TF2 problems with Win7

[Nineaxis]

So I get a new computer with a good processor and graphics card and am all excited to play TF2 with mat_picmip -10 but it seems all that's happened is frustration and frustration. TF2 just doesn't seem to get along with my new computer and Windows 7. It likes to crash whenever it feels like it, whether it be loading a map, joining a server, just running around in a game... and it's really getting annoying. On top of that, there's an at least half second delay between the game and the game sounds (even on the menu...). Setting it to use 7.1 Surround Sound configuration in the audio menu fixes the delay, but then the sound is all messed up because headsets and 7.1 surround sound don't mix.

Anyone know of anything? Computer was only assembled Saturday, so all the drivers are up to date. I'm hoping at least the sound bug can be fixed, I'm pretty sure the instability is something I'll just have to wait on Valve to patch.

Windows 7 Home Premium
Intel Core2Quad @2.66 GHz
4GB DDR2 Memory
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250
Realtek HD Audio


EDIT 1:
Things determined:
1. TF2 works fine on Win7 (for others)
2. Disabling the In-Game Overlay might have increased stability
3. Disabling HDR only made the game uglier
4. Disabling multicore rendering doesn't do anything
5. Whatever problem I have is TF2-specific (other Source games run fine)

New problems:
1. Viewmodels flickering in light

What I've tried:
1. Disabling In-Game Overlay
2. Disabling HDR
3. Disabling Multicore Rendering

 

[drp]

sounds like it coudl be a lot of things. have you tried to lower all of the settings in tf2? are your chipset drivers installed? (i forgot to do this one time i reformatted, and the symptoms were similar)

does your processor spike during this lag events? what does the event log report when the game crashes?

 

[MrAlBobo]

are you using integrated audio? realteks drivers for windows 7 suck

are your temperatures somehow spiking?
are you sure you have the "right" drivers?

...also nvidia frequently installs its display drivers...incorrectly...id advise removing them and re-installing them

 

[MangyCarface]

I really doubt the issue is local to 7

 

[Cameron:D]

I have the same issues, I have since Win7 RC... mat_picmip -10 doesn't like my computer - I have almost the exact same build as you.
I looked around, apparently (Under Vista) the OS doesn't properly allocate memory (Video memory and system memory), or limits the total memory that it is allowed to use. I would think MS would fix something like this however.

 

[Vander]

I turned off HDR and my problems went away.

 

[martijntje]

I run tf2 on windows 7 too, but I dont have any problems

 

[Bslashingu]

I run Windows 7, and I have had no issues whatsoever.

Try disabling multicore and HDR.

 

[Nutomic]

Have you tried deleting your tf2 files, like configs and stuff, the same for steam?

 

[Dr. KillPatient]

I have TF2 and Win7, only freezeups I've gotten are when I joined a server and started freezing randomly, but everyone said they were getting them. I joined another server and the problem was resolved. I'll see if -10 crashes me as well later on today.

 

[Trotim]

Win7 here too, no problems. Faulty Steam move or something?

 

[YM]

I should be able to install win7 as of today, but I'm waiting until the weekend before i do since i have a lab report i need to do first and i want that done before i go screwing up my pc if anything goes wrong. I dont have a spec anything like yours so i doubt i'll encounter problems. hope not anyway! D:

 

[Psy]

Turn off in-game Steam Comm Overlay. That fixed it for me.

 

[Nineaxis]

My G11 arrived today, to add pain to this.

So things determined:
1. TF2 works fine on Win7 (for others)
2. Disabling the In-Game Overlay might have increased stability
3. Disabling HDR only made the game uglier
4. Disabling multicore rendering doesn't do anything
5. Whatever problem I have is TF2-specific (other Source games run fine)

New problems:
1. Viewmodels flickering in light

What I've tried:
1. Disabling In-Game Overlay
2. Disabling HDR
3. Disabling Multicore Rendering

EDIT:
Just reinstalled the Nvidia drivers... viewmodel bug seems to have gone away.

 

[Hawk]

I had on-board Realtek HD Audio for my sound on my computer, and it was the source of my TF2 crashes (although it was in XP). It turns out that Realtek's latest drivers were messing things up, and I had to revert to much older drivers.... drivers from 2008, to be specific. But then it ran properly.

Being as you're in Windows 7, getting older drivers may not be an option. If you can determine that it's the on-board Realtek sound system that's causing the trouble, you may want to do like I did and buy an inexpensive sound card from somebody like Creative. This solved my crashing and it even improved some other sound problems in Windows.

 

[Sgt.Sausage]

I similar problems as well, and they kinda just went away i tried lots of things but nothing seemed to work. Then one of the things i tried (multiple at a time) it was fixed. Mine was more sound and movement ingame stuttering. Not sure how i can help.

I installed vista nvidia drivers it worked temporary until new win7 stable drivers came out. Also tried reinstalling various drivers and something seemed to work.

 

[Nineaxis]

I've fixed the sound issue, snd_mixahead should be 0.1 not 1. Had to edit config.cfg to fix it.

Will be playing TF2 some more now, hopefully it won't be crashing constantly.

 

[zpqrei]

Good luck.

 

[Jack Riguel]

3. Disabling HDR only made the game uglier

This just totally blew my mind.

Anyways, I'm still an XP user, but I could talk to a friend of mine who's beta tested Win7 for ages and has been running TF2 swimmingly since. I'll see if he comes up with anything else you haven't tried yet.

 

[Dr. KillPatient]

If it's game specific you might want to verify the game cache integrity if you haven't done so already, it's a longshot but I've fixed quite a few errors in TF2 using the method.