What to do if Steam does not start. What to do if Steam does not start? Does not allow you to log into your account


Steam is the most popular platform for PC gamers. As you know, Windows is the main treasure of Microsoft. The Steam platform is the same treasure for Valve. However, even the most popular PC gaming platform may not work for a number of reasons.

In this article, we will look at the most common reasons why Steam does not work, as well as possible solutions to eliminate them.

Steam servers not working

When Steam isn't working, instinct can tell you tough methods to fix the problem, like hitting your mouse, keyboard, or even your computer multiple times. Should not be doing that.

The first thing you need to do when Steam is down is to check if the Steam servers have crashed. This can happen when there is server maintenance or problems that are beyond your control. The best site to check if the Steam server is working is Steamstat.us.

Go to this site and check if your region's server is having problems. If so, then there is no other way out than to simply wait for the developers to fix the problem. If everything is in order with the servers, then try the following solutions to the problem Steam does not work.

Nothing happens when I open Steam

Steam is split into several separate processes on your computer to help keep it running fast and stable. However, sometimes when you try to open Steam, the following error occurs - the process starts, but Steam does not actually appear on the desktop or in the notification area. You try to open it again, but nothing happens.

This could be due to the Steam process running, but the part that displays the Steam program interface is still not working. If you are faced with a similar situation, then press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. In Task Manager, select "More Info" in the lower left corner, then scroll down the list under the "Processes" tab until you see "Steam - Steam Bootstrapper, Client Service, WebHelper", etc. Right click on all Steam processes you see and click End Task.

Once all Steam processes are finished, try opening Steam again and it should work.

Failed to load steam.dll - Failed to load SteamUI.dll

One of the most common problems with Steam not working is the "Failed to load Steamui.dll" error. She says that Steam cannot find the DLL file that is required to run the platform. There are several possible solutions to this problem.

One solution is cheat steam when he thinks the current version of Steam is beta. To do this, go to the Steam installation folder ("C: \ Program Files \ Steam" by default), then locate the "Steam.exe" file. Right-click it and select Create Shortcut.

Right click on the shortcut, select Properties, and then in the Target field add -clientbeta client_candidate to the end of the target directory. In my case, the whole line will look like this:

"C: \ Steam \ Steam.exe" -clientbeta client_candidate

Use this shortcut to open Steam and you should be good to go.

If Steam is still not working for you, there is a quick way reinstall it without deleting all settings and games. In the Steam folder, delete all files except Steam.exe, steamapps and userdata. Then double click "Steam.exe" and reinstall it.

That's all! We hope we helped you figure out the problem when Steam does not work, and now you know what to do in such situations.


Steam is a powerful gaming platform used by gamers around the world. Like any large-scale project, Steam is not devoid of flaws and flaws. Often, in a hurry to release updates as soon as possible, some points are not taken into account by the developers. All this leads to various errors. Such as the inability to connect to the server, problems with launching games or the program itself.

The reasons why Steam won't launch can be very different:

  • freezing of a process;
  • file corruption;
  • blocking by some program;
  • server connection problems;

Let's figure out what to do if Steam does not start. First of all, perform actions that are universal when any program freezes. Namely:

  • restart your computer;
  • restart the program;
  • disable antivirus;
  • reboot the router;
  • update the drivers for your computer;
  • if you recently installed an update, roll back the system.

Here we will not give how to do this, we will only touch on specific actions that are specific to the problem when Steam does not open.

Key solutions

Most often, in a situation where Steam does not work, the termination of processes through the Task Manager helps:


Another reason why Steam does not start may be damage to program files:

  1. Go to your local drive in Program files.
  2. In it, open the Steam folder.
  3. Locate the blob and Steam.dll files.
  4. Remove them and start the client.
  5. If it does not help, you can delete ier0_s64.dll and tier0_s.dll.
  6. If Steam still refuses to turn on, then try to clear the entire folder, leaving only steam.exe. When an attempt is made to start, the client will start downloading and installing updates and restore the deleted files in working order.

If Steam won't start even after doing this, it might be blocked by antivirus software. This often happens with Avast antivirus. The solution is simply to add the service to the security software exclusions. There should be no restrictions on the execution of the following files:

  • teaminstall.exe;
  • steam.exe;
  • hl.exe;
  • hl2.exe;
  • steamTmp.exe.

In addition, some user programs, working in the background, may conflict with Steam:

  • P2P clients;
  • download managers;
  • Windows theme editors;
  • programs that hide IP.

The technical support website contains the names of programs that may prevent the client from starting. You must disable them completely before starting Steam.

It is also possible that Steam does not turn on due to changes in the hosts file. This often happens after downloading broken games from dubious sites. What do they do in this case:


Sometimes when I try to start Steam, I get the message "timeout expired". In this case, the solution is as follows:


Other ways

There are also a number of not very common reasons and their corresponding solutions to the problem:


These are the recommendations on what to do if the Steam platform does not want to start. We recommend that you follow a few different guidelines, starting with the simplest ones first. If you are not sure about your capabilities and the reasons for the problems, contact the Support Service, which will consider in detail what they could be caused by. Write in the comments if you know what can be done to make the Steam client start and how to avoid errors.

Despite the fact that Steam is the most popular playground in the world, its client sometimes refuses to run on a PC, regardless of the configuration of the latter. There are various reasons for this, but we will only consider the most common.

Note! It is necessary that the characteristics of the computer and the Internet connection meet the minimum requirements specified on the Steam website. If so, you can proceed to find and fix the problem.

Process hangs

Quite often, when launching programs, they experience various failures, due to which Steam simply refuses to start. It turns out that the task hangs in the manager, but cannot be completed properly, although Windows is doing everything possible to process it. Multiple clicks on the shortcut will not produce the desired result. All that is needed is to unload the process from the system. This will help us "Task Manager", invoked by the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del. In the window that opens, find the task (s) associated with Steam. Next, right-click on it and select "End process tree".

Deleting files may fix the problem

If after finishing all the processes you do not get the desired result, try deleting the tier0_s64.dll and tier0_s.dll files. They are not hard to find as they are located in the Steam client folder. By default, the path to it looks like this:

  • C: \ Program Files \ Steam.

After you have moved to the required directory, select these 2 libraries (as a rule, they are located next to each other) and press the Del key. After the next launch of Steam, he must download the update, install it and only then start.

A registry error can get you in trouble

Having tried all the methods to no avail, we recommend looking for errors in the system registry that you can fix.

Call "Run" with the key combination Win + R, enter regedit and click "OK". Under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, find Steam and completely remove any existing entries. A similar action needs to be done in the HKEY_CURRENT_USERS section with the Valve folder (you will find it in Software).

Back up the registry and Windows restore point before proceeding.

Steam is one of the most popular services and playgrounds that exist in the world at the moment. "Steam" is used equally in all countries of the world. The main function of this program is to perform the activation of games, which are presented in a wide range in the internal store. As with any program, problems can arise with it. Many users may be concerned about one question - why did Steam stop launching and what can be done about it?

To begin with, we recall that any software has the minimum system requirements necessary for normal operation. On Steam, they are very small and you can only have problems with them if you are using a very ancient and very weak computer. In particular, you must have at least 512 RAM (random access memory), a processor with a capacity of more than 1 GHz (not to be confused with MHz), and an operating system not older than Windows XP.

Most likely, you are all right with these requirements, what then is the matter?

There are situations when you started Steam, the processor started processing the task, but for some reason it crashed and the program did not start, remaining hanging in the task manager. There is no sense in trying to start Steam further, since the old task is still being performed and must be completed. To do this, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select "Start Task Manager". In the window that opens, you need to go to the "Processes" tab and find all processes with the word "Steam" in their name. They are usually named Steam.exe, Steamwebhelper.exe and sometimes a process appears Steamerror.exe... For each of the processes, you need to right-click and select "End Process". Confirm the action and close the dispatcher. Now you can try running the program again.

If this does not help, then do not lose hope and keep trying to "cure" your software. Deleting two files in the root folder of the game can be an effective remedy. Go to "My Computer" - "Local drive C:" - "Program Files (x86)" - "Steam" (this is the address the program is installed at by default in Windows 7, the path may differ) and find two files there - tier0_s64.dll and tier0_s.dll... Select them with the mouse and delete. Then again you can try to start Steam.

If the result is negative, more radical measures will be required. Without leaving the above folder, delete all internal folders except Steam. The same must be done with the rest of the files that are in the neighborhood, leaving only Steam.exe. Try to run the program again. Don't be alarmed if it starts updating. If this does not help, then completely uninstall the program, download it from the official website and reinstall it.

If during the launch of Steam you get an error saying “ Steam.exe (main exception): The registry is in use by another process, timeout expired“, Then the following steps will help you: go to the startup panel of the operating system. To do this, click Start - Run. In the window that appears, enter the phrase msconfig and click OK.

In the "General" tab, check the box next to the "Selective startup" item and uncheck the "Load startup items" sub-item. Then go to the "Services" tab and check the box next to "Do not show Microsoft services." Click the "Disable All" button - Apply - Ok. Restart your computer and try launching Steam again. If after rebooting a window with system settings appears, just close it.

Like many other programs, Steam is not without its flaws. Problems with loading client pages, low download speed of the game, inability to buy a game at peak server loads - all this sometimes happens with the well-known platform for distributing games. One of these problems is the inability, in principle, to go to Steam. In this case, it is advisable to know what exactly needs to be done in case of different errors. This will help save time spent solving the problem.

To find out why Steam does not open and what to do in different cases, read this article.


Let's start with the simplest problems that are solved quickly, and then move on to the complex ones that will take some time to solve.

Perhaps the Steam process just stuck when trying to close the program. And now, when you try to log into Steam again, the hanging process prevents you from doing it. In this case, you need to delete this process through the task manager. This is done as follows. Open Task Manager with CTRL + ALT + DELETE.

Find the Steam process and right click on it. Then you need to select the "End task" item.

As a result, the Steam process will be deleted and you can start and log into your Steam account. If Steam does not work for another reason, then try the next solution.

Damaged Steam files

There are a number of key files in Steam that can cause the program not to start. This is due to the fact that these files have a tendency to "clog", which prevents the normal initial configuration of Steam after launch.

If Steam does not turn on, then you can try to delete these files. The program will automatically create new similar files, so you don't have to worry about losing them. You need the following files, which are located in your Steam folder:

ClientRegistry.blob
Steam.dll

Try deleting these files one by one and after deleting each file try to start Steam.

To go to the folder with Steam files, click on the shortcut to start the program with the right mouse button and select "File location". As a result, an explorer window will open with a folder that stores the Steam files necessary for its functioning.

If the matter was in these files, then Steam should start after deleting them. If the cause of the problem is different, then you need to try the next option.

I can't sign in to my account

If you can't just log into your account, but the login form starts, then you should check the Internet connection on your computer. This is done by checking the connection icon located in the tray (bottom right) on the desktop.

The following options are possible here. If the icon looks like the screenshot, then your internet connection should work fine.

In this case, make sure everything is in order. To do this, open a couple of sites in a browser and watch how they load. If everything is working quickly and stably, then the problem with Steam is not related to your Internet connection.

If there is a yellow triangle next to the connection icon, then this means that there is a problem with the Internet. The problem is most likely related to the network equipment of the company that provides you with Internet access. Call your ISP's support team and report the problem.

Similar steps should be taken if you have a red cross next to your internet connection icon. However, in this case, the problem is related to a broken wire or a broken network adapter on your computer. You can try to pull out the wire through which the Internet connection goes from the socket of the network card or wi-fi router and insert it back. Sometimes it helps. If it doesn't help, call the support service.

Another big reason for problems with connecting Steam can be antivirus or Windows firewall (firewall). Both the first and second options can block access to the Internet for the Steam application. Antiviruses usually have a list of blocked programs. Check out this list. If Steam is there, then you need to remove it from this list. A detailed description of the unlocking procedure is not provided, because this action depends on the interface of the anti-virus program. Each program has its own appearance.

The same is the case with Windows Firewall. Here you need to check if Steam has permission to work with the network. To open the firewall, click on the "Start" icon at the bottom left of the desktop screen.

Select Options. Enter the word "Firewall" in the search bar. Open the firewall by clicking on the found option with the subtitle about allowing applications to interact.

A list of applications and their internet permission status will be displayed. Find Steam in this list.

If the line with Steam is checked, then there is a problem with the connection in something else. If there are no checkmarks, then it is Windows Firewall that caused the problem. You must press the button to change the parameters and put a check mark to unblock Steam access to the Internet.

Try to log into Steam after these manipulations. If Steam still does not start, then you need to take more decisive action.

Reinstalling Steam to Resolve Launch Problems

Try reinstalling Steam.

Remember - uninstalling Steam will also remove all games installed on it.

If you need to save games on Steam, then copy the folder with them before uninstalling the program. To do this, go to the folder with Steam, as indicated in the example above. You need a folder called "steamapps". It is in it that all the files of the games you installed are stored. In the future, after you install Steam, you can transfer these games to an empty folder of the freshly installed application and Steam will automatically recognize the files with the games.

Removing Steam is as follows. Open the "My Computer" shortcut. Click the Uninstall or Change Program button.

In the list of programs that opens, find Steam and click the uninstall button.

Follow the simple instructions to uninstall the application, confirming each step of the uninstallation. Now you need to install Steam. This tutorial will show you how to install and configure Steam.
If this also did not help, then there is only one thing to do - contact Steam Support. This can be done by logging into your account through the browser version of Steam (via the website). Then you need to go to the technical support section.

Select your problem from the list provided, and then describe it in detail in the message that will be sent to the Steam service employees.

The answer usually comes within a few hours, but you may have to wait longer. You can view it on the Steam website, and it will also be duplicated to the email address that is linked to your account.

These tips should help you start Steam when it stops turning on. If you know other reasons why Steam may not start, and ways to get rid of the problem, write about it in the comments.







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