Very strange problem after install

[dante2004]

Hi
ive install HL2 for the second time in 12 months
the first time with no problems, but now OMG
steam installs fine then HalfLife 2 i then reboot, try to run Steam it tries to update for 30 second then closes, then iam unable to run HL2 or Steam, i double click Steam and HL2 but with nothing happening.
task manager says its running but its not on the bottom right of the task bar...

if someone could shed some light on this i would appreciate it very much

My system is
P4 3gig
1.5gig ram
ATI 1950 pro 512meg
120gig HD

latest drivers all round
and the latest directx

 

[Jintor]

Vista or XP?

If Steam is running, but apparently not there, but Task Manager says it's running, i would advise you leave it. Was Steam installed before? If you just installed it of the CD, it's probably got a shitload of updates to D/L.

Not sure though.

 

[dante2004]

thanks for the quick reply
no Steam was not installed before i install HL2, the other games i play dont require Steam. shouldn't the Steam icon show in the bottom corner of the task bar as is updating. no data is being uploaded or downloaded at the moment. when i double click the Steam icon it doesn't say that is already running it just for a split second shows the egg timer and thats it..At first i thought it maybe the graphics card but i have the up today drivers, its just the fact that NOTHING is happen that so frustrating there are no errors messages, the PC has been on for 24hrs now so if Steam what'd to update it would have done so by now... if it sound like im crying iam ..hehhehe