How to install Half-Life 2 using Retail DVD!??!!?!/

Hey Guys, I recently upgraded my PC and decided to try oout Half-life 2 (don't ask me why it took me so dang long, I dunno either hahaha)

ANyways, I got the latest version of steam and let it do its thing with regards to updating........Now I went and put the DVD in and installed and it seemed to have worked, steam went all funny on me and shut down after that so I restarted it and re-inserted the dvd, the startup for the game said that I could play, and when I clicked play, it opened up a box saying that I was DOWNLOADING HL2.............whats the deal with that, can anyone tell me how to just start the game, seeing as I just installed it and I really cannot download the whole thing anything cos I'm gonna hit my bandwith cap soon (The joys of living in SOuth Africa :roll:

Thanks in advance

p.s. I have the orange box, if that matters

well it sounds like its already installed, take the dvd out and launch it from steam.

As Dr Brocoli said, it sounds like it has installed but Steam is downloading all the updates that have been released since The Orange Box. Once that's done, it will let you play.

If you don't want to have these updates, you can right click on Half-Life 2 in your games list, go to 'Properties', then to the 'Updates' tab, then change the dropdown box to 'Do not automatically update this game'.

Or try starting in offline mode, by going to 'File' and then 'Go offline...'.