Steam is a digital and multiplayer platform to distribute games. One of the frustrating experiences that some Steam users go through is that the Steam client does not open.

In some cases, the Steam client opens for few seconds and closes itself. There can be many reasons behind this such as interference from other software or open Steam processes running in the background.

Irrespective of the cause, the fact of the matter is that you cannot play games in the Steam library, nor can you join your friends in the game session. If you have been facing this problem repeatedly, we are sure you would like to know the solutions to fix the problem.

We have provided you with seven easy solutions that can fix the issue. Many Steam users have been able to solve the issue by following solutions given below.

You may not be required to try all given solutions here. Just start with the first solution and work your way downwards trying other solutions until the issue with Steam is fixed.

Solution One – Restart your computer

There is a possibility that some other processes or applications are preventing Steam client from opening. Also, there is a chance that current system state or cache is causing some problems in the successful launch of the Steam client. You can resolve such issues by restarting your computer.

Restart your computer and try opening the Steam client. If the issue is not resolved, try next solution.

Solution Two- Close all Steam processes running in the background

Sometimes when you close the Steam client, the application doesn’t shut down properly. Though the Steam client interface vanishes from the screen, the background process of the Steam client can still be active in the background.

When you try to launch Steam client again, the operating system thinks the Steam process (from the earlier session) is already running and the Steam client is already launched. Hence, it does not call forth another Steam process, and as a result you get the Steam client does not open.

To resolve this issue, you need to close all Steam processes running in the background and try opening Steam client again. Here are the steps to follow.

• Right-click on empty space in the Taskbar and then click Task Manager
• In the Task Manager window, go to Processes tab
• Look for processes like exe, steamwebhelper.exe in the list

• Right-click on Steam process and select End Process

• Perform the above step to end all processes related to Steam client
• Now try opening Steam client and see if the issue is resolved

Solution Three – Restart your network devices

 Problems in network or networking devices can also be the reason behind Steam client not opening. You can fix this problem by restarting your network devices (modem and router) which will get them back in the normal state. Here are the steps to follow.

• Shut down your computer and then switch off modem and router
• Unplug the power cables from router and modem
• Wait for few minutes
• Plug back power cables in router and modem
• Start your modem and router. Wait till the Internet connectivity is established and the devices are in normal state.
• Start your computer and try launching the Steam client
• If the issue still persists, try next solution

Solution Four – Reinstall Steam client

There is a possibility some files of the Steam client are missing or corrupt. You can fix such issues by reinstalling the Steam client. Here are the steps to follow.

• Go to Steam client website and download new Steam installer
• Once the Steam installer is downloaded, double-click on it to start installation

• Follow on-screen instructions to install Steam client on your computer

Note- you need to reinstall Steam client to same location where it is already installed. If you install it in different location, all your games and user data would be lost.

Solution Five- Update operating system and update drivers

If your system is not up-to-date, then too you can get this error. You need to install all pending system updates and see if it resolves the Steam not opening issue. Here are the steps to update operating system.

• Click Start and type updates in Cortana search

• In the list of results, click Check for updates or Windows Update
• In the Settings window, click check for updates that appears in right pane

• Windows update will check for pending updates and show you the list of updates that need to be installed
• Click on individual update item to download and install it. You need to perform this step to install all pending updates
• Now try launching Steam client. If the issue is not resolved, you need to update drivers

Updating all system drivers manually can be a time-consuming and difficult task for many. Hence, we suggest you to use a driver update tool to update drivers automatically.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download

 

Solution Six- Disable antivirus software

Sometimes your anti-virus may prevent the Steam client from opening. To ensure, your anti-virus is not interfering in Steam client opening, disable anti-virus temporarily. The steps to disable anti-virus differ with each application. Refer the anti-virus documentation for exact steps to disable it temporarily.

If the Steam client opens after disabling the anti-virus, you can conclude the anti-virus is the culprit behind Steam not opening issue. In such case, you need to contact anti-virus manufacturer and explain the problem and ask for a solution. Another way to resolve this problem is to use other anti-virus software you like.

If the Steam client not opening issue is not resolved even after disabling anti-virus, try next solution.

Solution Seven – Use System Restore to revert your computer to previous state (when the steam client was opening)

You need to recall when the Steam client not opening problem started. There is a possibility that you have installed some new software or made changes to settings some time back which might be the reason behind Steam client not opening issue.

In such a case, restoring the computer to the previous state would undo the changes and resolve the Steam not an opening problem.

You can also try uninstalling any application that you have recently installed and see if it fixes the issue. If the issue still persists, use the System Restore option. Here are the steps to follow.

• Click Start and type recovery in the Cortana search box

• Select Recovery from the list of results
• In the Recovery window, click Open System Restore

• When the System Restore window opens, click Next

• In the next window, select the appropriate Restore point from the list and click Next

• In the next window, click Finish

• Windows will start the System Restore process. You need to be patient as the process may take some time to complete. After  the System Restore is completed, computer will reboot and you should see the computer restored to earlier state.
• After the computer is restored to an earlier state, try opening Steam client and see if the issue is resolved