How To Fix Steam Game That Won’t Download Or Start

Are you having trouble with a particular Steam game that won’t download or start? Don’t panic as this issue is usually within your ability to fix. 

This troubleshooting guide will show you the solutions that you can try to fix this type of problem. There are a number of effective solutions that you must do so be sure to do the suggested fixes in the order provided below.

Reasons why a Steam game won’t download or start

There are a number of factors to check if a Steam game won’t download or start. Below are the things that you must try to narrow down when trying to fix any game issue.

Random game bug.

Applications can develop bugs from time to time due to a wide variety of factors. Majority of this type of bugs usually go away on their own though after refreshing the system. We highly recommend that you try restarting your computer first if you’ll have to deal with a Steam game issue.

Game or software is outdated.

In some cases, a Steam game may crash or won’t start due to a coding error. If this error is known to the publisher or developer, they would right away fix it by releasing an update. Steam client will notify you if there’s any available game update so all you have to do is to proceed with the installation of such update. 

Sometimes, an issue with a Steam game may stem from a fault within the Operating System itself. In this case, you’ll have to make sure that your PC’s OS is running its latest update. By default, Operating Systems are set to periodically check for updates but you can also manually check them. If you’re running a PC, you can check for updates by doing the following steps:

1. Select the Start (Windows) button from the bottom-left corner.
2. Go to Settings (gear icon).
3. Select the Update and Security icon.
4. Choose Windows Update tab in the sidebar (Circular arrows).
5. Select Check for updates. If there is an available update, it will begin downloading automatically. 

If you have a Mac, follow these steps to check for updates:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu , then click Software Update to check for updates.
2. If any updates are available, click the Update Now button to install them. Or click ”More info” to see details about each update and select specific updates to install.

Corrupted game files.

Steam games use a wide range of files and file folders in order to work properly. If one of these needed files is outdated or corrupted, it may result to game performance issue, crashes, or loading problems.

Connection issues.

If you’re having an issue with a game that requires internet to work, you must ensure that your computer has a reliable internet connection. If possible, try to avoid wifi and instead use a wired connection. If you have no other option than to use wireless connection, make sure that it’s working normally and not cutting out. Steam won’t open or start if wireless internet connection has poor or weak signal..

Game incompatibility issues.

Older games may have trouble working with newer Operating System versions. Try running them in compatibility mode and see if it loads fine. Follow the steps below to do this.

1. Open Steam.
2. Go to Steam Library.
3. Locate the game you want to run
4. Right-click the game title, and go to Properties.
5. Head over to the Local Files tab.
6. Click Browse Local Files.
7. Find the game executable, right-click it, and go to Properties.
8. Head over to the Compatibility tab.
9. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for.
10. Choose the operating system.
11. Save changes.

Troubleshooting a Steam game that won’t launch or download

Suggested readings:

• How To Fix Call of Duty Mobile Won’t Connect Issue
• How To Fix Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controller Disconnecting Issue
• How To Fix Nintendo Switch Fast Battery Drain Issue
• How To Fix Nintendo Switch Game Card Not Working

Get help from us

Having Issues with your phone? Feel free to contact us using this form. We’ll try to help. We also create videos for those wanting to follow visual instructions. Visit our TheDroidGuy Youtube Channel for troubleshooting.