• Connect your steam account and that's it. What to do if there is no network connection on Steam. Valve's method

    Like any other program, Steam is not perfect. Sometimes the client may suddenly stop working or not start at all. What to do if you are unable to connect to Steam But this is all quite easy to solve.

    Solution #1 (process)

    It often happens that when you close Steam, a small glitch occurs, and when you try to restart it, nothing happens. In this case, open the Task Manager by pressing the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del, then go to the “Processes” tab, select Steam Client Service and click the “End task” button. After that, close the Task Manager and safely launch Steam.

    Solution #2 (error in files)

    Some program files may be damaged due to viruses, pirated programs or third-party interference. The most common such files are ClientRegistry.blob and Steam.dll. They are located in the Steam root folder, which can be reached by clicking “File Location” in the client shortcut properties.

    To restore their functionality, delete both files from the root folder, and then restart the system. Now launch Steam again - the files will be automatically downloaded and installed.

    Solution #3 (account)

    If the client works fine, but you can't actually log into your account, most likely the problem is hidden on the Internet. First, check your network connection in the Quick Launch panel. If there is a yellow or red exclamation mark next to the Internet icon, then you have connection problems. In this case, you need to resolve the issue with your provider.

    If network access is active, then the problem may lie in problems with Valve servers. This happens quite often, so do not be alarmed if you encounter this error. Just wait a while (10-60 minutes) and try logging into your account again.

    Sometimes your antivirus may block access to your profile. Open the program and check that Steam is not in the list of blocked programs. Also open access to the client in Windows.

    To do this, open “Firewall and network security” (you can use the search), then go to the list of allowed programs and check the boxes next to Steam in the private and public networks sections.

    Solution #4 (reinstalling the client)

    The last solution is to reinstall the client. But remember that you need to reinstall the program correctly, and therefore follow the general recommendations:

      • First you need to save all your installed games and saves. To do this, simply copy the steamapps folder to any location at the time of reinstallation;
      • Now you can safely remove the client through the control panel/uninstall programs from your computer;
      • Download the new Steam from the official website, and then install it (preferably in a path that does not contain Cyrillic);

    • Check that the disk on which you are installing Steam contains a sufficient amount of free memory - several gigabytes;
    • After installing Steam, paste the steamapps folder you copied in advance into the location where you want all your games to be stored;
    • Launch the client. In a few minutes it will restore your library and all data.

    Solution No. 5 (write to technical support)

    A response from English-language technical support arrives in 2-5 days. If you write in Russian, be prepared to wait at least 2 weeks.

    Solution #6 (checking the host file)

    The host file is located at system32\drivers\etc\

    There should be no lines in this file containing the word "steam". We delete this information if it is there.

    We check the blocking of executable steam files in the firewall and antivirus. If they are there, we change their access rights to full for all protocols.

    Solution No. 7 (adapters)

    Disable unnecessary adapters in the Network and Sharing Center.

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    It’s very unpleasant when you’re about to play, and suddenly some problems occur with the network service. This also happens with Steam, instead of giving the user access to the game online, it reports: “Could not connect to the Steam network.” What to do in such cases?

    What to do if you can't connect to the network in Steame.


    The most banal advice. However, many users often stumble here.
    The algorithm of actions may be as follows:

    Often these simple actions help out, so you definitely shouldn’t neglect them. If the Internet works fine in the browser and from other devices, then this is not the problem. Let's move on.

    Restarting Steam

    The next logical step would be to restart the Steam service itself. It is better to do this through the “Task Manager”. Or completely restart the computer. The program may freeze, causing Steam to report that there is no network connection. You can also log out and log in. After that, try to access online games again. Doesn't work? Then let's try the next method.

    Sometimes you just have to wait. It is possible that some technical work is being carried out, which is why the service is currently unavailable and displays the alert: “Failed to connect to the Steam network.” After a couple of hours everything can work as before.

    Antivirus or firewall

    Often, an antivirus program or Firewall (standard Windows antivirus) blocks some applications, and because of this, Steam does not access the network. In Windows Firewall the steps are as follows.


    The rest of the antivirus software is very different from each other. Therefore, it is difficult to say where exactly to look for the necessary settings. Most often, you need to open the program settings, find the functions for disconnecting applications from the network and look for Steam there.

    Damaged files

    Another reason may be corruption of files in the service directory. Although this happens quite rarely. There are a couple of files that cause Steam to have problems logging into the network, and it issues corresponding alerts.


    There is no need to worry about the performance of the program. Steam will not stop working, but will restore these documents itself if it really does not connect to the network because of them.

    Reinstallation

    Finally, if none of the methods help, you can resort to reinstalling. The most problematic thing about this method is the complete removal of all downloaded games. However, before deleting Steam, you can create backup copies of them:


    The main thing is to save copies of games not in the folder with the service, but in another place. You can also simply copy the “steamapps” folder and the “userdata” file. After which Steam can be reinstalled painlessly.

    Try all these methods. Most likely, you won't even have to resort to the latter in order for Steam to be able to log back online.

    Computer games have long been considered the main engine of progress in the computer industry. The first time users were sent to the store for new clothes was the great Doom (late 1993), followed by Half-Life (November 1998), FarCry (March 2004) and Crysis (November 2007). But the idea that money can be made not only by selling games, but also by distributing them, appeared relatively recently. On September 12, 2003, Valve let the genie out of the bottle and opened access to the Steam service. However, despite its numerous and obvious advantages, it is still plagued by many technical problems: client inoperability, license cancellation, spontaneous account blocking and many others. But the most unpleasant thing is an error connecting to the Steam network, when the user is completely cut off from the service. Today we will talk about the causes of the error and ways to eliminate it, because you can try to figure out some of the problems on your own.

    Connecting to the Steam network

    Installing pirated versions of games

    In them, a modified Steam client is used to bypass the protection mechanisms, or a background process is activated before the game starts, which “deceives” the program. But if you try to launch a honestly purchased game under such conditions, it will refuse to work.

    • Solving the problem. First, remove the hacked game, and if this does not help, reinstall the Steam client (http://store.steampowered.com/about/?l=russian).

    The result of the anti-virus protection system

    If your favorite Kaspersky or Dr.Web proudly reported that it has prevented unauthorized access to your computer or blocked network access for steam_api.dll, it’s too early to rejoice. The file name may be slightly different, but this does not change the essence of the matter. By definition, there can be no threats in the official Steam client, and protection that attacks harmless files is hardly worthy of your attention.

    • Solving the problem. Look at the event log of your antivirus, and if the necessary files are among those blocked, add them to exceptions. It’s also a good idea to think about choosing a different protection system. Sometimes the firewall perceives game traffic as unwanted and blocks its access to the network. Then either force it or disable the firewall while playing. This will reduce the security of the computer, but will allow you to connect to the network until the reasons for the blocking are determined.

    Solving the problem of blocking network access for steam_api.dll

    Problems with login and/or password

    A variety of factors could be to blame, with Valve officials acknowledging the problem. And if you don’t want to enter into a lengthy dialogue with technical support, you’ll have to set up the client connection yourself.

    • Solving the problem. Right-click on the client icon, select the “Properties” tab, and in the “Object” line, write at the end “-tcp –login XXX YYY”, where XXX is your login and YYY is the password. That is, you should get something like this: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe tcp –login Sasha_Push Onegin”.

    Network adapters failure

    This most often happens on modern motherboards with several built-in network adapters. In other words, if the Ethernet controller, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are simultaneously active in the system, the Steam client may not connect to the server.

    • Solving the problem. Open the “Network and Sharing Center”, click “Change adapter settings” and disconnect each unused device (right-click on the icon, select “Disconnect”).

    Changing adapter settings

    Configuring network adapter settings

    Incorrect network settings

    They do not appear when the browser or Skype is running, but when running the Steam client, which works according to its own rules, incorrect parameters can block its access to the Internet.

    • Solving the problem. Open the settings of the network adapter you are using (see previous paragraph). Uncheck the "QoS Packet Scheduler" checkbox. Next, in the properties of the TCP/IPv4 protocol, in the “Preferred DNS server” line, enter the address “8.8.8.8”.

    Settings of the network adapter used

    Properties of the TCP/IPv4 protocol

    Windows Update

    Sometimes OS system patches, instead of fixing certain security problems, become a source of headaches for the user. Therefore, if you have automatic updates enabled, the reason for the lack of communication between the Steam client and the server should be found in operating system updates.

    • Solving the problem. Open the update history: “Control Panel” – “Windows Update” – “View update history”, then click “Installed updates”. Next, remove the latest updates one by one (right-click on the corresponding line and click “Uninstall”). When everything is ready, reboot your computer.

    View update history

    Removing installed Windows updates

    Closed ports

    They can be blocked by both the firewall and the router. At the same time, one should not confuse the prohibition of network access for the Steam client and the unavailability of ports necessary for its normal functioning (the full list can be found at https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8571-GLVN-8711) .

    • Solving the problem. Physically reboot the router using the power button. If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, try switching to a wired connection temporarily. Make sure that the required ports are in the list of allowed ports (instructions on the router manufacturer’s website or in the firewall user manual).

    Problems with Steam files

    They may occur due to an incorrect client update, a virus attack, or a spontaneous system failure. But you must understand that “can” and “occur” are completely different words, so the recipe below is best used when other methods have already been tried and have not brought the desired effect.

    Problems with Steam files

    If all of the above tips did not help, and there has been no connection to the Steam server for several days, you will have to reinstall Windows. To minimize losses, we recommend that you first make a copy of the system (Acronis True Image, Paragon Hard Disk Manager), and immediately after completion, install the Steam client and try to connect to the server. If the connection is established, you can begin reinstalling the necessary drivers and programs. If the situation repeats, then deploy the previously created image and contact the service’s technical support.

    Every person who is even slightly connected with the gaming industry is already aware that Steam has Steam Guard, the main task of which is to protect your account from hacking, protect things purchased for real money and other valuables. This application is useful for those people who want to protect their property. Those people in whose account large investments have not been made (in the form of purchased games or items), or the account does not have a high level, can do without it.

    Also, during the work, two-factor authentication can be configured - this type of user identification in which a request is created to enter identifying data of two different types. This type of protection is more effective than using a regular password.

    Mobile Authenticator or Steam Guard - security system, created by Valve specifically for Steam. Activation occurs when you log into your account. In order to log in, the user needs to enter a secret code, which allows him to undergo additional verification. Depending on the selected sending method, the code can be delivered to your mailbox or smartphone application.

    Connecting Steam Guard

    We use a smartphone

    To connect on your smartphone, you should follow the following sequence:


    On the computer

    Connecting Steam Guard on a computer (PC) without a phone can be done as follows:



    How to disable mobile authenticator

    To disable and completely remove the Steam Guard mobile authenticator, you need to perform only two steps:

    • This completes the process of decoupling Steam Guard from the phone.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Sometimes users are faced with the lack of necessary menu items and the inability to add two-factor authentication. The reasons for the disappearance are still unknown, so the best solutions in such cases would be:

    • restart;
    • reinstalling the Steam client;
    • re-login to your account.

    If the above methods do not help, you should check your mailbox specified during registration for a letter that confirms the binding of this e-mail address to the account.

    Some tips:

    • leave your password and authentication codes classified;
    • You should not enter your credentials on unfamiliar sites or click on suspicious links. This also applies to third-party software;
    • Necessarily save the spare code authentication.
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