Steam Problems

[Druckles]

Run-Down

After several months on-and-off of trying to fix my brother's PC, I've finally given up and turned to you, HL2.net, to seek your help. The PC is question was recently built by my dad, replacing a machine which was barely able to run Half-Life 2. So, of course, having been built, they installed my old copy of Half-Life 2 along with Counter-Strike: Source. They had no problem running Half-Life 2 single player or installing Steam; it was when my brother tried to play CSS that I realised things were wrong. He reported that half way through a game an error message from Steam would pop-up telling him something about his account and not being connected. I recall it was something to do with VAC or similar. I tried debugging it over the phone, but I also realised his Steam Community wasn't working when I couldn't find him in my Steam Friends list.

So, the next time I was up at my parents house, I tried to look at the problem myself. The first symptom I found was that Steam was not actually connecting to the Friends network. An error message appeared instead of the Friends list saying "No network connection could be made to the Steam servers. Steam will automatically retry connection until the service becomes available."

I spent quite a while trying to get it to connect, following Steam Support sections, reinstalling Steam, forwarding ports on the router, yet nothing came from it. In the end I installed CSS again, giving up on the Steam Community and attempted to run it (it had been uninstalled upon reinstallation of Steam). When I clicked "Find Servers", though, it froze and up came the error message "Error at x#####. Memory could not be read." or similar. It sounded to me like the paging file wasn't big enough, so I increased it to 4GB. This did not solve the problem.

Unfortunately, I had to leave at this point, leaving him in a no better state than before. Yesterday was his birthday, and I'd bought him the Orange Box. Registering a new account for him was fine. Trying to activate the game returned the message "Steam server is unavailable -- Your computer is either currently unable to reach the Steam servers, or the service may temporarily be disabled. Please try again later.". I've tried uninstalling AVG, activating it in Safe Mode, kicking the computer, following more support sections, and I still haven't got anywhere. To top it all off, Steam will stop responding regularly for about a minute and a half and you have to sit and wait for it to think before you can use it again. It makes it a pain to use and fix, and I'm starting to get slightly frustrated with it.

I've moved back in over the summer, so my computer's currently up and running Steam with absolutely no problems -- exactly the same as it was beforehand, so it's certainly not the connection, the router or the internet, and I believe it's software related. Unfortunately, I can't rebuild the entire system, because it's not mine to do that with, but that's what I feel like doing.

So I guess I'll start with the System Specs

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750
2GiB RAM
ATi Radeon HD 3850
And I believe it's running on a Gigabyte motherboard.

Symptoms

1. Does not connect to the Friends network
   Does actually connect sometimes, after the router is reset. I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with another program running and clashing with it. My computer will connect perfectly fine to it. It also doesn't stay logged in to the Steam Community, either after restarting Steam.
   Actions undertaken
   • Reinstalled Steam (multiple times)
   • Forwarded ports on the router (not that I should have to, if it's working on my computer)
   • Uninstalled AVG
   • Ensured exceptions are added in Windows Firewall
   • Disabled Windows Firewall
   • Disabled background applications
   • Run in Safe Mode
   • Followed Steam Support: Troubleshooting Network Connectivity
   Kicked computer
2. Cannot display Find Servers in CSS
   Displays error message regarding memory. Is not such a big issue, as I'm hoping he won't even want to look at it again, having TF2 installed.
   Server list works fine in Steam, outside of CSS.
   Actions undertaken
   • Reinstalled CSS (multiple times)
   • Increased Paging File size
   • Kicked computer
   • Verified GCFs
   • Followed Steam Support: The Instruction at 0x referenced memory at 0x The memory could not be read
3. Reguarly temporarily stops responding
   Will occasionally just stop as if it's thinking half way through an action, and you have to sit around for a minute and wait for it to accept input again.
   Actions undertaken
   • Kicked computer
4. Will not connect to activate the Orange Box
   Displays error message: "Steam server is unavailable -- Your computer is either currently unable to reach the Steam servers, or the service may temporarily be disabled. Please try again later."
   Actions undertaken
   • Attempted to activate in Safe Mode
   • Uninstalled AVG
   • Disabled Windows Firewall
   • Followed Steam Support: Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

I have a feeling they're all interconnected. I'm going to keep trying stuff, fiddling about etc. support.steampowered.com appears to be down, but the wiki is up. If anyone has any insight, short of reinstalling Windows, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you need anymore information, please ask. I have reinstalled Steam and my computer, before anyone suggests otherwise. And the power is on.

Too Long; Didn't Read

halp pls steam sux lol

 

[AciD]

Be sure you followed those FAQs:
The Instruction at 0x referenced memory at 0x The memory could not be read

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

Servers appear in Steam Server Browser but not in Game Server Browser

 

[Mc Bane]

Firewall. Peerguardian2.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

Format and try again on that PC. Just backup the things he needs and try again. Then you can install Steam and add all the things he had until you find the one that breaks Steam. My friend had a problem like this, where i even took my PC over to test if his connection was fine, which it was. After several days we gave up and formated, and it worked after that. Strangely enough we never found what broke it. I would take a look at his start up list, and have a look for anything that can interfere with Steam.

 

[Cormeh]

Does actually connect sometimes, after the router is reset.

What router are you using? Any problems with connectivity regarding games on steam or networks have been my ****ing shitty BT router.

Here's a list of possible router problems and troubleshooting. It may not be this but it's worth a shot.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

What router are you using? Any problems with connectivity regarding games on steam or networks have been my ****ing shitty BT router.

Here's a list of possible router problems and troubleshooting. It may not be this but it's worth a shot.

I was thinking about a possible router problem. But if he says he can connect his PC to it and use Steam with no problems, then it shouldn't be a router issue as it should effect his computer aswell.

 

[Cormeh]

I was thinking about a possible router problem. But if he says he can connect his PC to it and use Steam with no problems, then it shouldn't be a router issue as it should effect his computer aswell.

Not exactly. My internet connection is fine as is my regular connection to Steam, it's when I try to play a multiplayer game (TF2, CSS etc) that it goes bonkers.

Either: Steam will lock up and I have to kill it through task manager or the router will lock up and my connection ends until I shut down and turn all epuipment off at the mains. :/

It's a slim chance, but worth checking.

 

[mrdark]

Dude, I have the same problem. This morning when I started up steam it says there's a connection error... This is not very fun at all. I don't use a firewall by the way.
Found in the help section i think... Well, whatever, it works

I cannot connect either. VALVe might be having some technical difficulty. This happens from time to time.

Edit: I deleted my ClientRegistry.blob and that seemed to fix it. Try that.

 

[Link]

This thread a month old, that steam prob was yesterday, so its unlikly its that.

I assume that this is resolved as you've not posted in a month, but just incase, 2 things. Do any other apps have probs with net connections, or is it just steam. Also, you forgot to kick the computer after steps 2 and 4. Consitency is important in these matters

I vote that this thread be stickyed at the top of the support section and the title replaced with "This is how you ask for help. From now on, thats how you ask for help". Any noobs posting the tl;dr as a thread can be shot. Survivors can be pointed at the sticky.

 

[Druckles]

I don't use a firewall by the way.s

You deliberately disable Windows Firewall?