then reports "Updating HL2" right now it reports I have over 3000 minutes to go! What am I doing wrong, Yes I know I am on dial up but evenso Doom 3 looking good right now!

 

[CR0M]

Short of recommending closing Steam and then re-connecting at a slacker time, multiple times, until it does something, I can't really help.

Since the last patch I've noticed a few having the exact same problem - unable to continue playing offline because Steam needs to connect to the web, maybe because it's part downloaded something and needs to finish it. Though how this is possible if you have been playing offline is a mystery to me.

Keep trying over and over, success is sometimes dependant on user traffic. Which means do it while America is asleep.

 

[WarthogSpudGun]

Help Needed with general install

Crom you seem to be offering alot of help. I have successfully setup Steam account but when I go click on HL2 icon I get a message saying that the HL2 updating but often reports betwen 2000 and 3000 minutes to go. Yes I am dial up but this on line certification is protection gone mad. Any ideas??

 

[we11er]

If it's going that slowly it must be some sort of packet shaping/firewall on your ISP's server, slowing it all down. It shouldn't take that long.

 

[CR0M]

aye, could be.

WarthogSpudGun, if your connection speed is not retardedly slow all the time anyway, I can't really help much in this case beyond suggesting to keep trying

Interesting to know who your ISP is nevertheless...

 

[WarthogSpudGun]

Crom

ISP is Virgin, average speed 30 KBS when checking on monitor sometimes upto 50kbs. I just wonder whether I'm stick in some sort of install loop? Am I following the install process correctly? Create steam account, steam account updates, HL2 files update? Is this broadly it. I know you're all fed up going over this but I haven't even wacked 1 baddy yet :cheers:

 

[CR0M]

I know it's frustrating and you have my sympathy. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of an apparently buggy launcher platform, which itself is hampered by the limitations of a net connection.

Sorry dood, as I can't condone the downloading of a cracked version that has been tried and tested and proven to run smoothly and bug free without Steam... ( :angel: )
all I can suggest is to keep trying.