Steam Validating Game Files then Doesn't Launch Game

[captainAngry]

Problem: When trying to launch a game a window comes up that says it is validating game files. After a very short time, the progress bar goes to 100%, the box closes and then nothing happens. This happens every time you launch the game and restarting steam doesn't make any difference.

Solution: Go into your 'Games' menu, right click on the problem game and click on 'Properties'. Go to the 'Local Files' tab and click on 'Verify integrity of game cache...'. The same box that came up before will come again but this time it will take a while to validate you game files. This should fix the problem.

I have this problem right now and am performing the solution as I type this. I figured I would post it just in case anyone else has this problem in the future. I'll update this post letting everyone know how it went.

[Edit: It didn't work I'll let you guys know what I end up having to do to fix it.]

[captainAngry]

So my next thing I decided to try was to uninstall TF2 and then reinstall it.

Go to you 'Games' section. Right click on TF2. Select 'Delete local content...'. Click 'Delete'.

You don't need to backup your game files and you won't lose any achievements.

Right click on TF2 in the 'Uninstalled' list in your 'Games' section. Click 'Install...'. After your game is installed, you should be ready to go.

[RandomGuy]

did it work?

if you uninstall you will loose all the custom maps you dled, so might want to back them up first

[Divine Fate]

did it work?

if you uninstall you will loose all the custom maps you dled, so might want to back them up first

Maps use a lot of data, so it might also be good to start out clean again, since if you play on custom servers a lot you'll end up having half your maps folder filled with maps you'll never play again.

Glad it worked out for you capt .

[RandomGuy]

did it work?

if you uninstall you will loose all the custom maps you dled, so might want to back them up first

Maps use a lot of data, so it might also be good to start out clean again, since if you play on custom servers a lot you'll end up having half your maps folder filled with maps you'll never play again.

Glad it worked out for you capt .

well condisering that both servers a custom map servers, unless you want to re-download mach4 every timr the server resets....

[captainAngry]

I am fairly certain you don't loose maps when you follow my instructions. I had/have 10GB of maps and after I fixed my game I am fairly certain that I wasn't downloading maps I ahd played before. I'll double check when I get home and see if I still have all my maps.

[captainAngry]

I didn't lose my maps or any of my downloaded content.

[RandomGuy]

good to know!

[captainAngry]

This shit happened to me again. I think it happened when I ctrl+alt+del'd out of the game. I do this a few times a week and this is only the second time it happened but it happened right after did it.

Now I am waiting to re-download the game again... *sigh*

[RandomGuy]

I ctrl+alt+del all the time and nothing bad happens...

[captainAngry]

I ctrl+alt+del'd and then force quit the game. This could cause some of your game files to be invalid if it was trying to save or something...

[RandomGuy]

my game freezes someimes (vista) so i have to force quit, no probs 4 me...

[RandomGuy]

KARMA SUCKS, right after this now i have captian's problem reinstalling


found a better way, i reapeat, i have found a beter way, go to the game panel, right click on tf2 and go to properties, then go the the third panel and click "vertify game files" if this dosent work, hit defrag, then do it. worked for me. nor reinstall necissary.

[captainAngry]

The reinstall actually took less time then it took to verify local files. Anyway, I tried what you said and it didn't work for me. One of the two should work for anyone with the problem.

[Divine Fate]

I ctrl+alt+del'd and then force quit the game. This could cause some of your game files to be invalid if it was trying to save or something...

Force quitting usually is never useful. What I find when I want to close the game is to ctrl+alt+delete, go to the Processes Tab, and end the process "hl2.exe". This closes the main engine, and leaves all the other processes to close themselves.

Either you can trust that or trust windows to end the game right (bad idea). In my experience, force closing any program is bad luck unless you actually end the .exe file associated with it.

[captainAngry]

That's what I meant when I said I was force quitting the game; I end the HL2.exe process.

[RandomGuy]

I force quitted the game... am i stupid?