• A computer with the necessary requirements to run Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
If you don't know whether or not your computer meets the requirements, refer to the picture below.
Note: If you have Windows Vista, 7, 8, or 10 this game should still work, even though they are not included in the system requirements, simply due to lack of updated system requirements.


• A copy of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.

• An internet browser (comes free with nearly every computer) and the ability to download the Unofficial Patch with the browser of your choice (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).

We're starting with this error because it's more common.

In fact, it's almost guaranteed to occur on modern computers that have more than 3.5 gb of ram because the game misreads that amount of ram. This means if you have Windows XP 64-bit, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, or 10, then this error will likely occur. In contrast, if you have an older operating system, then this error shouldn't occur (at least I'm fairly sure).

Before reading what's below, this error can now be fixed by installing a patch for it which is covered in the next section. I suggest you go to that section before trying anything here!!

So only do these steps if you have already successfully installed the Unofficial Patch, as explained in the next section, and are still getting the "Available memory less than 15mb" error.


____________________________________________________________________________



So the patch install didn't work, huh? Ok, well it should've worked, but we can try something else that might also fix it:

Launch the game in compatibility mode:

To do this: go to the game's main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\), right click on the "vampire.exe" file, and select "Properties". Now click on the "Compatibility" tab, tick the box next to "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and then select Windows XP SP3 in the dropdown list provided (as shown in the picture below). It's also recommended that you tick the "Run this program as administrator", "Disable visual themes", and "Disable desktop composition" boxes as well. Once you're done, click "Apply" and then "OK".



There, it should be fixed now, as the problem doesn't naturally occur in Windows XP (as stated above).
Note: Although this does fix the 15mb error, you'll likely run into the "Failed to find Steam." error as well (if it has not already occured). This is again due to the incompatibility with Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and modern computers.


If you do get the "Failed to find Steam." error: refer to the "Failed to find Steam." section of this guide.

It's actually possible to fix the 15mb error with just the Official 1.2 Patch for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (which is oddly the same version as the Steam release), but it's recommended you use the Unofficial Patch instead, because it improves the game quite a lot.

Download links:
Recommended: Newest Unofficial Patch (11.5)
Alternate mirrors: Unofficial Patch (10.8)[drive.google.com]

Not advised: Official Patch[media1.gamefront.com]

Next, when downloading the Unofficial Patch, make sure you know where your browser saved the patch file. On Chrome or Firefox it most likely downloaded it to your Downloads folder (C:\Users\[your_username]\Downloads\) and on Internet Explorer, I'm fairly sure it asks you where you want it downloaded to, so just choose somewhere you'll remember.

Finally, run the patch. It's also best to run the patch in administrator mode. You can do this by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Run as administrator".


Installing the patch is not difficult, it's mostly just pressing the "Next >" button. There's only a couple of things you'll need to do manually:

Specifying the install location:




The Unofficial Patch will install to the Steam directory, so you shouldn't have to change it. If you have a custom Steam folder, or use a separate drive, you may need to change this.


Decide whether to use the Basic Patch or Plus Patch:
























The Basic Patch aims to just fix bugs and preserve the original experience while the Plus Patch restores cut content, tweaks the gameplay and adds a little difficulty to the game.
If you want the Basic Patch: don't tick any boxes and click the "Next >" button (since the "Basic Patch" and "Patch Readme" boxes are always ticked and grayed out by default).
If you want the Plus Patch and do want the following: a separate mod which offers better looking eyes for many characters as well as the restored "wolf Warform" and "disciplines" which come from the Plus Patch, only tick the "Plus Patch (Tweaks, Restorations...)" box and click the "Next >" button. If you don't want these, tick the 2 boxes below it as well and then click the "Next>" button.

I recommend you go with the Basic Patch first, then upgrade to the Plus Patch after you've finished your first playthrough (make a new game after doing this, as you'll experience bugs if you continue your basic patch playthrough). Otherwise, if you're not too concerned about major changes to the game, go with the Plus Patch.


Patching the resolution to make the game run in widescreen resolutions:

As of Unofficial Patch 9.2 and later, widescreen is taken care of for you, so there's nothing to worry about here.


There's one last step to applying the patch, which was added in the 9.3 version, as people can now install the patch and have an original version of the game (or modded version) as well as a patched version. To make Steam run the Unofficial Patch version of the game you'll need to always launch the game from the Unofficial Patch desktop shortcut (created after the Unofficial Patch is installed) and / or from the Steam library (BUT the Steam library requires you to do the following beforehand):
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-game Unofficial_Patch
- then click "OK”

To demonstrate, I've included a screenshot below of the windows:



You should now be finished installing the Unofficial Patch, and be ready to play Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, unless you're also getting the "Failed to find Steam." error after this (in which case, refer to the next section).

This section will cover the simple solutions to this error first, then the complex one afterwards.
The complex solution is guaranteed to work if you perform it correctly, but it is complicated, so I'll explain the simple solutions first. If you are knowledgeable enough for the complex solution, just skip straight to it.


The simple solutions:

To fix the "Failed to find Steam." error, you should run the game, as well as Steam itself, as an administrator. To do this, navigate to your Steam directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\), right click on the "Steam.exe" file and select "Properties".























Next, click on the "Compatibility" tab, tick the box next to "Run this program as administrator", click "Apply" and then "OK" (as shown below).


Now you'll need to restart Steam in order for the change to administrator mode to take effect (you shouldn't notice any significant difference). Make sure you save this guide's page while you restart Steam so you don't lose your place. I'll wait...

If you receive a prompt asking whether you wish to continue running Steam this way, just tick the "Do not show again" box and click the "CONTINUE" button (as the below picture shows).













Restarted Steam? Good. Now you need to do the same thing for the game itself, which shouldn't be hard. Simply go to the game's main folder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\), right-click the "vampire.exe" file and select "Properties".



























Next, click on the "Compatibility" tab, and tick the box next to "Run this program as administrator" , click "Apply" and then "OK".

If that didn't work, there's one other solution that you can try (and it's really easy). Navigate back to your Steam directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\) and copy the "Steam.dll" file. If you're unsure which file you should be copying, refer to the picture below:






















Next, simply paste it into your main game's folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\). And that's all there is to it. If you're again a bit uncertain, here's another picture to help you out:




















There, that's it for the simple solutions. If these didn't work for you: attempt the complex solution below, but read its directions very carefully.



The complex solution:

Still not working, eh? Don't lose hope, this game is worth it.

Ok, before we start, a little disclaimer is needed: this solution is complicated and will not work unless you get it exactly right. So read carefully and make sure (like 3 times) that you've done it right.

First click on the Windows Start menu (Windows logo on your taskbar), right-click on Computer and then select "Properties" as shown below.



























Next, click on "Advanced system settings"


Now click on "Environment Variables..."


You should see at this point a window with the section titled "User variables for [your username]" where [your username] is whatever your actual username for your PC is. In this section, scroll through the options until you see the Variable called "PATH" (could be lowercase as well). Select the "PATH" variable, and click on the Edit... button as shown below.
If you do not have the path environment variable already: use the button New... instead, type "path" into the variable name text box and enter your Steam directory as described below.


In the next window, you'll see that a lot of text is already selected. Do not press the "Delete" or "Backspace" keys. Make sure you now press the "End" key to make sure anything you type doesn't overwrite anything already there (this is shown in the picture below).


Make sure you're at the end of the entry by pressing the right arrow key, checking that it doesn't scroll any further. At the end? Great. Now add a semicolon ; Make sure it's a semicolon ( ; ) and not a colon ( : ) . A dot and a comma, NOT 2 dots. Got the semicolon? Good.

Again, if you don't have the path variable, then you don't have to worry about putting the directory at the end of the variable value. Just paste the following directory after the semicolon: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam , and press "OK".

Next, restart Steam, and launch the game. The "Failed to find Steam." error should now be fixed!


Credit for the first image in this section goes to kalina[gaming.stackexchange.com]. Credit also goes to valex-jedi for the complex solution in this section and their original post on the Steam forums. I just paraphrased uncommon knowledge in this field and reposted it in a guide for the Steam Community guide feature, and properly cited the source (as per non-plagiarism standards dictate). Oh, and all of the other screenshots in this section are mine and -3xA'Lu©κy’s too.

I play on an computer that uses Wine/Linux:

Use the Linux loader script provided by the Unofficial Patch. Once you install the Unofficial Patch, you should be able to find it by going to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Unofficial Patch\Extras\Player Mods\ .


My game instantly closes after being launched:

Windows 10 removed support for the SafeDisc DRM but installing the Unofficial Patch 9.4 will get your game working (visit the “Installing the Unofficial Patch … ” section of this guide). If you’re using another mod or don’t wish to install the Unofficial Patch: you can download the “vampire.exe” file which the Unofficial Patch normally installs ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/elq9s6yzj7oh86u/VTMB%20vampire.exe%20file%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1 ), paste it into the game’s main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\) and that’ll fix the issue too.


I still get a “the binkw32.dll file is incorrectly installed in the windows or windows system directory.VCR ERROR unable to load engine.dll” error after launching the game:

• go the “Bin” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\) and delete the “vampire_python21.dll” file. Then rename the “vampire_python21.dll.12” file to “vampire_python21.dll”.
• if you can't find such files, copy the "binkw32.dll" file (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Bin) and paste it into your game's main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\).


My game crashes on launch and/or I receive an error message:

• make sure the game is using your dedicated graphics card (Nvidia/AMD). A lot of laptops don’t have one and if your PC happens to have an integrated/Intel card, you’ll need to use a program called “3D-Analyze” instead ( http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/tools/3d_analyze/archive/ ). I personally haven’t used it myself, but Steam user Airwar90 ( http://steamproxy.com/profiles/76561198146119096 ) stated version 3D-Analyze 2.26 worked for him and a tutorial for 3D-Analyze can be found via. this link: http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/articles/3d_analyze_user_guide/
• simply copy the contents of the “Bin” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\) , and paste it into the game’s main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\), your “Vampire” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\) AND, if applicable, the “Unofficial Patch” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\).
• adjust the game's launch options by doing the following:
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-fullscreen
- IF you've got the Unofficial Patch installed, type this instead:-game Unofficial_Patch -fullscreen
- then click "OK”
• adjust the game's launch options by doing the following:
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-window
- IF you've got the Unofficial Patch installed, type this instead:-game Unofficial_Patch -window
- then click "OK”


My game asks for a CD to run before the game can be launched:

You'll get this message with a few older Steam titles because you've installed the game in a location other than your C drive. You can also try the first solution for the issue below in this section "I get a "'Access Denied. Please login with administrator privileges and try again." error message at launch OR My game crashes shortly after I click “New Game" at the main menu:" and if that doesn't work, the solution for the issue above in this section "My game instantly closes after being launched:".


I can’t see the intro videos/logos after launching the game but can still hear audio from them:

This is completely normal behaviour on modern computers but if you wish to see them there are two ways to go about this:
• go to the game’s main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\), right-click the “vampire.exe” file and select “Properties”. Then click on the “Compatibility tab” and tick these 2 boxes: Disable visual themes AND Disable desktop composition. Click "Apply" and then "OK".
• if the above solution doesn’t work, you can always alt-tab out of the game and then alt-tab back in just as the first intro video/logo plays… and then you should be able to see them.


I can't see the main menu after the intro videos/logos are finished:

I'm not sure why this happens but we need to force the game to boot at a lower resolution by adjusting the game's launch options (afterwards remove this launch option as it's no longer needed once you pick a resolution from the game's main menu screen):
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-width 800 -height 600
- IF you've got the Unofficial Patch installed, type this instead:-game Unofficial_Patch -width 800 -height 600
- then click "OK”


There is no mouse cursor on the main menu and/or during gameplay:

• turn off Windows trails:
- type in "mouse" in the Windows start menu
- select "Mouse"
- on the new window click the Pointer Options tab and untick the "Display pointer trails" box
- click "Apply" and then "OK"
• if you are using a dual monitor setup, disable one of your monitors.


I get a "'Access Denied. Please login with administrator privileges and try again." error message at launch OR My game crashes shortly after I click “New Game" at the main menu:

• install the Unofficial Patch 10.0 if you haven’t already (visit the “Installing the Unofficial Patch … ” section of this guide). It’s supposed to fix this issue but if you are using another mod or don’t wish to install the Unofficial Patch, you can download 2 .dll files which the Unofficial Patch normally installs ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/pbt5pjpberhqf13/VTMB%20vampire%20.dll%20files%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1 ), paste them into the “dlls” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Vampire\) and that’ll fix the issue too.
• uninstall Windows update KB3086255 (this update turned off secdrv which prevents SafeDisc games from starting and the like). If that does't work OR you don’t like the idea of uninstalling a Windows update, type in the Windows start menu (Windows logo on your taskbar) “cmd.exe” and select “cmd.exe” once it appears (you may need to right-click it and click “Run as administrator” beforehand for this to work). Type in the new window:sc start secdrv , and press “Enter” on your keyboard. After exiting the game, it’s recommended to repeat the process BUT type this instead:sc stop secdrv , and press “Enter” on your keyboard (as secdrv has some security vulnerabilities).
• create a new Steam directory that isn’t deep. To do this, simply click “Steam” at the top left-hand corner of the Steam window and then select “Settings”. Go to the “Downloads” tab and then click “STEAM LIBRARY FOLDERS” at the top. After that, just select “ADD LIBRARY FOLDER” and place it wherever you want (again, in a less deep directory path this time). Reinstall, using this new directory, and this issue should be gone.

My game crashes after the character creation screen:
Try setting your in-game resolution to the highest that's available. This worked for one user and it might work for you as well.



I don’t want to install the Unofficial Patch but still want widescreen:

If you want widescreen, you’re going to have to use “ResPatch” which can be downloaded from the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bw2yro0dov0zxgp/VTMB%20ResPatch%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1
When using ResPatch, you'll have to navigate to your game’s main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade – Bloodlines\). Then, depending on your resolution ratio, click on one of the buttons: 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10. My native monitor's resolution is 1366x768 which is 16:9. Once you have picked your ratio, click the “Patch It” button, and then close the window. Refer to the picture below if you're stuck:



I only have a “I do not have a valid reply” option in an in-game conversation OR I can't exit an in-game conversation OR normal dialogue with characters is really buggy for me:

There's no gurantee this'll work, and it may even stuff up your playthrough by causing potential bugs later down the line, but if you're out of ideas - download “python 2.7.2 update” from the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2jhlnvi3nowz9e/VTMB%20Python%202.7.2%20Update%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1 , unzip the downloaded .zip file, copy everything inside the "Python 2.7.2 Update" folder and paste it into the game's main folder (C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\).


I have serious texture problems (my textures are missing or textures are pink and black like a chessboard):

• from the game’s main menu: click “Options”, select the “Video” tab and then tick “Bump Mapping”.
• there's no gurantee this'll work, and it may even stuff up your playthrough by causing potential bugs later down the line, but if you're out of ideas - download “python 2.7.2 update” from the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2jhlnvi3nowz9e/VTMB%20Python%202.7.2%20Update%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1 , unzip the downloaded .zip file, copy everything inside the "Python 2.7.2 Update" folder and paste it into the game's main folder (C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\).


My game crashes at certain areas (often during a loading screen):

You've most likely opened a file or files in the "sound" folder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Vampire\) with Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player corrupts these files (therefore causing the crashes you experience) so it's probably best just to do a clean reinstallation and then apply your mods again (the following will ensure no left-over game files remain):
- delete the entire "Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines" folder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\)
- right-click "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" in your Steam library and select "Delete Local Content..."
- then "INSTALL" the game from your Steam library again.


I cannot equip my character’s fists and therefore can’t melee attack with them:

This is a random bug that occurs after starting a new game and it should’ve been fixed by installing the Unofficial Patch (visit the “Installing the Unofficial Patch … ” section of this guide). If you happen to get it, start another new game from the main menu.


A lot of the sounds and voices in my game are echoey:

Go to the “cfg” subfolder (found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Vampire\) and open the “autoexec.cfg” file (if it’s not there, create a file called that). Add the following to the file and then save it:
// [Sound Patch]

snd_mixahead 0.35
snd_surround 1
snd_gain 2.2
snd_gain_max 1.58
dsp_on 1
dsp_spatial 73
dsp_stereo 1
dsp_dist_max 9999
hisound 1
footstep_pc_vol 0.31
// footstep_npc_use_templates 0
volume "0.930000"


I experience hitching, stuttering and/or my controls appear unresponsive:

• go to the game’s main folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\), right-click the “vampire.exe” file and select “Properties”. Next, click on the “Compatibility” tab, tick the “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” box and select “Windows 98 / Windows ME” from the dropdown list. Finally click "Apply" and then "OK".
• from the game’s main menu: click “Options”, select the “Audio” tab and untick both "Environmental Effects" and "High Quality Audio" (you might not need to untick both so play around with these 2 settings).
• disable V-Sync (vertical synchronization) for this game by forcing it off via. your graphics card’s control panel.
• adjust the game's launch options by doing the following:
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-heapsize xxxxxx (where xxxxxx represents half of your computer's available RAM in kilobytes -- e.g. for 1 GB of RAM you would use 512000, as 1 GB of RAM is made up of 1024 megabytes or 1024000 kilobytes).
- IF you've got the Unofficial Patch installed, type this instead:-game Unofficial_Patch -heapsize xxxxxx
- then click "OK”



Weird things are happening in my playthrough OR I see actual words like “trigger” in-game OR elevators and lifts aren't working when I interact with them OR I get "Feed attempt failed" all the time:

This is caused by a player continuing a game that was made on a different version of the game (i.e. loading up a save created on an unpatched game and then continuing it on a patched game). It’s always best to start a new game after patching and to always launch the game from the same location.
Note: when the Unofficial Patch 9.4 is installed, normally the Steam library and "vampire.exe" file (game's shortcut) launch the vanilla/non Unofficial Patch version of the game whilst the Unofficial Patch desktop shortcut (created after installing the Unofficial Patch) launches the Unofficial Patch version of the game. If you want to launch the Unofficial Patch version of the game from the Steam library, you can do that by doing the following:
- right-click on “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines” in your Steam library
- select Properties
- on the General tab, click "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."
- type in (with no space beforehand):-game Unofficial_Patch
- then click "OK”



My room in the Skyeline Apartments building (Downtown hub) has items where they shouldn't be:

This is a normal bug that still hasn't been fixed to-date. Usually it occurs in long playtime sessions so the simplest solution is to simply make a save and then load that save game. If that doesn't work: make a save, quit the game, relaunch the game and then load that save game.



I think I’ve got a bug or glitch in my playthrough but I am not sure:

If you think you’ve got a bug or glitch in your current playthrough but are not 100% sure, it’s probably best to consult this up-to-date and extensive walkthrough first (from the Unofficial Patch 9.4), before trying to fix anything. Here’s the download link for it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4m1x2hzqo5fpgt6/VTMB%20Walkthrough%20%28from%20UP%209.4%29.zip?dl=1

Other helpful links:

• -3xA'Lu©κy's VTMB Tech support:
http://steamproxy.com/app/2600/discussions/0/540739861413343294
-3xA'Lu©κy started this superbly helpful thread on the community hub for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Many users (including myself) frequent it to help others with various issues; I've even learned a bit more from it too. -3xA'Lu©κy is so dedicated they've even started to bleed into my guide a bit to help keep me up to date.

• EeeKitties' VTMB Patch support:
http://steamproxy.com/app/2600/discussions/0/540740501569512130/
Another valued Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines community member, EeeKitties started a master thread containing faster download links to every new Unofficial Patch release as well as technical support for downloading and installing aforementioned patches. This is where I get the alternate mirrors from in the guide. As mentioned before, these alternate mirrors are usually faster than the original patch link, so I'd recommend using this thread to keep your patches up to date. (Even I am behind on the patch updates sometimes).


Information sources:

• DarkByke's Steam forum VTMB tech support:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2025035
Thanks DarkByke for making this helpful Steam forum thread. Tries to cover every single thing that could be wrong with your game at startup. If your game still isn't working, check here or -3xA'Lu©κy's thread mentioned above. After all, I'm just 1 person that wrote this guide, and 1 person can't solve everything.

• valex-jedi:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showpost.php?p=32029861&postcount=31
Thanks for explaining the environment variable editing technique. Originally just posted in the Steam forums as a solution to the "failed to find Steam" error, ended up being a big help on explaining why Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines has such a problem on operating systems newer than Windows XP 32-bit.

• -3xA'Lu©κy
Thanks to this guy for explaining more about the new 9.3 Unofficial Patch system and its quirks. Also for adding the Steam.dll solution for "failed to find Steam" error, and bringing attention to the "crash when clicking new game" issue.

• YukoValis
Thanks to them for informing me of the “bin to VTMB and Vampire folders" fix (helps launch crashes):
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2026558

• duchU
Thanks to this Steam user for suggesting the "-fullscreen" launch option which is another possible solution to launch crashes.

• Zer0Morph
This person suggested using the 2 .dll files from the Unofficial Patch 9.4 to help fix the "crash when clicking new game" issue. Thanks for also providing another solution to this infamous issue:
http://camarillaedition.darkbb.com/t2310-game-crashes-when-trying-to-load-save-file

• kinok0
The tip to disable secdrv which fixes the "crash when clicking new game" issue was first posted by this person. Thanks for providing another solution to this infamous issue: http://steamproxy.com/app/2600/discussions/0/517142892070567695/

• ĸeмando
This person bought the game, experienced the "crash when clicking new game" issue, stuck with it for a month, was the first person to come up with a working solution to this issue (create a "less deep" Steam directory) and proceeded to spread that solution around. A huge thanks for that incredible effort:
http://steamproxy.com/app/2600/discussions/0/611704531884418763/

• Horsebutt
This Steam user provided a solution for players facing a crash after the character creation screen:
http://steamproxy.com/app/2600/discussions/0/540739861413343294/?ctp=208#c1368380934257754249

• Werner Spahl
Thanks to them for for discovering the solution to the mouse cursor not being visible in-game (from the “vtmbup-readme.txt which comes with the Unofficial Patch 9.4 made by Werner Spahl: If the mouse is missing from the menus, disable trail in windows.) and for their binkw32 + engine.dll error solution (deleting & renaming python files):
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23694535&postcount=3

• PCGamingWiki
A site I often frequent, PCGamingWiki provided me with the solution to fixing sounds and voices that appeared echoey in-game as well as another possible fix for the game hitching and/or stuttering (disabling "Environmental Effects" and "High Quality Audo" from the game's Audio menu). Thanks to the site for all the times you've helped me and countless others:
http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_-_Bloodlines

• vampyri_lestat
Thanks to them for their heapsize launch option which is supposed to be another solution that addresses hitching and/or stuttering for this game. I found it on their helpful walkthrough which can be viewed from the link below:
http://au.ign.com/faqs/2010/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-walkthrough-711280