Help on game lockup!

[Lemming2300]

Every time I play Half life 2, Lost coast, or episode one, the game will freeze. Usually when it autosaves, I try to save manually, or just for the hell of it. I've tried turning down graphics, updating, updating again, reading forums. I just can't figure it out. Steam says I pass all the tests and that it should run fine. Please help.
~A concerned citizen.

 

[Link]

Does this happen with any non steam games?

My first guess would be either faulty RAM or GFX card

 

[PimpinPenguin]

Update your drivers if that does not work try disabling sound accerleration in Direct X

 

[Lemming2300]

I've updated the heck out of the video card. (x800 pro). It has not occured in any other non-steam game. It's confusing. I'll try the sound acceleration setting in direct x, but I had half life 2 before, (with a friend's account), on my computer and never had a problem. I don't think it's a hardware problem. I also just bought a new stick. No prob though. What if I re-install steam? I've tried playing the game offline, and I can't get that to work either. Very frustrating. Any ideas?

(How do you edit direct x sound anyway?)

 

[Lemming2300]

by the way

By the way, the problem is not so much freezing or crashing, rather a sound loop. The sound stutters constantly and moves a frame every 2 minutes or so. I've tried almost everything. No sound acceleration, updating sound drivers, video card drivers, and reading countless forums. I guess a lot of people have a problem with this. I don't encounter the problem in Half Life 2, only Lost coast and Episode One.