Problem with HL2 and SP2

[ferdinand_swei7f]

I have a laptop at the very bottom end of HL2 requirements running XP. Before Service Pack 2 was installed HL2 would run fine with only very occasional minor lagging (e.g. the vehicle sections). Now that Service Pack 2 has been installed (and i can't get rid of the freaking thing) HL2 tells me that my video card is unsupported, and lags so much it is unplayable. i have tried putting all settings on lowest, but it has made no difference. i have an Acer 270 with 256 ram, 1.8 Gighz pentium 4, and an SiS 650 vid card (16 megs). Please help work this out if you can.... Please.... I like Half-Life 2 and want to finish it...

 

[J_Tweedy]

Shit, i cant believe you are even running it on that! You could reinstall windows/ format, then not update to SP2, but make sure you back up your saved games or you'll lose em.

 

[ferdinand_swei7f]

i hate SP2

I'd rather not get rid of it, but if its the only way, how?

:sniper: SP2
=
Dead SP2:naughty:

 

[Ikerous]

I'd rather not get rid of it, but if its the only way, how?

Google it...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875350
http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips624.html

 

[ferdinand_swei7f]

thanx, you're a hero

 

[sinkoman]

I would make a firm bet that before you upgraded to SP2, you were running DirectX 8.1, and then with the upgrade to SP2 came DirectX 9. That would explain why you could run the thing on your pc.

To make the game run in DX8.1, go to steam>play games and right click on Half Life 2. Select Properties and then click Launch Options. In the little text entry box, type "-dxlevel 81". That'll force the game to run in DX8.1.

That would explain why you were able to run the game fairly well on your onboard graphics system (no, that's not a video card). DX8 doesn't have allot of the frills 9 has. In short, 9 looks allot better than 8.1, but you sacrifice ALLOT of performance when you have a weaker card, or are running onboard.

 

[ferdinand_swei7f]

sinkoman, you are a freakin' ledgend! How do you know this stuff? Thats fixed it alright. You are my own personal JC. Thanx.

 

[Ikerous]

If i unisntall sp2, will windows stop asking me to activate it?

 

[diluted]

HL2 automatically sets the DirectX level according to what video card you have... but in your case, yours is so old that HL2 didn't recognize it so it just defaulted to DX9.

 

[diluted]

If i unisntall sp2, will windows stop asking me to activate it?

No. Why can't you activate it? Warez copy?

 

[Ikerous]

No. Why can't you activate it? Warez copy?

Yea, and it took forever to find a copy in english ><
Stupid dutch people.

I tried a few cracks, but nothing worked
(As far as i know b/c its still asking me to do it)

 

[sinkoman]

Yea, and it took forever to find a copy in english ><
Stupid dutch people.

I tried a few cracks, but nothing worked
(As far as i know b/c its still asking me to do it)

No... Just... No...

I can't believe it, of all the people, Iky!