SETUP (Updated 1/14/10)

Install Steam

1. WARNING WARNING WARNING - DO NOT do anything where you need to purchase something and put in a credit card number.  The reason is after this semester is over, we will reset the login/password and you won't have it any more.  If you buy something against this account, then you will lose it.  If you want to buy stuff, create your own account and use that for purchased stuff. WARNING WARNING WARNING
2. Go to www.steampowered.com
3. Once there, click on "Get Steam Now!" button
4. Then click on the Free Download - Click here to install now
5. Eventually it will install Steam.  You then need to login.
6. Type in your login and password.  Then go in and change your password.  Do this first thing.
7. There may be a question that says something about do you have a login/password say yes. 
8. There may also be a question that says something about are you an authorized cybercafe user or something to that effect.  Say yes.
9. There is a CHECKBOX that says to remember your login.  If you are using the Windows lab DO NOT CHECK THIS.  We don't want others using your login/password down in the lab.
10. Once you get logged in, password changed, go into steam and click on the My games tab.
11. Right click on Half-Life 2 Episode 2 and say install.  This will copy a zillion files to your computer and eventually you can start playing the game.
12. Go into the Tools tab and install the Source SDK, Source SDK Base, and Source SDK Base Orange Box. Note - if I remember correctly, when you install Source SDK it installs the base for you automatically, so do it first. 
13. When last we checked, this was several GB of space, although it may be a lot more if you download more games or if they come up with updates to the games.  So, make sure that you have tons of disk space available.

Note - if you forget your password and have it mail it, it will mail it to me.  So, we will have to work together to get it reset.

When you launch source sdk, go into what you see and click on the refresh sdk content and let it do its thing.  Then exit back to steam and launch the sdk again.

Once you get source sdk launched, choose Orange Box and Half-Life 2 Episode 2 from the menu. This will allow you to run hammer and face poser for HL2 EP2.

Note - Here is a link to the steam help resources.  Might be able to find something that helps you out when you are having steam issues.

Problems running HL2 with some notebooks

Here are some hints on how to deal with less capable notebooks:

• I have found that the Deathmatch uses parts of the DirectX 8.0+ shaders that are not completely supported by the Intel 945 Chip sets. So when you load it the display goes to a black screen. You can get around this in Steam by right clicking "Half-Life 2:Deathmatch" then "Properties" and selecting "Set Launch Options" and adding "-dxlevel 70". I thought i would pass that along because i ran into it with my notebook and i guess it is a common chip set for some notebooks.
• Today I found something that fixes the problem with the original game at this link:   http://www.techspot.com/vb/all/windows/t-18030-Memory-problem-in-Half-Life-2.html   I figured out how to get the hunt to work with that code that I sent you.  When you told us to:     Set the command args property to:   -dev -sw -game "$(STEAM_DIR)\steamapps\SourceMods\$(CURRENT_MOD)" –allowdebug    all you have to do is add "+mat_forcehardwaresync 0 +snd_async_prefetch_priority 1" to the end of it making the line of code the following:   -dev -sw -game "$(STEAM_DIR)\steamapps\SourceMods\$(CURRENT_MOD)" –allowdebug +mat_forcehardwaresync 0 +snd_async_prefetch_priority 1  

You might find it useful (we do) to run HL2 in a window.  Click on the option menu item and choose video.  One of those options will let you change it from full screen mode to window mode (you can also adjust the size of the window).