Steam-based games cause sound loop, crash and HDD click

OK, for an update. TF2 did sound loop lockup again. However the HDDs did not click. I let it loop for 20 seconds, and it go nowhere, so I just CTRL + ALT + DEL and told it to end the HL2.exe process, which was at a whopping 1.3GB in size. Don't know if that's normal or not, just sounds like a LOT of memory to be held up for a game.

I'm not sure how to make a dump of a process that is locked or if its possible or even helpful, but if someone lets me know, I'll try to make a dump files when it next locks up and see if it's the same error or different. This lockup did not result in constant HDD clicks or a forced hard shutdown like the original thread states.

Thanks usasma-

I have to commit those steps to memory so if I get a sound-looping lock (but not an HDD-clicking lock) then I can run that dump, upload, and have you pros re-analyze it to see if a different component is at fault.

Appreciate that. You guys are freaking fantastic.

Just an update-

Valve responded after I re-opened a ticket with them and wants me to run TF2, press SHIFT + CTRL + ESC to open the Task Manager, and from there goto PROCESS TAB, right click on the HL2.exe process, and SET AFFINITY, unchecking all but 1 core.

I guess this means they want me to forcibly limit the game to only utilize 1 of my 4? cores (I have a i7 920, but my task manager shows 8 CPU thread graphs).

If this ends up resolving the issue, I hope it doesn't drop performance significantly; a lot of people tell me TF2 is very CPU-dependent, and even though Valve announced a while back that they added multi-core capability to the game, they announced it as 'beta' and not finite, indicating if it was problematic, to go back to single-core functionality.

I will add this to the list of steps taken in hopes of resolving this issue. Problem is, I think AFFINITY is forgotten each time a process closes. So I would have to take this step each and every time I run the game.

lol. As is my eternal problem with Windows, I don't seem to have the rights needed to do the last step.

When I try to set affinity on the HL2.exe process, I get back:

The operation could not be performed: Access is denied.

....You know, they should call these "Network wrongs" rather than "Network rights".

That did it, usasma, thank you.

I have finally had it with UAC and have disabled it completely. So tired of being asked to do what I just told Windows to do. If I was a user, that would be fine, but I'm supposed to be an administrator.

OK, so this means I will have to run the taskmanager as admin then set affinity to try it. Oi! So much work, lol. But I'll do it in order to help get a resolve here. You guys have been fantastic.

Wow. The game ran like crap with just 1 CPU....but.....no crashes so far...

I don't know how much I can stand. 2 or 3 people on screen is fine, but as soon as there is more, I start dropping to like 20-30FPS... Ah well, all in the name of science.

Just a status update. So far, while setting affinity on the game, it has not crashed/locked up once. Problem is, of course, this game is very CPU dependent, so running it on 1 core leads to some very poor performance.

Troubleshooting is continuing behind the scenes with Valve, I will keep all informed on what I find.