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Can't connect to steam account. How to deal with Steam network connection error. Installing pirated versions of games

Problems with network operation occur in every large network project. Similar problems have not been spared by Steam, a popular digital distribution service for games and a platform for communication between players. One of the common problems that users of this playground encounter is the inability to connect to the network. There may be several reasons for its appearance. Next, we will consider them and methods for solving them.

We will analyze the possible origins of the problem in order of frequency of occurrence - from the most common to the relatively rare.

Reason 1: Problems with Internet connection

The first thing you need to check is whether your Internet works at all. This can be determined by the network connection icon in the bottom right corner of Windows. If there are no additional icons located near it, then most likely everything is fine. But it’s a good idea to open a couple of different sites in your browser and look at their loading speed. If everything works quickly, then the problem is not related to your Internet connection.

If there are additional symbols near the connection status icon in the form of a yellow triangle with an exclamation point or a red cross, the problem is with the Internet connection. You should try unplugging the Internet connection cable from your computer or router and inserting it back. Rebooting your equipment—both your router and your computer—can also help. If these steps do not help, you should contact the technical support of your provider, because the problem may be on the side of the company providing Internet access services.

Reason 2: Server problems

You should not take decisive action right away - perhaps the connection problem is related to non-working Steam servers. This happens periodically: the servers are undergoing maintenance, they may be overloaded due to the release of a new popular game that everyone wants to download, or the system may simply crash. You can check the status of the service using some sites, for example.


If the service shows problems, wait 1-2 hours and then try connecting to Steam again. Usually, during this time, Steam employees solve all problems related to the lack of access to the site for users. If there is no connection after a long time (4 hours or more), the problem is most likely on your side. Let's move on to the next reason for its occurrence.

Reason 3: Corrupt configuration files

There are several configuration files in the Steam folder that can interfere with the normal functioning of Steam. You need to delete these files and see if you can log into your account after that.

Reason 4: Windows Firewall or Antivirus

Your Internet access may be blocked by the Windows Firewall or antivirus installed on your computer.


Reason 5: Client file corruption

In some cases, the cause of the problem may be corruption of program files due to user error or due to malware activity. The only solution to this problem is to completely uninstall the Steam client and then reinstall it.

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 - safety 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.

FAQ

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.

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

  • Solution to 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.

  • Solution to 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 for the duration of the game. 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.

  • Solution to 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.

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

Change 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.

  • Solution to 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.

  • Solution to 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) .

  • Solution to 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 given 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.

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. Go ahead.

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. Does not 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.

If yes, then you probably know about all the benefits that a gamer receives by using this platform from Valve. The player not only has access to all the most modern and interesting games, but also online battles with friends who may live on the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, not all Steam features always work as normal. In particular, sometimes the user sees the message “Could not connect to the Steam network,” and often the error pops up for no apparent reason.

Don't rush to panic. How many times does this message pop up? Have you only tried to start the game once? If yes, then simply try to do it again, first closing the Steam service in the system tray.

As a rule, isolated client crashes with such an error do not indicate anything terrible. Short-term problems on Valve's servers may be to blame. If this situation persists after a restart, you need to check your Internet connection.

It often happens that the provider is to blame for some problems on the line. In addition, there are trivial problems with the cable or Wi-Fi signal. If you are using a router located in the next room on a cabinet, check its power supply. It happens that the nervous system suffers due to all sorts of little things. Have you checked? Still unable to connect to the Steam network?

Eliminating the cause

Try closing your antivirus and firewall, and then try starting the game again. It is not so rare that it is these “guardians” who do not release a program onto the Internet. This happens especially often immediately after updating the Steam client, when the main files of the program are changed, after which the firewall begins to automatically “suspect” that it was upgraded by some kind of malware.

If launching Steam without a firewall is successful, you will have to manually add it to the program exceptions. To do this, you need to read the FAQ on the official website of the application manufacturer. In this case, it is impossible to give any specific recommendations, since there are too many programs, and their setup procedures are different.

Valve's method

It is curious that the “valves” themselves know about the problem, but cannot say anything specific about its cause. Technical support notes that many factors can influence this. However, they also gave a method that often helps. If you are unable to connect to the Steam network, try it.

To fix everything, right-click on the Steam shortcut, and then go to “Properties”. In the window that opens, you need to find a field called “Object”. At the very end of the line written there we insert: “-tcp -login Your login password.”

In a word, as a result you should get something like this: “C:\Program Files\Steam\steam.exe" -tcp -login Vasyapupkin 9876543". In many cases, such actions really help solve a painful problem.

Another solution

Some users report that they started having problems with Steam after switching to a different provider. It is unknown how, but sometimes the program’s connection with its servers is hindered by the large number of people registered in the system. When you can't connect to the Steam network, it's better to thin out this list.

Simply put, after the old provider there remains one that needs to be deleted. How to do it?

Click on “Start”, go to “Control Panel”, “Network Management”. On the right side of the working window there is an item “Change adapter settings”. After clicking on the link, a window will open containing a list of all adapters registered in the system. Find unnecessary connections among them, and then delete them. This is done by right-clicking on them and selecting “Delete” in the context menu.

A radical solution to the problem

Some Steam users managed to overcome the problem in a very radical way. They report that the program began to connect normally to servers only after they completely deleted the contents of the Steam directory, leaving only the “Bin” folder and the “Steam.exe” file there.

There is a more targeted solution to the problem. Go to the above directory again and then look for the “ClientRegistry.blob” file in it. Remove it and then try to restart the program. Still having trouble connecting to the Steam network? Go ahead.

More about the provider

If all of the above did not help, and Steam stubbornly refuses to go online, the problem should in any case be looked for on the provider’s side. Try this solution: go to the “Control Panel”, and then to the “Network and Sharing Center”. Find “Change adapter settings” on the right side of the working window, then right-click on your connection.

In the context menu that appears, click on the “Properties” item. In the next dialog box, find the item “Internet Protocol Version 4”, select it with the left mouse button and click on the “Properties” button.

In the “... DNS server addresses” fields, set the values ​​to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Click “OK”, and then try to launch Steam again. These are special open servers from Google.

Finally, try to remember if you had installed any additional software before the problems appeared: was there any critical patch for Windows, was the release of the nix system updated?

Quite often it happens that for some unknown reason, updates may conflict with some programs. So, the story of the Windows update, after which the program basically refused to start, is still fresh in the memory of users.

Call technical support, write them an email, attaching screenshots of the problem that has arisen. If this is something typical that arose precisely because of problems with the software, they will definitely help you.

Here's what to do if you can't connect to the Steam network.