For any PC gamer, Steam is an essential app. Without it, downloading game updates, buying new games, and chatting with friends would be a daunting task. But what if your Steam store won’t load on Windows?
This is definitely an annoying bug. But fixing this is not as difficult as it might seem. To help you, below I have shared a couple of tricks that will help you get rid of the error.
How to fix Steam Store not loading on Windows?
There are many ways to fix the error that the Steam store won’t load. Some of the useful workarounds:
- Check your internet connection
- Check Steam Server Status
- Update Steam
- Run flushconfig in terminal
- Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode
- Launch Steam from a shortcut
- Remove Steam Compatibility
- Reinstall Steam
Now let’s talk about these fixes one by one below:
1. Check your internet connection
Steam clients won’t load if you have a slow internet connection. So before you start any troubleshooting methods, make sure you don’t have a slow internet connection.
Many websites let you test your internet connection. For example, you can use the Ookla Internet Speed Test to work.
Make sure your download and upload speeds are at least 5MB/s and latency is under 25ms. If you’re facing a network or internet issue on your end, you can run the internet troubleshooter, especially if you’re using a VPN.
2. Check the status of the Steam server.
You also need to make sure the Steam servers are running and not down. If the Steam servers are disabled, then the Steam store will not load.
The good news is that it’s very easy to check the official status of the Steam server. You can go to this site steamstat.us to work. However, this is an unofficial site.
3. Update Steam
Another thing you should do is update the Steam app. It is highly likely that the error occurs due to a bug that the Steam developers have already fixed and rolled out an update. Although Steam is updated automatically.
But you can also update it manually by clicking on Steam in the menu bar of the software and selecting “Check for Steam Client Updates”.
However, in this case, since Steam won’t load, manually updating is not a solution. Instead, you must follow these steps:
- Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC to launch Task Manager.
- In the task manager, select the Steam client and click End Task.
- Then press the Windows key + R to launch R.
- Paste the following path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam at startup and press Enter.
- You will now see several files and folders. Delete everything except files like Steam.exe and SSfn files.
- After that, launch Steam and it will start updating automatically.
- Finally, check if it worked for you.
4. Run flushconfig in terminal
You can also try running the flushconfig. This helps to clear the download cache and get rid of Steam errors.
To do this, follow these steps:
- First, launch R by pressing the Windows key + R.
- Now copy and paste this command: steam://flushconfig and press Enter.
- Then press OK to confirm the reset.
- Finally, restart Steam and see if this worked for you.
5. Launch Steam in Big Picture Mode
Next, you can try launching the Steam Store in Large Image mode. This is one of the workarounds that has worked for most users.
Also, there is nothing wrong with trying this method. So, follow these steps:
- In the lower right corner of your desktop, right-click on Steam and select “Large Image”.
That’s all. Steam should now launch without problems. If not, move on to other fixes.
6. Launch Steam from the shortcut
You can also try launching Steam from a shortcut. To do this, you will need to follow the following steps:
- Launch R by pressing the Windows key + R.
- Copy and paste this path and press Enter: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
- Now locate and right-click on Steam.exe and select “Create Shortcut”.
- Then right-click on the Steam shortcut and select “Properties”.
- Now leave a space at the end of the “Target”field on the “Shortcut”tab. Then copy and paste -no-cef-sandbox.
- Click Apply > OK.
Now double click on the Steam shortcut to launch Steam and see if it works for you.
7. Remove Steam Compatibility
If you have enabled Steam compatibility, it is not recommended to do so as it will prevent the Steam client from running smoothly. Therefore, it is recommended to disable Stream compatibility mode.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Press Windows Key + R to launch Run.
- Now copy and paste C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam and press Enter.
- Right-click Steam.exe and select Properties.
- Click the Compatibility tab, uncheck all checkboxes, and click Change settings for all users.
- Clear all checkboxes and click Apply > OK.
- Finally, restart Steam and see if the Steam Store is properly launched.
8. Reinstall Steam
If in the end nothing works out for you, then you can reinstall Steam. Reinstalling Steam will not delete your game data. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
- Find Steam and click on the three dots icon.
- Click “Remove”and follow all the instructions on the screen and you’re done.
- Once uninstalled, download a fresh copy of the Steam client from its website and install it following all the on-screen instructions.
How to repair Steam if it is damaged?
- Right click the start menu.
- Select Windows Terminal (Admin) and launch it.
- Now copy and paste the following command and press Enter: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe”/repair.
That’s all. Your Windows system will now try to repair the Steam client for a while. If that doesn’t work, try updating the Steam client manually.
That’s it for how to fix Steam store not loading on Windows. Now try the fixes and see if they help you. Also, if you get stuck on anything, leave a comment below.
How do I get my Steam EXE back?
The easiest way to get the Steam EXE back is to reinstall the Steam client. To reinstall the Steam exe, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features. Then find the Steam client and uninstall it.
After that, download a fresh copy of Steam from the official website and install it on your Windows PC by following all the steps on the screen.
Why did Steam remove itself?
Steam cannot uninstall itself. Instead, your antivirus may have modified or deleted the appmanifest files in the Steam folder. To fix this problem, you can whitelist the Steam client in your antivirus program. So this won’t delete the client in the future.