this install is confusing... i still cant get ns to work! heres what i did
1. ran all the patches and installs in order and moved all the stuff to another steam install (after running through the training with impulse 101 killing everything i could find)

2. for once i thought it worked. the icon appeared in "my games" and i was able to acess it. i went in, tried to join a few servers and it said i had a diffrent client.dll
and some more about how my maps differed from the servers.

3. i threw the monitor out the window out of shear annoyance.

4. i tried re-installing ns on yet another steam installation, and it wouldnt even appear in "play games"

what am i doing wrong? and dont say "you destroyed your monitor"
are there new versions of the 4 and 4a patches or something???
because when it was actually working my client.dll and none of my maps matched the servers.
and it STILL wont come up on "play games" after the time i mentioned in step 2.

any pointers?

Okay first, The EASIEST way to download it, is looking at the download page, but as you said its confusing so ill explain

Download B1, Then download B4, Then B4a.

Once all those are done, you MUST INSTALL IN THIS ORDER!

B1, B4, B4A IF YOU DONT, Stuff will go wrong, (Having to download maps, you alraedy have...Not being able to gorge, Some dumb stuff!)

Hopefully I could help, enjoy

Edited : By going into this order also, your client.dll should be fixed also, if it isnt, post again.

AaahaAaaaaaaahaaaaaa Multiple steam installations! :S

Unless you have a huge amount of custom games installed already, I'd recommend a total uninstall of steam (scour registry, delete folders left over manually) then try to reinstall steam. THEN do Thansal's guide.

Ahem.

ROFLMAO!

Moment to compose myself.

Ok, here is the clean install guide.

http://home.covad.net/~k25125/SteamyThings...Install_FAQ.htm

GL

How can that guy be so knowledgeable and yet so unprofessional....

"Go to c:\windows\prefetch and delete all files in that folder"
And why exactly? This governs the best layout of the hard disk for use by windoes Defrag.

"Follow all the instructions, use the Default install path (don't change it)"
"This installs Steam to c:\Valve\Steam"
What happened to "Freedom of install directory" human rights?


The file "Save_Valve_and_Steam_Registry.cmd" only saves the Valve reg key

--
regedit /e SAVED_Valve_and_Steam_Registry.reg "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve"
--

The guy uses 3 batch files when 1 with the CHOICE.COM file would have sufficed. Meh, I spose that's a personal prefference really.


Still, it does the job.

thanks, but i still dont know why i follow every guide i can find to the letter and it STILL wont appear on "play games"
i got the very latest steam installer, initialized hl and installed in order the 3 setups
and it still doesnt recognise it!!!
damn you steam!

Scanning through recent questions I've answered;

Has this been resolved?
Please post if so or if not; your solution will bennifit others.


If ns is not showing up it's probably been isntalled in the wrong place. Seriously, look again. I can give detailed instructions, but I'd feel silly as Thansal has it written down 1000s of times all over the place here anyway.

Look for nested nsp folders. They generally point to a mis-install.

i have the same problem 2 .... i want to play this game... but it wont work.. i say exactly how i did the install... First i downloaded the b1 then b4 then b4a...and i installed the b1 first b4 second and the b4a last... it said that when i try to join a game... that half life had the wrong version.. so.. i updated it with steam.. i tryed to join a server but cl_dlls/client.dll differs from the server came and ruined my day.. i tried and i tried... so i thinked that maybe it was better to to join a game manually .. but it said that half life was in incorrect version .. so i downloaded hl1110 version to install it with a setup... (because it wouldnt download with the sierra manager ...then (sorry for damping ...) AGHHHHHHHH it said i had the correct version but the update was out of date!?!?!?!?!? i have reinstalled and reinstalled and reinstalled.... my directory is E:\Spel\Half-Life\nsp\.. (Spel means games on Swedish ) when i installed b1 b4 b4a i choosed the folder Half-Life..on Natural Selection server it says... NS v3.0 beta 4a that the game is...so i have not installed the b4 sometimes... and things.. i had this on 2.0 too... and it was the wrong update... plz someone help me ... My MSN is krille_grillen@msn.com.. and email me post in this forum...i must get this game soon... Im very tired sitting doing this... and its my favourite game .. plz someone help me

K... im working on it.. im installing b1 but when i install it, it wont ask were to install it.. so i move the whole NSP folder to steamapplications..!

lol ...great it didnt need to do it...i use windows cmd and i was in the steamapps/halife folder and it install the b1 there

Blue, i gotta thank you so much... now im going to play NS and again thanks to you Blue.. this game remain as my favourite..!

Why don't they just replace the guide in the downloads section with Thansal's? Its obviously ineffective...even for people that DID read it.