Team Fortress 2 - Random Lock Ups

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

This is a particularly strange problem I've been having on my PC version of Team Fortress 2. I recently starting playing it again and it likes to randomly lockup. The game will never crash, but it likes to freeze for a few seconds (3-10?) and then continue on its way. It does this both in game, and just at the item menus so it isn't the servers I play on. I play a variety of other games online without the issues, so that leads me to think it is also not my internet/router since L4D2, Black Ops and other online games don't lock up.

My list of things I've done without success:

* Checked for viruses - None detected
* Defraged the drive it's on, as well as the Steam game itself
* Reinstalled Team Fortress and updated it just now, but to no avail.
* I play all my games via an external drive. I have two identical externals (one for play, the other is my backup should the first fail) and both have the same issue, ruling out my current external has a hardware malfunction.

Thoughts and suggestions are quite welcome. I feel like this should be an easy fix, but now I'm not so sure. I'm stumped on this one. It's playable in its current state, but it can get rather annoying.

 

[Citrus]

When it freezes, do you hear the sound looping too?

 

[Anarchemitis]

If you can still look around but can't move (and no one else in the server does) that means you're in a sequence signal jam. Packets are not being properly shared between your computer and the server. In order to alleviate this, ensure that the servers you join have a good ping, and that your internet connection is reliable. If its wireless, it can be interrupted by interference, which can take a few seconds for the signal to recover. If it happens that frequently and is highly frustrating, consider not playing Team Fortress 2 until you have a better internet connection.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

When it freezes, do you hear the sound looping too?

Yes and no. When I'm on the menu screen and say, I check my loadout or want to switch items, the sound will indeed loop about three times before continuing as normal. In game, the sound doesn't always loop. Usually the sound stops as soon as the game locks up, then both will magically go about their business a few seconds later.

If it happens that frequently and is highly frustrating, consider not playing Team Fortress 2 until you have a better internet connection.

The servers/ my internet connection aren't an issue though. I have cable internet and it's quite stable and the ping of the servers I play on ranges from 30-40. I play dozens of games via the internet without issue. Switching to various servers, or even playing at my friend's house on his connection does not alleviate the problem.

 

[Tharwen]

I tend to find that Source engine games have horribly laggy interfaces. Do you get a few seconds of frozen-ness when you open achievement and server windows?

The lag in-game sounds like it could be your computer trying to load something, although it's hard to imagine what... Also, there could be something like an antivirus program being spastic in the background.

One last thing: Have you tried that magic 'verify integrity of game cache' button yet?

 

[Citrus]

When it freezes, do you hear the sound looping too?

Yes and no. When I'm on the menu screen and say, I check my loadout or want to switch items, the sound will indeed loop about three times before continuing as normal. In game, the sound doesn't always loop. Usually the sound stops as soon as the game locks up, then both will magically go about their business a few seconds later.

It may be an issue with your paged pool memory, something that antivirus programs are notorious for hogging. Which antivirus do you use?

Also, you could always just run the game in DirectX 8.1 if all else fails.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

One last thing: Have you tried that magic 'verify integrity of game cache' button yet?

Indeed I have. Sadly it did not work. :<

It may be an issue with your paged pool memory, something that antivirus programs are notorious for hogging. Which antivirus do you use?

Also, you could always just run the game in DirectX 8.1 if all else fails.

Currently I have Malewarebytes installed and just CCCleaner for various other details. Though, when I check to see what I have running in the background, neither show up. I have most everything shut down through the usual route (msconfig). Hmmm...

I haven't tried running it on an older DirectX (8.1).

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Hmmm... Is your firewall allowing TF2 to run unblocked? Happened to a friend of mine's.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Hmmm... Is your firewall allowing TF2 to run unblocked? Happened to a friend of mine's.

That was something I failed to think of, so I was excited to test out that idea, then realized my firewalls are currently off. Curses! :<