I'm still trying to get Steam to work on my PC. I don't know why I haven't given up yet, probably because there's just no good reason why it shouldn't work. If there was some documented bug, or hardware incompatibility, router problem, whatever... maybe then I could just accept it and move on. However, the problem is, it does work, just not under Windows Vista on my PC.
LGX loaned me a spare hard disk to put into my PC and install Windows XP on. I did so, and the first time I fired up The Orange Box installer, it worked quickly and flawlessly. Steam installed, updated itself, and I installed Half Life 2 in about 15 minutes. It takes me longer just to log into Steam sometimes under Windows Vista, on the same computer.
So it seems that the problem lies somewhere in the Vista realm. I've tried so many things, though, and nothing has worked.
Other things I've tried:
- Completely uninstalling Steam, deleting Steam directory, and re-installing.
- Running steam.exe in Windows XP compatibility mode
- Running steam.exe "as Administrator"
- Disabling IPv6, QoS, network Discovery, etc.
- Using a different network adapter (wireless this time)
- Updating BIOS, chipset drivers, network adapter driver
- Disabled all startup programs and non-essential services (via msconfig.exe)
Valve support has been virtually useless. The last response took a full week, and they offered up yet another nugget of wisdom: connect my computer directly to my Internet provider (bypass my router). I don't know, but I would think that maybe, just MAYBE, the fact that it works fine on another computer, and even on the same computer (under XP), means that my router is not the problem. I don't have a DSL modem to plug into the wall jack anyway.
The other funny thing about their response this time was that they just now realized I was installing The Orange Box from the retail discs (vs. through Steam via download), when I told them that in the very first post over two weeks ago. Duh.
They also keep regurgitating the same crap over and over: "Check your router settings... disable Windows Firewall... turn off anti-virus... turn off incompatible programs...", all of which I had previously done (and in the case of anti-virus, explained to them twice that I've never installed it). It's like they're not even reading my messages! Or they just don't believe me. Either way, they're pissing me off, and if I don't figure this out soon, it'll be the last "Steam powered" game I ever buy.