Thread: "preparing to launch" but then nothing

I thought 32 bit XP couldn't use more than 2 gigs...


w00t!! headin to the store after class!! hellooooo a few more FPS!!

Does it show the message "Verifying game files" and get stuck, or just get stuck on "Preparing to Launch"

I got stuck when I built my new PC with the "verifying game files" error. It would just sit there then. Validating the game cache sometimes fixed it, sometimes not.

Turned out I had bad RAM, which has been mentioned above. I did some memtesting and pulled the sketchy stick of RAM, and voila, TF2 worked. Give the RAM juggle a shot.

I ran XP with 4 gigs of RAM at one point at it didn't seem to cause problems. Once I fixed the bad RAM that is. System properties showed that it only addressed like 3.2 gigs though...

Hit me on steam, gtalk or aim under my current screen name. I can help you through this one.

Originally Posted by tr_enf

This is from a post I found asking if 4 gigs in XP will hurt the computer:

4.2 GB is the max that WinXP (32-bit) can read. It has to do with the number of bits ! 2**32 = 4.2 GB.

The only real issue may be the hardware (HW). If the motherboard's memory bus and/or BIOS can address 32 bits then it will use all of the memory, but some motherboards/BIOS don't. If the HW does not see the memory you may have the wrong type of memory for your HW. If it see the memory but only shows 2.1 GB then there is either a HW or BIOS restriction on the number of memory address lines available.

The extra memory won't hurt anything but if the HW / BIOS does not support it it won't be used.

WinXP-64 can address more than 4.2 GB, however in some cases the same issue of the BIOS and memory bus again come into play. Some cheap motherboards have the capability of running a 64-bit CPU but they run it on a 32 bit bus bringing into play the 32-bit issue.

Caveat emptor..

Not sure about his math at the top but his explanation of the mobo sounds right.

I don't know about the motherboard aspect (I've never heard of them having issues like that), but the poster you quoted doesn't know what he's talking with regards to 32-bit Windows itself being able to access the full 4GB. He can't even do his math right (2**32 = 4.0GB not 4.2GB)

But the real point is, the OS does not use every RAM address line for accessing actual RAM, so it can't address any RAM that would have used those lines. Depending on your exact hardware, you can at most use anywhere between 3 and 3.4GB. In other words any RAM over 3GB is doing nothing for your computer; it can't use it. That is unless you are using a 64-bit OS.

Think of this like the TF2 reserved slots. The server has 24 slots, but 2 of those slots are not used for actual players, but as "loading slots". So while you could try to stick 24 people in there, only 22 will get to play. That's basically how the RAM situation works out.

With a 64-bit OS, you're adding 32 more bits so the OS can use your new unused address lines for the special things instead of using the real RAM lines. That's like Making the TF2 server a 48 slot server, and having 24 reserved slots. You finally get to have your 24 players because all of the slots above that can be the "loading slots"

I hope that helps explain that. And if anyone else wants to know more, here are some decent articles about it.
http://www.dansdata.com/askdan00015.htm
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/0...-memory-limit/

Moral of this story: If you don't have a 64-bit OS, don't bother going over 3GB of physical RAM in your box.

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