So I fixed my problem with the C key [Just nuked my damned drive, full reinstall] and now It's a lot easier to access the commands useful for recording.

Now I've run into another problem, although I've been aware of it ever since I installed HL2.
I can record demos fine, but when it comes to playing them, it just simply crashes with a engine error, 'dispcounts X and X don't match.'
Unfortunately I have no idea why this is as it only happens in hl2, CSS records and plays demos fine, given I join a server first, otherwise I get the same error.

Lastly, keep in mind I'm not rich and don't own a top-of-the-line rig, so I am forced to play the '2006 version' of source, but that only affects my creditability.

To filter out possible answers that people might suggest:

Playdemo returns the same error.
play X returns the same error.
demoui returns the same error.
Shift+f2 returns the same error.
Playing a demo doesn't get magically fixed by how you play it, the game is still playing a demo, the UI you use to play it makes no difference.