[Valve Error] Invalid Steam key size

[Bui]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7579-RPSX-6098

Yeah, I've seen that before, but I didn't change anything and it suddenly started happening after one of Valve's updates, which made me suspicious.

The only thing it could possibly be on my computer is the firewall, but the firewall simply bothers me for new versions of applications. Even if it was that, I removed the permissions and reset them and it still fails. Putting the dedicated server patch files on the client end doesn't work. Disabling VAC does nothing for it, either. @killermonkey, yes. It happens seemingly randomly up to 5 minutes in.

Thing is, local servers work fine. So all signs point to something being totally borked on Valve's end, at least from my perspective. Thanks for trying to help, though.

EDIT: I take what I said back. It's happening on local servers too.
EDIT2: Nope, I'm wrong again. It seems to only happen on local servers when one side isn't patched properly, but this does not hold with dedicated servers.
EDIT3: ?! I tried connecting to my dedicated server with a patched client earlier and it didn't work, but it does now (at least, it didn't boot me for 7 minutes). I'm confused and/or insane.

[Mark [lodle]]

Valve has fixed it:

Since Team Fortress 2 and Day of Defeat: Source are on a separate Orangebox engine depot that is incompatible with MODs, we've added a new hldsupdatetool entry to sync to the old files.  So if your running a MOD and need to use the old TF 2 engine and dedicated server depots, use the game name "orangebox".  There is also an entry named "episode1", in case you need to download the engine and dedicated server files for an EP1 MOD.

Jason

[steven_m64]

Valve has fixed it:

i made a post bitching about it still not being fixed for over 15 days on the dedicated servers lists yesterday maybe that kicked their asses into gear

[CCsaint10 [bklax23]]

so...I am sorry to be so out of the loop, but has this TF2 server issue that messed all the servers up been fixed yet? It doesn't seem like it judging by your guys messages, but I have been computerless for about 1 week so I didn't know if anything changed since then and i just missed it.

My thoughts:  I still only see like 17 servers or something and nobody playing...guessing something is still wrong from that. On top of that, they still says "patched" so something has to still not work.

Am I right?

Did valve even say they know about the problem yet? Or is everything still up in the air?

[mbsurfer]

Valve has fixed it:

Since Team Fortress 2 and Day of Defeat: Source are on a separate Orangebox engine depot that is incompatible with MODs, we've added a new hldsupdatetool entry to sync to the old files.  So if your running a MOD and need to use the old TF 2 engine and dedicated server depots, use the game name "orangebox".  There is also an entry named "episode1", in case you need to download the engine and dedicated server files for an EP1 MOD.

Jason

[Mark [lodle]]

The servers need to update using orangebox instead of tf and it should all be good.

[Sean [Baron]]

Lodle, make a sticky post that informs server hosts of the fix, and how to do it.