Please help. Constant server crashing/freezing. PC version.

[Popinjay]

I am trying to run the PC

I will start with the details about my system:
Windows XP.
Intel 2.4 dual core processor.
2gb Ram.
Nividia 8800 gtx graphics card (no SLI although the MB allows it).
Sound Blaster Audigy SE
Tons of HD space.

Problem:
Freezing, usually only a few minutes into the game--so sever that I can't control-alt-delete or alt-tab out and have to use the reset switch on the computer itself.

When this happens the sound loops continuously.

I have tried:
Several version of drivers for my video card. I am now using 178.24

Updated sound card drivers but they were not that new---this is a fairly old sound card.

Setting all visual properties to low and turning off multi-core processing.

Setting sound quality to low.

using the mat_queue 0 thing

running in a window

cursing the manufacturer

Kicking my computer.


Help?:
I know a lot of people have posted about these problems but I wanted to start a new thread because I feel like I have tried everything I have seen suggested and am hoping for new suggestions.

I swear I am about ready to give up on buying games. The stores don't let you take them back even if the program is faulty and does not work with an adequate system. It seems like it might be best for me to download games illegally so that way if they don't work I am not screwed.

BTW the demo DID work, at least for as long as I played it. I didn't want to ruin too much before I got the actual game.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Pop

[Alexbert]

don't run in a window

[RaginAzN]

hey, taking a look at your specs and driver versions, I can only determine that two possible reasons why your crashing so much. First I would update the video card driver to the newest version for stability and bug fixes on video. Also I would do a complete reinstall of the sound card drivers, as Creative Lab's sound card drivers seems to had a bit of issue with L4D, I know I had a problem when the demo first came out. You'll probably want a driver cleaning tool before you reinstall the updated drivers. Besides those two solutions I really can't think of anything else. The program I used to clean out my old drivers before I upgrade them to the newest one is Drivercleaner Platinum, it works pretty well fixed alot of my problems before.

[Popinjay]

don't run in a window

Just to be clear, I TRIED running it in a window to see if that would help. It isn't the source of the problem. The point I was trying to get across was that I tried most of the possible combinations of all the things I mentioned and I was wondering if there is any other help out there.

I can't be the only one who is having this problem. My system can't be that strange.

Pop

[Popinjay]

hey, taking a look at your specs and driver versions, I can only determine that two possible reasons why your crashing so much. First I would update the video card driver to the newest version for stability and bug fixes on video. Also I would do a complete reinstall of the sound card drivers, as Creative Lab's sound card drivers seems to had a bit of issue with L4D, I know I had a problem when the demo first came out. You'll probably want a driver cleaning tool before you reinstall the updated drivers. Besides those two solutions I really can't think of anything else. The program I used to clean out my old drivers before I upgrade them to the newest one is Drivercleaner Platinum, it works pretty well fixed alot of my problems before.

Thanks. I have tried both of those things, but not with a driver cleaning tool first. Thank you.

Pop

[Stuffinator]

don't run in a window
I play l4d in windowmode since release, no problems yet!

[RaginAzN]

I found that running in a window mode does fix alot of problems in some games, but at the same time it also gives your gameplay a performance hit... Your issue to me really sounds like a sound card issue. Most likely its the creative sound card drivers, I know they've been having alot of issues with newer games, they have had stuttering sound and crash issues with l4d before, so a sound card driver re-installation is recommended, I would uninstall through safe mode and run the driver cleaning tool just to make sure. Beyond that have you had any issues with any other games? And the newest nvidia driver I believe is 18x.xx I dont remember the exact numbers, but I'm running in that number range and haven't had any issues at all with l4d. Do you have problems with any other orange box games? ie. TF2, episode 2, etc. Its a complicated procedure to trouble shoot a reason why a game is crashing, but I'll help out as much as I can, hate to see a fellow l4der not able to play :P

[MrMojo]

Since update i'm crashing and freezing constantly too...

Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit
Core2Quad Q9550 @ 2.83Hz
ATI Radeon HD4870
4 gigs of ram
390 gigs of free space

[Popinjay]

I did install new sound drivers. My sound card is fairly old though. Today I saw the same sound card at walmart for 25 bucks. I never spent a lot of a sound card because I don't have very good speakers.

Do you think buying a new sound card will fix the issue? I don't mind doing so, though I am hurting for money at the moment. But if I do so and it doesn't fix the problem then that means that the producers of L4D have cost me even more money. I meet all the requirements to play it and yet it doesn't work. It seems to me that they should be forced to accept returns. Barring that I am rapidly beginning to think that pirates are doing an important service and that the smart thing to do would be to download any game first and then see if it is worth the 50$ or whatever is being charged. I am so sick of buying games I can never get to work, or games that are sold as complete and then you find out they need multiple patches to work two months down the road.

Sorry for the rant. I really am just looking for a solution here. If you think a new sound card would fix things can somebody give me the name of some of the most compatible sound cards out there? I have tried the newest drives and several variations of older ones with no luck.

My current card is a Audigy SE but in spide of the fact that I thought I saw this being sold online for 100+ dollars I think mine must be different because it is 25 at walmart and was about 45 when I baught it. If it helps any it is model sb0570.

By the way I appreciate all the people who have been kind enough to give me adivice so far even if it didn't work.

Pop

[RaginAzN]

Its cool, it is frustrating when a game your looking forward to playing cannot run due to some weird glitch... I really don't think replacing the sound card would help. What you can do is reverting back to onboard sound from the motherboard and see if you are still experiencing the same issue of the crash. I know creative has had problems with L4D for some unknown reasons, specially the audigy series and XFI. If the onboard sound still causes errors it might be L4d itself, sorry if I cannot be any more help then that.

[HELLION]

Sound Blaster Audigy SE


hmm thats actually the same card i have , and i have that problem too... sometimes it happens often, then sometimes it wont happen for a week..usually 2 different things that happen ... just a hard lock with the sounds repeating...another is it does the looping and then goes to a black screen with a cursor, but i can actually hear the game.. also sometimes in the lobby the voice chat will cause it to lock as well... perhaps i should get a new card hmm..