'Could not contact master game server to retrieve server l..

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

I purchased HL2 yesterday, in order to play CS:S. But when I click on the
Server tab (both in Steam and inside the game), it says "Could not contact
master game server to retrieve server list".
This is not a firewall issue, I have tried deactivating it. Also the
anti-virus.
This is not a router issue, I have tried getting the server list from my
backup dialup connection.
This is not an install issue, I have tried reinstalling Steam, as well as
deleting the entire CS:S folder and let it re-download.
What on earth could cause this?

I'm using XP pro with SP2
2024/128 ADSL on a Cisco 677 router
Zonealarm PRO and Norton Antivirus 2005.

I also tried installing All-Seeing Eye, but after it pings the couple of
thousand servers, it returns with a '0 servers, 0 users' message. Also, the
connection config utility uses no bandwidth, and tells me that the "Network
is too unstable to get a good reading" - even though I am not using any
other programs.

My router is set to forward all ports to my local ip (10.0.0.2).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jacob
--
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1507094/
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

"Jacob Skaaning" <jskaaning@tiscali.invalid> wrote in message
news:ck8sga$dvj$1@news.cybercity.dk...
> I purchased HL2 yesterday, in order to play CS:S. But when I click
> on the Server tab (both in Steam and inside the game), it says
> "Could not contact master game server to retrieve server list".
> This is not a firewall issue, I have tried deactivating it. Also the
> anti-virus.
> This is not a router issue, I have tried getting the server list
> from my backup dialup connection.

Standard answer from the steam support tool

There are a few causes for this, here is how to figure out what is
causing it.

The first question is has this just started after a Steam update or
has it been happening for a while?

Steam Just Updated - it's your Firewall

If it just started after a Steam update, then chances are very good
that your Firewall is blocking Steam.
To fix this, remove Steam.exe and all instances of HL.exe from the
firewall permissions and re-add them or let the firewall re-discover
them when you run the game. Be sure to give permission for all ports
and for TCP and UPD for Steam.exe and for every hl.exe that pops up
(it will ask permission for each different game you run).
You might see the symptom where you can see servers from the Steam
ServerBrowser but not from the in-game ServerBrowser (at the splash
screen). This means that your firewall is blocking hl.exe but not
Steam.exe.
If it's the other way around, IE: you can't see Servers in Steam but
you can while in-game, then your firewall is blocking Steam.exe.
There may be other symptoms if Steam.exe is blocked (friends won't
work, etc).

No Steam Update

If this just started out of the blue, you should go check over at the
Steampowered forums and see if other players are having this problem.
If this is happening to a number of players then the Steam Network
might be having problems. Certainly if you are unable to get to the
Steam Forum that would also indicate that this is a Steam Network
problem.
If no one else is having this problem and you have your firewall
properly configured, then you might have a routing problem with your
ISP, or some network connection between you and the Master Servers.
If the problem persists more then a day then you might need to call
your ISP.
Additional Firewall Information
Certainly, if you just installed a new firewall or updated your
firewall software then you need to make sure you configure it before
you start looking for outside problems. Some anti-Virus programs have
a built-in firewall too, so be sure to check there.

The latest XP SP2 update has a more aggressive firewall, so if this
just started happening after you did a Windows update then you will
need to look at the SP2 firewall for this problem.
 
A

Andrew

Distinguished
Mar 31, 2004
2,439
0
19,780
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 19:45:16 +0100, "I like Toys and Cake"
<me@privacy.net> wrote:

>The latest XP SP2 update has a more aggressive firewall, so if this
>just started happening after you did a Windows update then you will
>need to look at the SP2 firewall for this problem.

Preferably disable it and get a decent firewall, the SP2 one is a poor
excuse for a firewall.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

Andrew wrote:
> On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 19:45:16 +0100, "I like Toys and Cake"
> <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>> The latest XP SP2 update has a more aggressive firewall, so if this
>> just started happening after you did a Windows update then you will
>> need to look at the SP2 firewall for this problem.
>
> Preferably disable it and get a decent firewall, the SP2 one is a poor
> excuse for a firewall.

I've probably seen every page on the internet that describes this error, the
Steam support one as the first. I wouldn't use the SP2 firewall if my life
depended on it.

Jacob

--
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1507094/
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

Jacob Skaaning wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
>> On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 19:45:16 +0100, "I like Toys and Cake"
>> <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>>
>>> The latest XP SP2 update has a more aggressive firewall, so if this
>>> just started happening after you did a Windows update then you will
>>> need to look at the SP2 firewall for this problem.
>>
>> Preferably disable it and get a decent firewall, the SP2 one is a
>> poor excuse for a firewall.
>
> I've probably seen every page on the internet that describes this
> error, the Steam support one as the first. I wouldn't use the SP2
> firewall if my life depended on it.


A guy on the Steam forums had the same problems, and completely uninstalled
his Zonealarm firewall. That helped him, and it worked for me too!
Disabling it didn't help, and killing it from Task Manager also didn't help.
This is why it worked in safe mode and not otherwise.

SUCCESS!

Jacob
--
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1507094/
 
A

Andrew

Distinguished
Mar 31, 2004
2,439
0
19,780
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 09:05:37 +0200, "Jacob Skaaning"
<jskaaning@tiscali.invalid> wrote:

>A guy on the Steam forums had the same problems, and completely uninstalled
>his Zonealarm firewall. That helped him, and it worked for me too!
>Disabling it didn't help, and killing it from Task Manager also didn't help.
>This is why it worked in safe mode and not otherwise.

I can recommend Sygates free personal firewall, much less grief than
ZA.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.half-life.counterstrike (More info?)

Andrew <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
news:u6ohm0tp09r6vub4pjhm1k195lt7jo6gb1@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 09:05:37 +0200, "Jacob Skaaning"
> <jskaaning@tiscali.invalid> wrote:
>
> >A guy on the Steam forums had the same problems, and completely
uninstalled
> >his Zonealarm firewall. That helped him, and it worked for me too!
> >Disabling it didn't help, and killing it from Task Manager also didn't
help.
> >This is why it worked in safe mode and not otherwise.
>
> I can recommend Sygates free personal firewall, much less grief than
> ZA.

Oh, I dunno.....I use ZoneAlarm with Steam, and no problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom