Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2

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 This topic has been pinned, so it's probably important
Rayman1103 1 Jan, 2023 @ 9:35am
Support Resources and Bug Tracking
Hello everyone!

Old pins have been combined into this post to organize helpful resources, which will be updated as information changes or becomes available.

Basic Troubleshooting

If you experience a problem, always restart Steam to acquire the latest updates. If that does not help, disable all addons.

If that does not work, then verify the integrity of L4D2's game files.

Crashing Problems

Steam Deck crashes (or excessive Steam Group Servers) can be fixed by un-following the L4D game hubs to stop server leeches and reviewing your groups.

If High Shader crashes or invisible menus continue, try adding this to your launch options:

-force_vendor_id 0x10DE -force_device_id 0x0191

Common Problems

If levels are so dark they are unplayable, look into adding "setting.mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil" to your "video.txt".

If you get the "client timed out" error, restarting your modem, deleting "clientregistry.blob", editing your clientport, or clearing Steam's download cache will likely solve it.

See common problems and solutions, which includes fixes for:

  • "Preparing to launch" then nothing happens (rename "fastprox.dll")
  • Game becomes unresponsive on launch (disable RivaTuner and MSI Afterburner)
  • "Failed to create D3D device" (add "-safe" as a launch option)
  • Black screen when joining a local server (disable "Custom Server Content")
  • You have "-insecure" in the launch options which will prevent you from connecting to VAC secured servers

Engine Problems

For Workshop users and modders, advanced advice on how to solve all of these engine errors:

  • Too many indices for index buffer.. tell a programmer (36102>32768)
  • x/ - TeamName: UTIL_SetModel:not precached: path/ModelName
  • Steam is not running. You must start Steam in order to play this game.
  • ED_Alloc: No Free Edicts
  • Index must not exceed 2536
  • Could not load library client

The "too many vertex format changes in frame" error happens when there are too many faces rendered at once; this excludes models, so converting stuff like stairs into models can solve it. Also try to optimize your map.

As a last resort, move your L4D2 install to your primary drive if mods still refuse to work.

Useful Launch Options

These are useful launch options:

Vulkan Rendering
-vulkan
Precache All Survivors
+precache_all_survivors 1

Community Engagement

The Valve Developer Community and AlliedModders[forums.alliedmods.net] cover a broad range of topics for programmers and server administrators.

Versus beginners can find useful guides and discussion here.

Versus beginners can also try Rene's Training Toolbox (Last Stand cut content).

The Last Stand Update changelogs[github.com], FAQ, credits, Discords, and more.

Options for reverting portions of The Last Stand Update.

Development thread to discuss and review proposed future updates[github.com].

Bug Tracking

The L4D Community Team uses Github[github.com] to accept and track issue reports, in addition to these forums.

Some bugs need a lot of investigation and sometimes fixes from driver vendors. While community help cannot promise fixes, we pay attention and make Valve aware of trends.