I have not been able to launch Fallout New Vegas ALL day, as in from 7am to 10:45 pm

Every thing worked fine until the blasted patch was released, but today when I thought I would be able to update to the newest version, I cannot even launch my game.

Launching the game gives me the "preparing to launch . . ." message, which now just sits there for like one and a half minutes, and then it is followed by the "Steam servers are too busy to handle your request . . ." message.

I have the retail version of the game. It is EXTREMELY annoying to not be able to even use a game that I paid for. I never had this sort of trouble with Fallout 3, as I wasn't forced to log in to Steam to play the game. I am NOT impressed with Steam. I am more than just a little frustrated. I'm about ready to chuck New Vegas.

II even tried the reinstall option from my retail DVD and all that did was that it verified my FO:NV files through Steam. The game runs if I set Steam to off line mode, but I cannot get the new patch without going through Steam.
I also have Civilization V and that works just fine through Steam. So now I'm stuck with an unpatched version of the game.

I asked for help on the Steam site, but so far I've been ignored . . . for like 7 hours now. If Elder Scrolls V requires Steam, I doubt that I will purchase it, after all the frustration that I've had with New Vegas and Steam.

After trying until 11:30 pm last night, with the severs all busy, I got up early (at 6:30) hoping to beat the rush . . . but I just received the message that the servers were too busy . . . STILL???!!!

I'm pulling my hair out here! I even tried the suggestion of renaming the ClientRegistry.blob file (the ONLY suggestion I could find on the Steam site), and that didn't seem to help either. My Steam client stuff updated, but I am still unable to update my PAID-FOR-GAME!!! The silly thing is that this copy protection just makes it difficult for the honest users who bought their game . . . a pirated version of the patch was already on Torrent yesterday.

Steam has still not responded to my request for help. I am NOT happy about being forced to use Steam to play a retail game, and then NOT being able to play the game because Steam's servers hate me

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Updated: 12:00 (Noon)
After trying again for like another hour, I finally decided that perhaps there was something wrong with my installed game, that was somehow preventing my game from updating. I mean, I'm getting like zero help here, so all that I have to go on is my intuition.

Ok, so now I inserted my retail New Vegas DVD, selected "Uninstall" and ran the game's uninstaller.
Then I Logged onto Steam, went to my Games, selected Fallout: New Vegas, and clicked on Install.
Then it took like 5 minutes to "Create Local Game Cache Files," while a message assured me that the game was being prepared for installation.
According to the progress bar, it makes it through 90% of the "Create Local Game Cache Files" part.
And then . . . you guessed it . . . I get the message:

"The Steam servers are too busy to handle your request. Please try again in a few minutes."

AAAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Now I cannot play New Vegas at ALL!!!

I HATE STEAM!!!

Understand this isnt an official tech support forum. Just volunteers post here (gamers helping gamers).
You should try a fresh install of fallout 3 new vegas. You need t o uninstall it first. Go to add/remove programs (uninstall programs) and remove falout 3 new vegas that way.
Make sure the fallout 3 new vegas folder is deleted in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\

Then install the game again from the DVD and let it update. Make sure to run everything as admin by right clicking.

I got the message once when I was trying to get the patch, but a few minutes later it worked. A lot of updates just came out for multiple games (Civ V just released a larger patch for instance), so I'd recommend to just keep trying. Or you could try running in offline mode.

Thanks, but that was exactly what I did . . . and it is why I can no longer play New Vegas AT ALL . . . online or offline. The servers refuse to reinstall my game, as they are ALWAYS "too busy."

This is the LAST Steam game I will ever buy. Why did Bethesda have to make this a Steam game? I've had less problems with Fallout 3 in the 18+ months that I've been playing it, than I have had with New Vegas in the last month. If Elder Scrolls V is a Steam game, I will not buy it.

So your game wont install at all from the DVD? I have read people having issues when they type in the cd key incorrectly. The steam server should verify the cd-key from the game and then the installation from the dvd should start.
Then the game will update from steam.

My game is still registered on Steam, it just will not allow me to reinstall it to my own computer . . . because its servers are ALWAYS busy when I try. And I've been trying for more than a day and a half now. There's no way that I can update my Realism Tweaks when I cannot even install the game.

This is not an uncommon issue. Its an issue somewhere else (probably has nothing to do with the servers). Have you tried reinstalling steam?

Arwen, the game is crap - don't bother!

Go to your steamapps folder and delete these files.

falloutnv_bin
fallout new vegas english
falloutnv_base

then in common delete the folder - fallout new vegas

You should be able to reinstall it now with the cd

I uninstalled Steam for my computer, deleted the Steam Folder, then I tried to install from the DVD. Everything seemed to go ok until it tried to connect to my online Steam account.

I get the "Connecting to Steam account" message . . . followed a minute or two later by the "could not connect to the Steam network" message.

At least at some point you should have been able to connect even if terrible slow.
A far fetched idea, it might be that something been changed on your internet connection recently? If you happen to run on a laptop, walk over to a friend with another internet provider and try there.
Just an idea I had.

Well mine wont run either since the patch on my laptop. Which far exceeds the specs. I have the steam version. Its not a steam error either. I get into the game past the Fallout3 screen but when it gets to the load/continue/start new game screen it crashes with program error message popping from windows.

Might want to check the steam forums for a resolution.

Arwen - in steam under settings check to see what the Internet connection speed is set @ & what Dl region your in. Sometimes steam gets weird and puts it in a area where it won't let you connect. I found by changing it you get better dl speeds @ times but you always want to try to stay somewhat close to your home area. Hope it helps.

& I totally agree about ESV using Steam. I'm not sure if getting it would be worth it if Steam is a part of it. Too much trouble and I hate how it has to allow you to do stuff.

Edit x2 - Steam lets Beth get lazy thinking if a issue pops up it will be patched away. I don't remember F03 (thou I could be wrong) having so many people saying "the next patch will fix this or that" with it.

I appreciate your suggestion and would love to try it . . . except that I don't have a "Settings" to open.

Np - sry you couldn't get that far. If it helps (which I doubt it will) now I can't even load a save or start a new game. After it patched yesterday I played for several hours and it was great. Now however (with no changes to the game whatsoever) it's crashing on a load or a new game. Tried all the usual troubleshooting that comes with Beth games and now I"m shooting in the dark. lol I think I may hang it up along with ya. lol

did you try to delete the Clientregistry.blob and appupdatestats.blob in the Steam directory?

there's a chance that doing that may help

I've finally been able to fix the problem (it only took me three days). I had Advanced System Care installed on my computer, but it had always seemed to work just fine along side all my other programs, including Steam and New Vegas. I had not updated the program this week, so I really didn't see how it could be the problem. But I had tried everything else, so I figured that I would uninstall it. And then I tried Steam again and it WORKED!

It took me forever to download the entire game again (like all morning), but I can run it again, so I'm back in business . . . well sort of. I still need to reinstall GECK, FNVEdit, NVSE, and the mods I was using . . . so I'm not quite there yet, but things do look promising now. Thanks goodness! Unfortunately I have to attend to the other aspects of my life for a while, so it will likely be another day before I get everything back to the place where I will be able to work on my NV Tweaks again.

Thanks so much for sticking with me through this mess (and I still HATE Steam).