Steam help

weyland yutani · 11 Aug 2011 at 11:38

For the first time I tried running a game on my new machine yesterday, Dirt 3 from Steam.

After hours of downloading the game wouldn't launch so I tried the verify cache. This worked although the game prompted a firewall dialogue box before I could continue. The game runs within a explorer window which I can maximize but cant go full screen with no borders/taskbar and I have also lost all sound

Im thinking of going back to a previous restore point. If I backup steamapps folder can I safely uninstall steam without having to downlaod the game again? My drivers are up to date so Im really gutted as this is my first try of a game on my first gaming machine

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Confused · 11 Aug 2011 at 11:41

With Dirt2 I got the Windows Firewall prompt, which caused the game to go windowed, with no sound.

Press Ctrl + Enter to go full-screen.

Edit: I'm an idiot - it's Alt + Enter, as noted below.

I've edited this for anyone else searching for assistance later so they don't have to read the rest of the posts below.

weyland yutani · 11 Aug 2011 at 11:52

Ctrl + Enter wont full screen the window for me. The game is running well maxed out at 1080p just within this window and no sound.

I use a hdmi cable to carry sound to my hd tv but it seems that after installing the game, sound it being sent to the pc speaker outputs, I have no idea how to change it back.

Confused · 11 Aug 2011 at 11:59

Try "restoring" it down to a smaller window, rather than a maximised window, then Ctrl + Enter (the one on the main letter area, not bottom-right of the keyboard)

Also make sure that the HDMI is the default sound card, if you're not using the PC speakers, try to disable them.

weyland yutani · 11 Aug 2011 at 12:04

Thanks for you help, still wouldn't work but I just tried alt+enter which did. Any idea on how to get sound back through the hdmi?

Confused · 11 Aug 2011 at 12:17

Oh sorry, yeah, Alt+Enter (it's one of those things I just instinctively do, rather than thinking about it!)

Glad that bit's sorted.

Do you use your PC speakers at all, or only via the HDMI/TV? Could you disable the sound card?

weyland yutani · 11 Aug 2011 at 12:26

I dont use dedicated speakers, just the hdtv's own speakers. I dont have a dedicated sound card either. Im sure the sound issue is down to a sound software that was installed with Dirt3, rapture3D or something it wasd called which I have uninstalled now.

If I highlight the speaker icon in the bottom right of the desktop it says Digital Audio (S/PDIF) while it used to say Radeon HD sound or somehting similar.

Confused · 11 Aug 2011 at 12:33

It sounds like your default sound output device has changed.

In Control Panel -> Sounds, you should be able to set the HDMI as the default device.

weyland yutani · 11 Aug 2011 at 12:38

yeah I checked in control panel/sound and can't see the HDMI as a sound device.

Do you know if I backup steamapps folder and revert to a previous restore point I can reinstall Dirt3 without having to download it all again?

weyland yutani · 12 Aug 2011 at 16:09

Sorry to bump but I need some more help.

I got Dirt3 working fine and averaging 58 fps on highest settings at 1080p but after installing and playing World of Tanks today my Dirt3 framerate has dropped to about 25 fps.

Any ideas on what has caused this drop and a way to fix it?