Anyone else getting black and pink checkerboards? Anyone fixed the problem?

When the bad textures show up, there is a corresponding message in the
console. This is the thing that makes me think it's a problem with the files
rather than my video drivers, but what do I know? I have searched high and
low and cannot find a single instance of this HL2 console error on USENET or
the web (except for where I've typed it):

*** Tried to load a non-VTF file as a VTF file!
Error reading material "materials/models/props_c17/fence_alpha.vtf"

Of course whatever's in the quotatioin marks changes depending on the
missing texture. In the example shown it's the alpha texture for the fences,
which makes annoying huge pink and black checkerboards all over the first
level.

I also have some rainbow spots and some all-white objects, but the main
problem is black and pink checkerboard texture.

Nothing seems to fix it. HELP

Win 98SE
P4 1.8
Radeon 9800 Pro on various cats (all have the problem)
512 MB PC800 RDRAM
etc..

TIA
--
BAMMO

Okay I deleted the local game content and am letting it re-download from
Steam. This is posted on the Valve forums as a fix for "rainbow" textures of
which I have a couple.

"BAMMO" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:hD7nd.9977$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Okay I deleted the local game content and am letting it re-download from
> Steam. This is posted on the Valve forums as a fix for "rainbow" textures
> of
> which I have a couple.
>
Have you tried older drivers - I had texture problems with the 4.10s which
disappeared when I install the 4.8s

Sleepy wrote:
> "BAMMO" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hD7nd.9977$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>Okay I deleted the local game content and am letting it re-download from
>>Steam. This is posted on the Valve forums as a fix for "rainbow" textures
>>of
>>which I have a couple.
>>
>
> Have you tried older drivers - I had texture problems with the 4.10s which
> disappeared when I install the 4.8s
>
>

I actually got the newest Catalyst drivers, and that fixed it for me.