Absurd Minds

Earlier, I wrote an extensive thread detailing the installation of my Linux server. Now I'll give a much more brief overview of how to install a Window server.

First off, download the Windows HLDS Update Tool. You should be able to find a download link at http://store.steampowered.com/about.

Now run the download tool with administrator privileges (right click the file and choose "Run as Administrator"). If you keep all the default settings, it will install the server at the path C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer.

Now you'll have to open up a command prompt. On Windows XP, choose Start > Run > cmd. In Vista or Windows 7, just hit the start button and type cmd into the search bar. It will give you your command prompt.

Go to the directory in which you installed the HLDS Update Tool.

cd C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer

Now install whatever HLDS game you want. Counter Strike (cstrike), Condition Zero (czero), Day of Defeat (dod), etc. Check out this list of mods for more information.

HldsUpdateTool.exe -command update -game cstrike -dir .

Note the . after -dir. That indicates that you're installing it into the current directory.

This could take a while, and you may have to execute this command a couple of times before it completes. Just do it until it says that your installation is up to date.

Once it's done, your server is installed! There are two ways you can run your server:

GUI - easier, but uses more resources

Go to C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer and double click hlds.exe. It will give you something like this:



Just configure it to your liking and launch the server!

Command Line - more challenging, but more efficient

Go to C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer and right click the hlds.exe icon. Select "Create Shortcut" or even "Send To > Desktop (Create Shortcut)". Then right click on your newly created shortcut and select "Properties".

There will be a box in that new window that says "Target". Currently, it should say something like "C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer\hlds.exe". After that, enter all of the command line opearations you want to execute. For example

"C:\Program Files\Valve\HLServer\hlds.exe" -console -game cstrike -autoupdate +maxplayers 12 +map de_aztec

For a full list of command line operations, see this thread.



That's the basics of server set up. Check out the other threads in this section for more advanced information.

Configuring your server files
Adjusting your server rates
Installing metamod
Installing AMX Mod X
Adding admin
Adding custom maps
Adding plugins

That's exactly right. What you gave them is called an "internal IP", and it only works for people who are connected to the internet in your house.

What you need to give your friends is your "external IP address". This is what other people will connect to. Go to whatismyip.com. That will tell you your external IP address. Give that to your friends.

You can read more about it in this thread.