Problem: STEAM authentication USERID ticket size is invalild

[Zen]

I'm getting this error on server join/create, regardless of server or map:
STEAM authentication USERID ticket size is invalid(0/2048)!

Here are a couple of things that I know are a fact:
- I have a legit copy of HL
- I had 1.0 installed and installed the newest betapack into the correct folder
- I have port 27015 open
- I've tried a listen server and Fuznet server using the configuration variables outlined in the Fuznet post

Also, I read Steampowered's support topic on a few different Steam ticket topics. I deleted (backed up, actually) Steam.dll, SteamUI.dll, and ClientRegistry.blob. Also, tried restarting Steam and my PC numerous times.

Any ideas anyone?

As a further note, I reinstalled MSC from scratch, i.e. I removed my msc mod directory, redownloaded, and installed MSC 1.0. Then, I downloaded and installed the latest beta pack, and I am still experiencing the same problem.

Does MSC require additional ports not documented anywhere?

or

Is there some way that a mod can modify Steam authentication ips/servers/urls or whatever form it uses?

Further update:
After more attempts at connecting to servers (each one after the first), the error changes to "SteamGetEncryptedUserIDTicket() failed with error 109: Connection to the local Steam Service lost"

And, of course, Steam's support site says to delete ClientRegistry.blob, which I've done numerous times with many Steam and system restarts.

This seems to be a very weird problem. Apparently MSC is somehow interrupting my Steam connection, or its not even utilizing it at all -- but Steam stays connected fine.

Hmmm... I'm really not in the mood for a complete Steam reinstall... of course, I don't think that'll fix the problem anyway, since other apps work... hmm... Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Thothie]

Visit: Steam Stupidity

Use this if you are having trouble finding your Steam folder to delete those files. (It'll take you to your Half-Life folder, the files you need to delete are a few folders up.)

 

[Zen]

Finding my Steam folder is trivial. Finding out why the problem persists after I delete those files is a problem

Another thing -- all my other HL mods function perfectly.

 

[Thothie]

<_<

>_>

Format C:! ><

I'd hate to say it, but I skimmed over that the first time, upon reading it closer I think that one was one of the buggers that kept me off Steam for the first six months.