I've been having this problem more and more recently:

Whenever I am in a game (not the ready room) and usually when I am near a lot of battle, if I try to open my console (have it bound to default ~) my computer freezes. This has been happening alot and is really annoying. Can anyone help?

BTW: i have a pretty nice computer running win xp pro

I've had this problem as well, but I doubt it's a ns problem.. When you freeze after opening console, does the sound loop in a strange sound?

Errrm never had this problem with win xp pro. Let me guess an answer. The page file comes set to Manual and a ridiculously low value, at least in my XP. Try setting it to Automatic. This took UT2K4's map loading from +- 5 mins to 1 min. Well, it's just a guess. Other possible solutions include downloading updates from Windows Update or downloading new drivers for your graphics and/or sound cards.

No, it's not a pagefile problem. It's only started happening since last steam patch so I'll assume it's on steams end.

This happened on Athena's computer for the longest time, not sure if she is still experiencing this problem but I had to remember not to open my console when I was playing at her house because this crash was severe enough to force us to reboot the computer.

I can't give any outstanding details because I only witnessed it a few times and I have no idea what her config was, but I'll send her over here to give testimony.

I'll post mine. I can usually get to to crash if I bind a key to "status" and then hit it and open the console right away.


_snd_mixahead "0.1"
ati_npatch "0"
ati_subdiv "0"
bgmvolume "1.000000"
bottomcolor "6"
brightness "1.000000"
cl_allowdownload "0"
cl_allowupload "0"
cl_autohelp "1.0"
cl_buildmessages "1"
cl_centerentityid "0.0"
cl_cmdbackup "2"
cl_cmdrate "14"
cl_cmhotkeys "qwerasdfzxcv"
cl_dlmax "128"
cl_download_ingame "0"
cl_dynamiclights "1"
cl_forcedefaultfov "0"
cl_highdetail "1"
cl_himodels "0"
cl_idealpitchscale "0.8"
cl_lc "1"
cl_logocolor "#Valve_Orange"
cl_logofile "lambda"
cl_lw "1"
cl_musicdelay "90"
cl_musicdirectory ""
cl_musicenabled "1"
cl_musicvolume "0"
cl_particleinfo "0"
cl_quickselecttime "0.0"
cl_timeout "60"
cl_updaterate "30"
cl_vsmoothing "0.05"
con_color "255 180 30"
console "1.000000"
crosshair "1.000000"
fps_max "1000"
fps_modem "85"
gamma "2.500000"
gl_dither "1"
gl_flipmatrix "0"
gl_fog "1"
gl_monolights "0"
gl_overbright "0"
gl_polyoffset "0.1"
hisound "1"
hpk_maxsize "0"
hud_capturemouse "1"
hud_centerid "0"
hud_classautokill "1"
hud_draw "1"
hud_fastswitch "1"
hud_takesshots "0"
joystick "0"
lookspring "0.000000"
lookstrafe "0.000000"
m_filter "1"
m_forward "1"
m_pitch "0.022000"
m_side "0.8"
m_yaw "0.022"
model "gordon"
MP3FadeTime "0.0"
MP3Volume "0.8"
mp_decals "300"
name "TheGuy"
net_graph "1"
net_graphpos "1"
net_scale "5"
r_bmodelhighfrac "5.0"
r_detailtextures "0"
s_a3d "0.0"
s_automax_distance "30.0"
s_automin_distance "2.0"
s_bloat "2.0"
s_distance "60"
s_doppler "0.0"
s_eax "0.0"
s_leafnum "0"
s_max_distance "1000.0"
s_min_distance "8.0"
s_numpolys "200"
s_polykeep "1000000000"
s_polysize "10000000"
s_refdelay "4"
s_refgain "0.4"
s_rolloff "1.0"
s_verbwet "0.25"
sensitivity "10"
skin ""
suitvolume "0.250000"
sv_aim "0"
sv_voiceenable "1"
team ""
topcolor "30"
viewsize "120.000000"
voice_enable "1"
voice_forcemicrecord "1"
voice_modenable "1"
voice_scale "1"
volume "0.800000"
setinfo "_entpass" "test"
+mlook
exec userconfig.cfg

It doesn't happen anymore, but Tyr's right... bringing down console would usually completely freeze up my system (I couldn't even alt-tab out of NS/Steam when it happened).

I think it just went away after awhile - I format and reinstall WinXP every so often, so at some point I probably managed to wipe out whatever was causing it. :/

well, i've done some extensive testing and have a solution, for myself at least:

If you are currently performing an action, such as attacking or happen to press a key around the same time you open the console, it crashes. I found this only occures when my computer is heated up. So I did more testing, and found that if i waited at least a second before i opened the console, even after playing for hours, i would have no trouble. The only cause I can guess is that the rapid overlay of the menus and re-rendering the windows pointer causes the HL engine to overload.

hidden_sniper:
Maybe you should experiment with the air conditioning kicked way up (or the heat way down, depending on where you live) to see if it actually is a cooling problem. If you don't have access to that for whatever reason, you could wait until it starts getting cold around where you live and then post back.

I also run windows XP (but home edition *shakes fist at OEMs*), I never have cooling problems, and I do not have this problem regularly. I want to say that this may have happened before to me, but in the kind of isolated fashion that I just restart my computer, I forget about it, and it never happens again.

My config (just for reference, maybe comparison to the other CFG):

_snd_mixahead "0.1"
ati_npatch "1.0"
ati_subdiv "2.0"
bgmvolume "0.000000"
bottomcolor "6"
brightness "1.090000"
cl_allowdownload "1"
cl_allowupload "1"
cl_autohelp "0"
cl_buildmessages "1"
cl_centerentityid "0"
cl_cmdbackup "2"
cl_cmdrate "40"
cl_cmhotkeys "qwerasdfzxcv"
cl_dlmax "128"
cl_download_ingame "1"
cl_dynamiclights "1"
cl_forcedefaultfov "0"
cl_highdetail "1"
cl_himodels "0"
cl_idealpitchscale "0.8"
cl_lc "1"
cl_logocolor "#Valve_Orange"
cl_logofile "Spray"
cl_lw "1"
cl_musicdelay "90.000000"
cl_musicdirectory ""
cl_musicenabled "0"
cl_musicvolume "0.000000"
cl_particleinfo "0"
cl_quickselecttime "0.500000"
cl_timeout "305"
cl_updaterate "30"
cl_vsmoothing "0.05"
con_color "255 155 50"
console "1.0"
crosshair "1.000000"
fps_max "75"
fps_modem "0.0"
gamma "1.800000"
gl_dither "1"
gl_flipmatrix "0"
gl_fog "1"
gl_monolights "0"
gl_overbright "0"
gl_polyoffset "4"
hisound "1"
hpk_maxsize "0"
hud_capturemouse "1"
hud_centerid "0"
hud_classautokill "1"
hud_draw "1"
hud_fastswitch "1"
hud_takesshots "0"
joystick "0"
lookspring "0.000000"
lookstrafe "0.000000"
m_filter "0"
m_forward "1"
m_pitch "-0.022000"
m_side "0.8"
m_yaw "0.022"
model "gordon"
MP3FadeTime "2.0"
MP3Volume "0.800000"
mp_decals "300.000000"
name "semi-psychotic[On|E]"
net_graph "3"
net_graphpos "1"
net_scale "5"
r_bmodelhighfrac "5.0"
r_detailtextures "0"
s_a3d "0.0"
s_automax_distance "30.0"
s_automin_distance "2.0"
s_bloat "2.0"
s_distance "60"
s_doppler "0.0"
s_eax "0.0"
s_leafnum "0"
s_max_distance "1000.0"
s_min_distance "8.0"
s_numpolys "200"
s_polykeep "1000000000"
s_polysize "10000000"
s_refdelay "4"
s_refgain "0.4"
s_rolloff "1.0"
s_verbwet "0.25"
sensitivity "14.960000"
skin ""
suitvolume "0.250000"
sv_aim "0"
sv_voiceenable "1"
team ""
topcolor "30"
viewsize "120.000000"
voice_enable "1"
voice_forcemicrecord "1.000000"
voice_modenable "1"
voice_scale "1"
volume "0.700000"
setinfo "friends" "0"
+mlook
exec userconfig.cfg

I highly doubt it's overheating but if it is then Half-Life is causing it. It's only been happening since the last steam patch or so.

Here's a sure way to totally lock it up. bind a key to condump . Go to a full server, hit the key and open the console, instant freeze.

well, what can you expect from a laptop:
_snd_mixahead "0.1"
ati_npatch "1.0"
ati_subdiv "2.0"
bgmvolume "0.000000"
bottomcolor "6"
brightness "1.500000"
cl_allowdownload "1"
cl_allowupload "1"
cl_autohelp "0"
cl_buildmessages "1"
cl_centerentityid "0"
cl_cmdbackup "2"
cl_cmdrate "101"
cl_cmhotkeys "qwerasdfzxcv"
cl_dlmax "128"
cl_download_ingame "1"
cl_dynamiclights "1"
cl_forcedefaultfov "0"
cl_highdetail "1"
cl_himodels "1"
cl_idealpitchscale "0.8"
cl_lc "1"
cl_logocolor "#Valve_Red"
cl_logofile "splatt"
cl_lw "1"
cl_musicdelay "90.000000"
cl_musicdirectory ""
cl_musicenabled "0"
cl_musicvolume "150.000000"
cl_particleinfo "0"
cl_quickselecttime "0.500000"
cl_timeout "305"
cl_updaterate "101"
cl_vsmoothing "0.05"
con_color "255 155 50"
console "1"
crosshair "1.000000"
fps_max "61"
fps_modem "0.0"
gamma "2"
gl_dither "1"
gl_flipmatrix "0"
gl_fog "1"
gl_monolights "0"
gl_overbright "0"
gl_polyoffset "4"
hisound "1"
hpk_maxsize "0"
hud_capturemouse "1"
hud_centerid "0"
hud_classautokill "1"
hud_draw "1"
hud_fastswitch "1"
hud_takesshots "0"
joystick "0"
lookspring "0.000000"
lookstrafe "0.000000"
m_filter "0"
m_forward "1"
m_pitch "0.022000"
m_side "0.8"
m_yaw "0.022"
model "gordon"
MP3FadeTime "2.0"
MP3Volume "0.800000"
mp_decals "300.000000"
name "[Epi]Dog-God"
net_graph "0"
net_graphpos "2"
net_scale "5"
r_bmodelhighfrac "5.0"
r_detailtextures "0"
s_a3d "0.0"
s_automax_distance "30.0"
s_automin_distance "2.0"
s_bloat "2.0"
s_distance "60"
s_doppler "0.0"
s_eax "1"
s_leafnum "0"
s_max_distance "1000.0"
s_min_distance "8.0"
s_numpolys "200"
s_polykeep "1000000000"
s_polysize "10000000"
s_refdelay "4"
s_refgain "0.4"
s_rolloff "1.0"
s_verbwet "0.25"
sensitivity "4.530000"
skin ""
suitvolume "0.250000"
sv_aim "0"
sv_voiceenable "1"
team ""
topcolor "30"
viewsize "110"
voice_enable "1"
voice_forcemicrecord "1.000000"
voice_modenable "1"
voice_scale "1.000000"
volume "0.700000"
setinfo "friends" "0"
+mlook
+jlook
exec userconfig.cfg

Is your console value set to 1.0?

*phased* to Tech Support.