launcher error : failed to load the launcher dll (null)

[der dritte im bunde]

Dear community,

we are different player in diverse games about the same issue.


The latest update does not support SSE computerized hardware.


We are in discussion in this chats :

css :
http://steamcommunity.com/app/240/discussions/0/864979008727071632/


half-life 2 deathmatch :
http://steamcommunity.com/app/320/discussions/0/864979455422065247/

team fortress 2 :
http://steamcommunity.com/app/440/discussions/0/864977563973658153/

left 4 dead 2 :
http://steamcommunity.com/app/550/discussions/0/864972399706395656/


thanks for your help and comment

kind regards

[⚡🍉OverlordTomala🍉⚡]

I recommend a better toaster.

[Bytor]

@der dritte im bunde

Please edit your post.

Originally posted by der dritte im bunde:

The latest update does not support SSE1 computerized hardware.

It should read SSE1 SSE2.

Also 'latest' is too vague, there are newer updates and for different products. How about:

The latest 18 September Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch update does not support....

[der dritte im bunde]

Dear Updater,

you read right, we talk about SSE performance machine.

I am delegate from CS:S fraction and the update from 17th Sep. 2013 brought us the issue.

We can not play usual as always since that update.

Thanks for your help and reply

kind regards

[Bytor]

@der dritte im bunde

It would help if you corrected your original comment. There is a pencil icon at the top right of the post (if you are logged in). This lets you edit.

SSE1 => SSE2
"latest" => 18 September....

We should use Valve's update announcement date and title to avoid confusion with other updates. Here is the announcement:

http://store.steampowered.com/news/11477/

[Modab_Games_R_US]

Yes, SSE2 is correct, I have the same problem.

[der dritte im bunde]

Dear Updater,

there is everything right.

We are in CS:S-discussion about SSE or SSE1 computerized hardware since :
Product Update - Valve Counter-Strike: Source Update Released 17.09.2013.

Also there are some other gamer about that issue; update does not support performance machine older than 2004/2005.

thanks for your reply
kind regards

[OCDwolfman]

if its a .DLL issue. this may help you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZPfEGdPvko hope it does

[who sh☹t Marvin?]

no pal, it's a steam issue.. :)

[Sick Kick]

I'm in a rage! The problem is here still! And the support is stayng calm.
I'm not going to spend a cent on a new computer.
I will not going to spend a cent on any Steam game with such support. I'm going to tell everybody how the Steam is forcing loyal players to buy new hardware.
It's a direct violation of our customer rights.
That's enough!
I BOUGHT MY GAME! I PLAYED MY GAME FOR YEARS! AND I WANT MY GAME BACK IMMEDIATELY!

[K-16]

tl;dr: Could somebody from VALVe please explain what benefit these older games get from the sudden switch to require SSE2? By older games I mean CS:S and HL2:DM. I'm not going to include TF2/L4D2 in my question (as I believe they are actively supported beyond trickle updates) even though I used to be able to play them without issue. Being unable to play backlog games that previously supported my computer confuses me, akin to say... Quake suddenly using a launcher that requires new technology that prevents minorities from playing (thank goodness that hasn't happened). I get it, my computer is old, but could I get an explanation as to what SSE2 does for these games before I save up for a new computer, in order to play the games that worked back when I bought it?


Full message:
I understand that SSE is outdated technology (introduced in 1999 through Pentium III), and I certainly hope gamers everywhere are not relying on such hardware to stay on the current generation of games (I mean, Pentium III? Seriously? A $300 smartphone is more capable than your computer).

With that said, I too am one of the victims of the file system change that mysteriously requires files using SSE2 to run. In other words, I can no longer play certain backlog games VALVe Software has made as listed in the opening post.

What frustrates me is not so much the end of support for SSE, but rather what benefits these older games gain from SSE2? As I am unfamiliar with the actual change, nor have I heard of any differences in the experience from those who can still play it, I don't understand why the old games now require SSE2 when it doesn't seem to actually use these CPU instructions. To me, I feel like some abritrary files were thrown in that forces Steam to require SSE2 and prevents these games from opening, rather than actually using SSE2 to make CS:S, L4D2, TF2, HL2D etc.

Actually I'm willing to ignore TF2 on this list (and maybe L4D2 as well), as that game is still up-to-date content wise, so I should be looking more towards CS:S and HL2D. Why do those two games require SSE2, when it clearly had no issues running on hardware with only SSE? That's the explanation I would like to hear before I am forced to resort to saving up $1,500 USD to play my previously purchased older titles, as my upgrade/overhaul would obviously be something that'll last in the current generation (it'll take a while, as my money goes towards family, bills, loans/mortgages, donations to charity/YouTubers, and taxes). It's like suddenly being unable to play Quake because the launcher uses somewhat newer technology. It doesn't make sense to abandon minorities for titles that were previously within their generation, UNLESS there was an invisible benefit none of us knew about as we were never told of it.

So how do games that worked with SSE benefit from SSE2 now? And what was that exact change that causes this problem to happen? This is an answer I want to know and feel entitled to know as I paid for these games back when they worked. The changelogs do not answer my question from what I can see thus far. I feel like if an employee/representative of VALVe would answer this question and explain the benefit, then those of us with SSE only should understand and move on. Time to save up $700-$1,500 USD to last a few more years (might as well prep for SSE3 only games if you're going to upgrade and you will eventually anyways).

[K-16]

Apparently there's a light at the end of the tunnel...

http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=11842

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• The Grandmaster will now update its model based on the owner's current kill streak
  
• Removed the requirement for SSE2 that was introduced during a previous update
  
• Updated The Jupiter Jumpers so they can be equipped with the Mantreads and the Gunboats

I have to admit, this is a pleasant surprise, but a surprise none the less. I REALLY wasn't expecting this to happen, and it seems somebody at VALVe noticed. Could the SSE2 requirement actually be by mistake? Anyways, the other affected games have yet to change at this time, but it's possible we may have our older games accessible to all gamers in the future starting with this TF2 update... Maybe... Hopefully...

[dominikem]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my half-life 2:

"failed to load the launcher dll (null)"

Two months ago, the game worked very well on my CPU (amd athlon xp 2600+).

Whether this problem will be fixed at all? when?

Remove the "bin" folder, remowe appache folder, remowe anti-virus does not help. I have one account and only one steam instaled on only one PC.

Please help,

Regards,
Dominik

[Лейтенант Читанавич]

А мне сра+ь

[K-16]

Sorry for resurrecting and bumping this thread, but I wanted to give an update that we are now 2 down, 2 to go for games that SSE CPUs can play. The Dec 17, 2013 update for Left 4 Dead 2 has the SSE2 requirement removed (I was told on another thread this somehow applies to Windows users).

Originally posted by http://store.steampowered.com/news/?appids=550:

An update has been released for Left 4 Dead 2.

• Fixed a file management bug that could cause some users to run out of memory when opening the Addons screen.
  
• Removed SSE2 requirement that was added during the Linux port.
  
• Fixed plugin handler reporting all commands as coming from the server, even when they came from the client.

So that leaves Half-Life 2 Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source left (that's Source, not Global Offensive because that game does use both SSE and SSE2 together, so those with SSE-only CPUs are out of luck for Global Offensive).

[oryan_dunn]

Where does this stand with Half-Life 2? I just tried playing it on my Athlon XP 2900+, and got this dll error.