Portal: Prelude Forum

Dootuz wrote:

Hey, I made this tutorial when I couldn't get it to work. Hope it helps people.i do every thing that you told,so please help me


To Install Portal Prelude, by Dootuz

This is for Windows 7 64bit
(For 32 bit just don’t include the "(x86)" in anything and it should be fine)


1.    Install Portal
2.    Install Portal: Prelude
3.    Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\sourcemods
4.    Now make a new folder in C:\ and call it “Program1” without the quotes (Yes Program1, just Program messes with something with Windows)
5.    In C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\sourcemods there is a folder called “portal prelude”
6.    Rename it from “portal prelude” and delete the space, make it “portalprelude”
7.    Now take it and copy it to the folder C:\Program1
8.    Now go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\ (USERNAME)\portal
9.    Now make a shortcut of "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\(USERNAME)\portal\hl2.exe"
10.    Now take that shortcut and place it in C:\Program1
11.    Now name the short cut “Portal Prelude”
12.    Now right click the short cut and go to properties
13.    Now under Target add at the end of the Target field, -applaunch 400 -game C:\Program1\portalprelude (I got this code off another video, for doing something close but not the same thing, the code (after modifying it) works now. for this).
14.    Then make a shortcut of that shortcut and place it on your desktop.
15.    Play the game.

I think using Desura will work. I'll test and post back if it works or not.

I picked up a copy of portal while valve was giving it away free and I've only now dabbled in mods for valve games (eg HL2, EP1 and EP2).

Anyway, I decided to try the Portal Prelude mod as it look pretty cool so I downloaded and installed the files as necessary. I started Steam and I noticed that Prelude was in my library so I clicked play and lo and behold, it worked with no problems first time.

I've read over the steps given by various posters which sound reasonable enough but in my case, there was no need to do anything other that run the game from my Steam library.

What I think the solution is, is to install the Source SDK files (Source SDK, SDK 2006 and SDK 2007) located from the View -> Tools option within Steam. This was given as a solution to problems for the HL2 Cinematic Mod so I'm thinking it could offer the same here? I don't know how the Source engine works at all but from my thinking, the SDK contains all the necessary files to allow various mods to work properly.

I could be wrong but I figured it's worth mentioning as it could be the simplest solution. My apologies if this has been given as a potential solution in the past, I didn't browse around the forums too much.

If anyone else gives it a shot and everything works ok, maybe post your results?

Hi, uh i just want to ask. I'm using windows 7 and i tried everything. everything works but there is no target in the properties. help...?

Arashiix3 wrote:

Hi, uh i just want to ask. I'm using windows 7 and i tried everything. everything works but there is no target in the properties. help...?

I hve the same problem and I'm colmpletely stuck there. WHERE IS THIS MAGICAL TARGET BOX IN WINDOWS 7?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Whenever I Start it up I get the message Can't find background image materials/console/startup_loading.vtf is this just a problem with my program, and if so will re-downloading it help this? thank you in advance.