game only works once

[Jabwocky]

When I install half-life 2 (steam, strikeforce, etc.) and start the game immediately I can play (and LOVIN it!!). When I try to open HL2 a second time everything loads as normal until the main menu screen, which suddenly looks like I've cracked my LCD screen. Half the screen is one color with a jagged border into another color at the bottom. I can hear the main menu audio but cannot see anything. I have re-installed the game several times with the same result everytime.

Help?

Also, does using Steam mean I have to be online everytime to play the game?

Thank you.

[kupocake]

Also, does using Steam mean I have to be online everytime to play the game?

Thank you.
Once it is installed and FULLY updated, you have the option to start Steam in offline mode. This option will appear to you if no active connection is detected. Sometimes, for various reasons (bad installation, corruption, being half way through an update or just Steam being buggy) the Offline mode may not work, but that tends to be fairly rare.

As for your other problem, can't help there :/

[giant384]

Once it is installed and FULLY updated, you have the option to start Steam in offline mode. This option will appear to you if no active connection is detected. Sometimes, for various reasons (bad installation, corruption, being half way through an update or just Steam being buggy) the Offline mode may not work, but that tends to be fairly rare.

As for your other problem, can't help there :/

lol you didnt really help him at all but jabwocky could take a screenshot of the thing your talking about. (use print screen)

[Fliko]

Enable Vsync, increase refresh rate

[giant384]

Enable Vsync, increase refresh rate

uh how would that help him if it worked if it worked the first time with it off

[Jabwocky]

thanks for the steam info; still stuck in halflife limbo, though

egad!

I even made sure I wasn't firewalled against the game but zilcho

[kupocake]

well the standard one-size fits all approach tends to be to verify the gcf files (http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=282) for whatever games you have. Also you may have chosen some incorrect video setting so reset your settings (http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=242&p_created=1095476857&p_sid=PINZtCbi&p_lva=282&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTQwJnBfcHJvZHM9MCZwX2NhdHM9MCZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc 3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0xJnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9cmVzZXQgdmlkZW8gb3B0aW9ucw**&p_li=&p_topview=1). Finally, check that it's just HL2 with the problem. You may have messed up your PC in other ways and not realised...