Steam is a powerful gaming platform that unites millions of gamers and application and video game developers. Using this service, it is possible to launch multiplayer games, create communities and find friends. It should be noted that, like any other platform, Steam is not without malfunctions or startup errors.
Developers may overlook some issues by not fixing them in a new update. Next, we will deal with errors in the operation of the “steam client service” (the service that starts when the program (software) starts, is responsible for checking for updates, checking the player profile using VAC, etc.), we will also study possible problems during startup and methods Troubleshooting
Next, we will look at the main reasons why Steam does not open when you click on a shortcut on the desktop or start, or it works with errors. Below we will describe the main solutions for troubleshooting.
Possible reasons
Most common causes when Steam doesn't start:
- blocking or stopping a process;
- deletion or corruption of an executable file or service;
- remote problems: technical work on servers or problems on the provider’s side;
- system components are damaged or removed.
Ways to solve the above reasons:
Restarting the process in the Manager
In the first case, when Steam is not working, the game client process may have frozen; to fix it you will need to run force termination in task manager:
Damage to program files
In some situations, Steam does not open if the main components of the program are damaged:
Antivirus blocks startup
Steam may not launch on Windows 7/8/10 if blocked by an antivirus, in this case:
- launch an antivirus program;
- further we find exception settings;
- We add the following files to this item: “teaminstall.exe”, “steam.exe”, “hl.exe”, “hl2.exe” and “steamTmp.exe”.
Conflict with other applications
The following utilities and applications may conflict with this program:
- clients providing access to peer-to-peer networks;
- download managers;
- various applications that install themes for the operating system;
- virtual private network (VPN);
- extensions for hiding IP addresses.
Blocking in the hosts file
In some cases, Steam may not be able to launch if you change the "Hosts" file. This problem occurs due to the fact that the user installed an unlicensed version of the game and in order for it not to require a key, hosts are automatically entered blocking options verification process.
Solution to the problem:
Timeout expired error
If a “timeout expired” error occurs, you will need to do the following:
The program does not launch from the desktop shortcut
Solving the problem if Steam does not start from the shortcut:
Registry problems
In some cases, the reason that Steam does not work may be that the system is cluttered with temporary files and copies of deleted files. To do this, you need to clean the registry and remove garbage:
- download the CCleaner utility;
- install and launch the program;
- go to the “Registry” section and select “Search for problems”;
- After analysis, click “ Fix everything»;
- then open “Cleaning” and scroll to the “System” block, check the “Temporary files” checkbox;
- Click on the “Analysis” tab and after completing the process, delete unnecessary objects.
Steam starts but the game doesn't exist
This problem occurs when the program cache is full:
- launch Steam and go to “Settings”;
- then open “Downloads” and “ Clear cache»;
- After this you will need to log into your account again.
Why won't Steam install?
Lack of hard disk space
Often when installing Steam, the error “Not enough space on hard drive” appears. Eliminating it is quite simple, you need to remove unnecessary files or install on another drive partition.
Administrator rights required
This situation is typical when there are two accounts on the computer: “Administrator” and “User” or “Guest”. If the user is logged in as a “Guest”, the installation may be blocked because The administrator has blocked the execution of some commands.
How to solve a problem:
Installation path contains Cyrillic alphabet
If during the installation process, the user specified a folder containing Russian letters, then a situation may occur when the software does not start. To correct the situation, you will need to uninstall the program and perform installation to directory, where there is no Cyrillic alphabet in the path. The default client path looks like this: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam”.
The installer is damaged
A damaged installer may occur when the software was downloaded from an unofficial source. To fix the problem, you will need to uninstall the program and download client from the official website by re-installing.
Process stuck
In some cases, the client may freeze and then you will need to disable it through the Task Manager. The process is quite simple:
What to do if Steam does not download the update
Sometimes Steam does not download updates, or the message updating steam appears. To troubleshoot the problem, you will need to perform several sequential steps:
- select the game you want to update and right-click on it;
- in the window that opens, mark “ Always update the game»;
- after that, go to the parameters: “Steam” and “Settings”;
- open the “Downloads” tab and check the “ Slow down loading during broadcast";
- select the tab " Clear cache"and after that you will need to log into your account again.
Second way:
- follow the path: “Steam” and “Settings”;
- select “Account”, open “ Beta testing»;
- click on the “Change” button and connect to the circle of testers;
- then go to the “ Downloads» and change your region to any other.
Steam doesn't load pages. What to do?
Rarely, but a situation occurs when Steam does not load pages in the client. It's time to sort things out. This is most likely due to DNS and the presence of viruses.
What is DNS? Domain Name System. Go to “Start” and enter “Network and Sharing Center” in the search bar without quotes. Next, go to properties and look for “Internet Protocol v4” and select “Properties” again. Next, enter the DNS servers as indicated in the picture. Make sure to do as in the illustration below:
Strictly speaking, that’s all, but for complete safety, we’ll also clear the host. To do this, open hosts using notepad; it is located in the standard Systems32/drivers/etc. Next, we clean it completely and save it. Next, reinstalling Steam may help. To do this, open “My Computer” and select “Software”. After that, we find it in the Steam list and select the “Complete removal” item; if required, we do not save the work history (maybe someone who owns Windows 10 may request it).
After completely clearing clienta from your computer, go to the off-site Steam website and download the client installer. You can also download the article below by clicking on the “Download” button; when unzipping, enter the password “Playnrade2017” without quotes, it is recommended to copy. And we install it right away. And it shouldn’t give you any errors, but if it does, then read on.
The last way is to work with an antivirus program, namely, launch it and begin a full scan for malware, in a word, for viruses. Immediately check the automatic deletion box so you don’t have to monitor the entire process. After the check is completed, it restarts the computer regardless of whether it asks for it or not. It is advisable to reinstall the client again, but not necessary. This was all about how to fix the error and resume loading pages.
The article was about why Steam does not load pages: reasons and solutions. The solutions were described in detail. See you soon, dear friends on the site!
Of course, this option didn’t suit me, I wanted to play CS in my free time, but that wasn’t the case, Valve gave me a surprise.
Possible reasons why Steam doesn't work
I think almost every player has encountered this situation, and there can be quite a few reasons why Steam won’t load. Below I will write the main ones.
If Steam does not load and a connection error window appears:
- This sometimes happens due to the fault of the service itself: there may be technical work on the Steam servers, or some kind of accident, overload, or DDoS attack. As a rule, such problems are resolved fairly quickly. In the meantime, watch a movie, go for a walk, throw out the trash, and finally get down to business.
- Check your internet connection. Often this error appears when there is no network connection. Even if the network is working as a preventive measure, call your provider and ask them about the breaks.
- Disable your firewall and antivirus. Perhaps Steam somehow ended up on the list of blocked resources.
- Try opening the office. Steam website and look for a solution to the problem on the forum, as well as read the latest news https://support.steampowered.com/. If even their site does not load, then there is definitely a problem with the servers.
- It happens that the process starts, but there is no Steam shell. Launch the task manager and see if the process is needed there. If yes, then try restarting the computer and starting the client again, perhaps it was a temporary glitch.
If the Steam client does not load at all:
- The client files on your computer may be damaged. Download the installer from and reinstall Steam.
- Problems with system configuration. Perhaps the Steam client has conflicts with your OS or some other software. If Steam used to work normally, but after installing an update/new program it suddenly stopped working, then this is probably the reason. Uninstall the program\roll back the system to the previous version.
- Viruses. It may also happen that the client is damaged as a result of a virus infection of the computer. Conduct a full system scan with an antivirus and, after cleaning, reinstall the Steam client. Don't forget to change your passwords immediately after this.
- It would also be a good idea to check the host file into which Trojans sometimes write redirects. It is located at Windows\System32\drivers\etc. Open host in a text editor and delete all its contents, then save empty.
It also happens that the Steam client itself works, but some games do not launch in it or the online mode does not turn on, for example Dota 2 or CS. This means that the game version is most likely currently being updated, just wait a little and try again.
Steam is a popular gaming platform all over the world, which is considered the most advanced service that provides many functions, including:
- Video game activation service;
- Purchasing programs or games;
- Timely collection and updating of news related to the gaming industry.
Due to its ease of use and large range of useful functions, Steam has literally entered the life of every video game lover. Therefore, if the service stops starting, many people ask why Steam doesn’t work?
Before answering this question, you need to remember that Steam has minimum system requirements. Consequently, problems can only arise when running the gaming platform on very weak computers. The basic requirements are:
- At least 512 MB of random access memory (RAM);
- Processor power of at least 1 GHz;
- OS version older than Windows XP.
If all technical requirements of the software are met, then you can move on to finding and solving launch problems.
Process hangs
Often, when processing the process of launching a program, unexpected failures occur, due to which Steam does not turn on. That is, the task remains “hanging” in the dispatcher, while the operating system unsuccessfully tries to process it. In this case, there is no point in clicking on the playground icon many times; you just need to turn off the active process.
To do this, use the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys to launch the system manager and look for the active Steam task:
Right-click on the task and select “End Process”. If there are several identical active procedures in the manager, you can select “End process tree”.
If ending processes in the task manager does not solve the problem that prevents Steam from starting, you can try deleting some of the files from the root folder of the program. Let's take the following path: C:\ Program Files\ Steam, where C is the drive where applications are installed by default.
If your computer has a Program Files (x86) folder, then the Steam files will be located there.
Let's move on to removal. We need 2 specific files called tier0_ s64. dll And tier0_ s. dll. In standard sorting they are located next to each other:
Select the specified files and delete them. After that, we try to launch Steam. The service should start downloading updates and as soon as the procedure is completed, Steam will load.
There is a more radical option, which involves completely deleting all files except internal folderSteam And Steam. exe. We are starting the service again. Its update will begin, as the playground will restore lost documents.
"Timeout expired" error
The full version of the error looks like this: " Steam.exe (main exception): The registry is in use by another process, timeout expired" You can solve the problem as follows:
- Go to the system configuration panel. To do this, press Win+R and enter the msconfig command;
- In the “General” tab, check the selective launch box. In the subsection we disable the display of Microsoft services;
- Go to the “Services” panel and disable them all;
- Apply the changed settings and restart the personal computer.
These were common reasons why the Steam service does not open. Now let's talk about special cases that occur, but are much less common.
Read also:
- Why Warface crashes (7 common reasons):
- Why does the Internet slow down and load poorly? Read what to do and what the reasons are.
- ? What could be the reason and how to fix it?
If none of the above methods work, then perhaps the problem lies in the system registry. In order to fix it you need to:
- Launch Registry Editor with administrator rights. To do this, use Win+R to open the progress bar and enter the regedit command;
- Go to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section and look for, using the keyboard, the steam section and completely delete it:
- Next we go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USERS section and look for Software. This is where the Valve folder is located. We also delete it.
Antivirus
When installing Steam, some antivirus programs (for example, Avast) can quarantine it without notifying the user. The problem is solved by adding the steam.exe file to the exceptions. As an example, let's look at Avast antivirus:
- Open the utility and click on the security tab. Here we go to the “Antivirus” category. A new window pops up where you need to go to the file system screen. Select “Exception”;
- In the new window, look for the words “Delete” and “Review”. Click the last one and select the path to the file or document that the user wants to add to the exception:
If it is necessary to add several processes to exceptions, then the path is indicated for each of them.
Internet problems
And the last reason why Steam does not turn on is problems with Internet access. The service is quite unpretentious in terms of speed and can function even at 56 kb/sec, but in this case the launch speed leaves much to be desired (it will take about 5-10 minutes to fully download).
There is only one solution - increase your connection speed. For high-quality operation of the service, it is recommended to use the Internet from 512 kb/sec.
Video instruction
If the Steam playground does not load, then for more clear instructions we recommend watching a video that presents all general and specific cases of failures, as well as ways to solve them:
Steam is a well-organized service for purchasing games. All errors that arise with the client, as a rule, can be resolved quite easily. Don’t forget about the technical support service, which you can write to via the Steam website without downloading the application to your computer. The service will deal with the problem and provide detailed instructions for solving it.
The Steam service is one of the most popular among gamers. Anyone can download a variety of games. Many of them are free, although most are published for a fee. In addition, Steam is a true social network for gamers. However, sometimes many users experience problems due to which they cannot log into Steam. We will look at the roots of the problems and how to solve them in this article. It will mainly be devoted to answering the question - why does Steam not start?
Problems starting Steam
So, let's try to figure it out.
- The reason, which can be called the main one, is the mismatch of system requirements. The fact is that Steam, like any software, has its own requirements. A user who decides to use the Steam application to visit this service may have a computer that simply does not meet these system requirements. The minimum system requirements for Steam are as follows: 512 RAM (random access memory), a processor with a power of more than 1 GHz, an operating system no older than Windows XP.
- Another reason could be interference with the service. Usually the cause of the interference is a program or several programs that play a supporting role when launching the Steam application. They are usually named Steam.exe, Steamwebhelper.exe. You can find them in the task manager. End all these processes and restart the application.
- Also, the reason may lie in the collection of work with root files. To solve this problem, you need to go to "local drive C" => "program files x86" => "Steam". Select two files tier0_s64.dll and tier0_s.dll and delete them.
Also, users often encounter an error like this: "Steam.exe (main exception): The registry is in use by another process, timeout expired." In this case, you will need to use the command line.
Of course, this option didn’t suit me, I wanted to play CS in my free time, but that wasn’t the case, Valve gave me a surprise.
Possible reasons why Steam doesn't work
I think almost every player has encountered this situation, and there can be quite a few reasons why Steam won’t load. Below I will write the main ones.
If Steam does not load and a connection error window appears:
- This sometimes happens due to the fault of the service itself: there may be technical work on the Steam servers, or some kind of accident, overload, or DDoS attack. As a rule, such problems are resolved fairly quickly. In the meantime, watch a movie, go for a walk, throw out the trash, and finally get down to business.
- Check your internet connection. Often this error appears when there is no network connection. Even if the network is working as a preventive measure, call your provider and ask them about the breaks.
- Disable your firewall and antivirus. Perhaps Steam somehow ended up on the list of blocked resources.
- Try opening the office. Steam website and look for a solution to the problem on the forum, as well as read the latest news https://support.steampowered.com/. If even their site does not load, then there is definitely a problem with the servers.
- It happens that the process starts, but there is no Steam shell. Launch the task manager and see if the process is needed there. If yes, then try restarting the computer and starting the client again, perhaps it was a temporary glitch.
If the Steam client does not load at all:
- The client files on your computer may be damaged. Download the installer from and reinstall Steam.
- Problems with system configuration. Perhaps the Steam client has conflicts with your OS or some other software. If Steam used to work normally, but after installing an update/new program it suddenly stopped working, then this is probably the reason. Uninstall the program\roll back the system to the previous version.
- Viruses. It may also happen that the client is damaged as a result of a virus infection of the computer. Conduct a full system scan with an antivirus and, after cleaning, reinstall the Steam client. Don't forget to change your passwords immediately after this.
- It would also be a good idea to check the host file into which Trojans sometimes write redirects. It is located at Windows\System32\drivers\etc. Open host in a text editor and delete all its contents, then save empty.
It also happens that the Steam client itself works, but some games do not launch in it or the online mode does not turn on, for example Dota 2 or CS. This means that the game version is most likely currently being updated, just wait a little and try again.
Steam is the most widely used gaming platform in the world today. The main function of this utility is to activate various games presented in the store in a fairly wide range. But at the same time, sometimes a situation occurs when Steam does not start, and many do not know how to act in such a situation.
Many people talk about system requirements, but in fact they are so low that you can run Steam on any device.
What to do?
If you figure out why Steam doesn’t start, then first it’s worth noting that it basically doesn’t work for you or sometimes it turns on, and sometimes you can’t start it. If your case is the second, then in this case there is no particular problem here, and most likely it lies in the fact that after closing the program, its process is still running. For those who do not know what to do if Steam does not start in such a situation, we will write down brief instructions:
In the vast majority of cases, this helps to cope with the problem and allows you to immediately restart the program again. If you want to do a quick reboot and see that Steam won't start, you can use this method.
You should not abuse this method and use it during normal operation to quickly close, as you may disrupt the further operation of the program.
If this does not help, then in this case you will need to delete the files tier0_s64.dll and tier0_s.dll, which are located in the root folder of this program. After deleting them, be sure to empty the Recycle Bin, as otherwise they may still appear in the folder and Steam will try to use them.
If none of the above methods helped you at all, then in this case you can try simply reinstalling the program and, quite likely, this will help you start it normally without any unnecessary operations.
Today we will look at a situation where Steam does not start. The thing is that this is a fairly common problem that often plagues many users. Let's try to find out what could be the matter, as well as how to deal with the task set before us. Sometimes even an advanced user cannot cope with such failures. It is worth quickly starting to analyze the reasons why
No Internet
So, the first and fairly common scenario is the banal lack of Internet on the computer. For example, if the connection has to be established manually, but the program starts automatically. This is the most harmless option.
Things are worse when there is no Internet on the computer at all. Then you have Steam and other games that require an online connection. You can check if everything is in order using the special access icon. In addition, you can safely launch the browser and try to visit any page. Did not work out? This means there is no Internet.
In this situation, you will have to call your provider and then find out if everything is ok. Maybe you got lost and there was an accident at the station. In cases where everything is in perfect order, but Steam does not start, you have to look for other options for the development of events.
Updates and maintenance
Well, we will move forward with you. In fact, there are many, many reasons why Steam will not launch. For example, if you are convinced that everything is in perfect order with the Internet, then perhaps the creators are carrying out updates or planned maintenance work.
In this case, as a rule, you can watch the news on the official Steam website. As a rule, they inform you in advance about the maintenance carried out and the approximate time of absence of connection to the program. Be patient and wait until the specified time. After it, as a rule, everything starts working again.
Unfortunately, nothing depends on your wishes in the case of technical work and updates. Do something to pass the time. Only after all manipulations on the main server are completed will everything work as before. But these are not the only cases in which Steam does not start. There are a number of other quite interesting options. And now we will get to know everyone.
Breaking
Another very unpleasant scenario is, in fact, your account being hacked. For this reason, you will not be able to log in to the system. This means that Steam will not start.
Account hacking is now quite common and common. The reason for this may be the use of cracks, hackers for games, as well as cheating of gifts in the program itself. As you can see, there are a lot of dangerous and tempting moments.
If you find yourself a victim of hacking, you can try to get your account back. To do this, you will need to write a special letter to technical support. If you manage to prove your rights to the profile, you will be given back access to it. After this, it is better to avoid using unlicensed content and suspicious programs.
Otherwise, you will have to create a new profile for yourself. After that, check how things are going with Steam. Still won't start? This means that the reason lies in something else. And now we will try to figure out what is the matter. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
Program crash
Steam won't launch for you? What to do in this situation? Naturally, if the reasons do not lie at all in account hacking, the Internet and technical work, then perhaps you simply experienced some kind of system failure in the application you are launching. This is a common problem that can be fixed quite easily and simply. And now we will find out exactly how.
The first method that should be used is a simple restart of Steam. So, if Steam Mac OS does not start (or on any other operating system), then you just need to completely close the program and then try to turn it on again. Sometimes this option turns out to be very effective and efficient.
The second scenario is a complete reinstallation of the program. To do this, you will need to completely uninstall the Steam client using the control panel, and then install it again. The latest version can always be downloaded from the official website. As a rule, it does not lend itself to any technical work, which allows the user to constantly interact with this Internet resource. Now that you have done everything, try to launch Steam and log in to it. Happened? Then you can rejoice. Steam still won't launch? In this case, you will have to look for reasons elsewhere. After all, there are already a lot of them.
Viruses
For example, a fairly common scenario is usually the presence of viruses on the computer. They are the ones that usually do not allow us to work normally with the operating system.
Diagnosing the presence of a computer infection can be very, very difficult. Especially if you decide not to use antivirus programs. In this case, you will have to download and install specialized utilities that help identify, catch and remove spyware and Trojans.
Of course, antivirus is the most effective method of combating here. To be honest, it will be difficult without him. In general, if you are faced with a problem starting Steam, then it makes sense to check the operating system for the presence of a computer infection. Found something? Then simply disinfect all malicious files, and delete what cannot be cured. By the way, antivirus programs have a special button for this.
Conclusion
So we found out for what reasons Steam may not start, and also got acquainted with possible ways to deal with problems. As you can see, everything, with rare exceptions (hacking), is very easy and simple to fix.
In cases where nothing helps, and even problems appear with other programs, it would be best to reinstall the operating system. So be careful. Try to correct the situation before such unpleasant consequences occur.
Steam is considered one of the most popular online gaming platforms in the world. Thanks to its many useful features and ease of use, it is used by a huge number of fans of online games. Therefore, as soon as the user cannot log in, he asks the question: “Why doesn’t Steam work?” The reasons can be very different. Let's look at the most common ones.
Why doesn't Steam work?
First of all, you need to understand that to run Steam, certain computer parameters are required:
- RAM no less than 512 MB;
- The processor must be at least 1 GHz;
- The operating system installed on the computer must be at least Windows XP.
If your PC meets all the described requirements, but Steam is not working now, then you need to look for and correct a specific reason.
Process hangs
Sometimes at the launch stage the program crashes and does not log into Steam. When you open the task manager, you can see that the operating system is unable to process the assigned task. In this case, you need to disable the active process. You can do it like this:
- Using the Ctrl+Alt+Delete button combination, open the task manager.
- In the list that opens, find the active Steam.
- By clicking the right mouse button, mark the task by selecting “End process”. After that, you can try to open Steam again.
Deleting files
If you have deleted in the manager that all tasks are active, but Steam still does not start, try deleting several files that are in the root directory of the program. For this:
- Open the Steam root directory - C:\Program Files\ Steam folder.
- Here we find the files tier0_s.dll, as well as tier0_s64.dll. As a rule, they will always be nearby.
- Once you have found these files, you need to select and delete them.
After that, try launching Steam. First, it will start updating its files, after which the program should open.
"Timeout expired" error
If, when you try to run the program, you see the “Timeout expired” error, use the following algorithm to resolve it:
- First you need to open the configuration panel. To do this, use the Win+R key combination, where you need to enter msconfig.
- The “General” tab will open, where you need to check selective startup and disable the display of Microsoft services.
- Opening the “Services” tab, remove the checkmarks next to all items.
- Click “Apply”.
- Reboot the computer.
In most cases, this is enough to log into Steam.
Registry problems
If, after trying all the methods discussed, you still cannot start Steam, check the system registry, maybe that’s where the problem lies. To deal with it:
- Open the Registry Editor using the Win+R keyboard shortcut and enter the regedit command.
- Find HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, where you need to delete the steam subsection.
- We find HKEY_CURRENT_USERS, where in the same way we delete the folder called Valve.
It is advisable to make a backup copy of the entire registry before this procedure, since if you accidentally make a mistake, you risk causing the entire operation of your PC’s operating system to fail.
Antivirus program
There are anti-virus programs, such as Avast, that can independently quarantine it at the Steam installation stage, and not inform the user about such a move. To fix this problem, you need to register the steam.exe file, thus adding it to the exceptions. To do this:
- Open the antivirus program settings and find the security tab.
- Find the “Antivirus” category.
- In the new window, find and select “Exception”.
- Another window will open where you should find “Browse” and “Delete”. By clicking on “Browse”, enter the path to the desired document.
Internet problems
Sometimes the problem with launching Steam may lie in Internet access. The program does not have strict requirements for connection speed and can work even if it is only 56 kb/sec. But, if you have a very slow Internet, then it may take up to 10 minutes to fully load Steam. Only increasing the connection speed will help solve this problem.
