Steam runs frustratingly slow on your PC? You’re not alone! Many Steam users are reporting it. But the good news is that you can fix it. Here are 6 solutions to try.
Try these fixes:
You may not have to try them all. Just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
- Turn off unwanted programs
- Clear Steam cache and cookies
- Update your device drivers
- Disable auto proxy settings
- Repair the Steam service
- Reinstall Steam
Fix 1: Turn off unwanted programs
If you’re running multiple applications and background processes on your computer all at the same time, hogging your network resources, that can cause Steam to slow down. Try turning off unnecessary programs:
- Turn off unwanted programs on Windows 7
- Turn off unwanted programs on Windows 8 or 10
Turn off unwanted programs on Windows 7
1) Right-click your taskbar and select Start Task Manager.
2) Click the Processes tab. Then, check your current CPU and memory usage to see what processes are consuming your resources most.
3) Right-click the resource-consuming process and select End Process Tree.
Don’t end any program that you’re not familiar with. It may be critical for the functioning of your computer.
After you turn off unnecessary processes on your computer, restart Steam to see if it runs faster. If this doesn’t help, try Fix 2 to clear Steam cache and cookies.
Turn off unwanted programs on Windows 8 or 10
1) Right-click your taskbar and select Task Manager.
2) Check your current CPU and memory usage to see what processes are consuming your resources most.
3) Right-click the resource-consuming process and select End task.
Don’t end any program that you’re not familiar with. It may be critical for the functioning of your computer.
Try running Steam to see if it can work faster now. If Steam still works slow, there are 5 more fixes you can try.
Fix 2: Clear Steam cache and cookies
Over time, your PC accumulates Steam cache files and cookies. These files and cookies may affect your PC performance and cause Steam to slow down.
If that’s the problem for you, clearing cache and cookies should be able to improve your browsing speed. Follow the instructions below:
1) Right-click the Steam icon, and then select Run as administrator.
2) Click Steam, and then select Settings.
3) Select Web Browser and click DELETE WEB BROWSER CACHE.
4) Click OK.
5) Click DELETE ALL BROWSER COOKIES.
6) Click OK.
7) Select Downloads, and then click CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE.
Click OK.
9) Restart Steam.
Check if this method helped in speeding up Steam. If Steam still runs slow, try the fix below.
Fix 3: Update your device drivers
Outdated or faulty device drivers can also cause Steam to lag. To see if that’s the problem for you, try updating your drivers. There are two ways you can do this:
Manual driver update – You can update your driver manually by going to the manufacturer website of your devices, and searching for the most recent correct driver. Be sure to choose the driver that is compatible with your Windows version.
Automatic driver update – If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your drivers manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct driver for your computer, and your Windows version, and it will download and install them correctly:
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to the driver you need to automatically download the correct version of this driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.
4) Restart Steam to test your issue.
If your problem persists, then move on and try the fix below.
Fix 4: Disable auto proxy settings
Incorrect proxy settings can cause connection issues such as slow webpage load speed. For those who don’t use a proxy at all, follow the instructions below to disable the automatic detection of a proxy service to see if that fixes your issue.
If you already have a proxy server that uses automatic configuration, you should skip this method and try Fix 5; otherwise, you might lose network connections after you disable the automatic detection setting.
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type internet options.
2) Click Internet Options.
3) Click the Connections tab, and then click LAN settings.
4) Uncheck Automatically detect settings and click OK.
If you lose your network connections after you change your proxy settings, return to the LAN Settings window to re-enable the automatic detection setting.
5) Restart Steam client to test your issue.
If this didn’t resolve your problem, move on and try the next fix.
Fix 5: Repair the Steam service
Corrupt or missing Steam files may also Steam performance issues. To fix it, you’ll need to verify Steam files. Here is how:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time.
2) Type C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe /repair, then hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
3) You’ll see a window appears. (It may take a few minutes to repair Steam service, please wait for the process to be complete. Don’t close the window.)
4) Restart Steam to test your issue.
If your issue continues to occur, then move on to the next fix below.
Fix 6: Reinstall Steam
If none of the fixes above helped, reinstalling Steam is very likely the solution to your problem. Here is how to back up your game content and reinstall Steam:
1) Right-click the Steam icon and select Open file location.
2) Right-click the steamapps folder and select Copy. Then, place the copy in another location to back up it.
3) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type control. Then, click Control Panel.
4) Under View by, select Category.
5) Select Uninstall a program.
6) Right-click Steam, and then click Uninstall.
7) Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall Steam and wait for the process to be complete.
Download and install Steam.
9) Right-click the Steam icon and select Open file location.
10) Move the backup steamapps folder you create before to your current directory location. Then, restart Steam.
Hopefully, this article helped in speeding up Steam! If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Очень долго запускается стим [решено]
От нажатия до появления загрузочного экрана приложения проходит 18 секунд. На другом компе это происходит почти мгновенно.
Пробовал: запускать от имени администратора, удалять и устанавливать по новой, очищать кэш загрузок и браузера. Сам комп вообще в максимальной комплектации, в раза три мощнее того, на котором стим запускается почти мгновенно.
Это же обычная программа, но ведёт себя очень странно. В диспетчере задач появляется буквально за 2 секунды до появления самого окна стима. То есть, 16 секунд я будто бы ничего не запускаю.
Кто-нибудь с таким сталкивался? Готов перевести 500р на карту за рабочее решение
UPD решение: проблема была в процессоре от амуде и его встройке. Отключаешь встройку — проблема решается. Удачки)
Is your Steam client taking 4-5 minutes to launch and lagging significantly? Tried installing and reinstalling but no outcome?
For gamers, nothing is worse than Steam lagging and taking too much time to open, and it both consumes your time, energy and creates anger and frustration.
I faced the exact same issue last October, making it impossible to open Steam and launch a game.
Fortunately, I was able to repair Steam game files and fix the issue within a matter of minutes. In this post, I will discuss every method I tried and which users have confirmed work.
But why does Steam take so long to start?
Steam takes so long to start for multiple reasons, like, the compatibility between Steam and your device, admin permission ungranted, turning Family Sharing on, and so on. Besides, two antivirus running side by side, cache, and cookies, are also why Steam took too much time to launch.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the guide.
How to Solve Steam Running Slow?
Your Steam Client taking too long to open is not an uncommon issue at all, and there are many reasons behind it. So, if you face the same problem, don’t worry.
Jump to the solutions, read till the end and apply one by one to resolve your issue for good.
Solution 1. Run Steam as an Administrator
There are two consecutive methods to solve the issue, and you can follow either of them.
Method 1: Here’s the first method that you can quickly follow.
- Press the Windows key and type Steam on your PC.
- Click on Run as administrator, and you are done.
Method 2: I guess this one works the same with a little bit more precisely.
- Right-click on the Steam shortcut icon and select Properties.
- Move to Compatibility tab and check the Run this program as an administrator.
- Click OK, and you’re good.
Also check our exclusive tutorial on how to stream Origin games over Steam.
Solution 2. Clear your Steam’s Browser Cache and Cookies
There is a fixed amount of space for the cache and cookies for Steam browser. If there isn’t much space left, this can cause your Steam to run slow. Here’s how you can clear your Steam browser’s cache and cookies:
- Right-click on the Steam icon and select Run as administrator.
- Click on the Steam tab and select Settings.
- Go to the Web Browser and delete browser cache and cookies. A pop-up will ask you to confirm your decision for both times.
- Press OK, save the changes, and exit.
Restart Steam and check if the delay starting problem resolves.
Solution 3. Clear your Steam’s Download Cache
When you download something, it stores up some files in the download cache, and too much of this data storing can cause your Steam to take a long time to open. So you need to clear the download cache. Here’s how you can remove your Steam download cache:
- Open the Steam application and click on the Steam.
- Click on the Settings tab and navigate to Downloads.
- Press CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE. A pop-up will ask you to confirm.
- Press OK, wait for the process to complete. It won’t take much time.
- Save the changes and exit the client.
Restart Steam and log in again if Steam wants you to do so. Check whether your problem is resolved or not.
Solution 4. Disable Family Sharing
Sometimes turning family Sharing on can cause this pathetic problem. Here’s the process you can follow to turn off Family Sharing.
- Launch Stream and go to the Stream.
- Select Settings, navigate the Family tab and uncheck the Authorize Library Sharing on this computer.
- Click OK and then exit.
Relaunch Steam and see if the steam takes forever issue is gone.
Check out the easiest way to access the Steam screenshot folder and Change its location.
Solution 5. Disable LAN Settings
A proxy generates a passage through which your internet data flow. If you have a proxy active on your computer, your Steam has to perform more to do the extra work. Here’s the method you can follow to turn off your LAN settings.
- Press the Windows key, type Run, and hit Enter.
- Type cpl and click OK.
- Move to the Connections tab, click on LAN settings.
- Click on Automatically detect settings and uncheck Use a proxy server for your LAN.
- Save the settings and exit.
Relaunch Steam and see if your problem has vanished.
Also, check our exclusive tutorial on how to turn off shader pre-caching in Steam.
Solution 6. Disable Unwanted Programs
Sometimes a third-party application, say, BlueStacks is running in the background. It takes much more CPU, GPU, and DISK than the other apps. Even it can delay the opening of Steam.
To turn off unwanted programs, you need to launch the task manager, find the program and turn it off.
- Press the Windows key, type Task Manager, and hit Enter.
- Click the Processes tab, and you will be shown all of the applications that are currently running on the device.
- Click the CPU option and check which application is pressing your CPU.
- Right-click on the application which is using the CPU more and select End task.
- Perform the same task for Memory and Disk.
Check the Steam if it is working perfectly alright. But as you disable some third-party applications, you may face some problems functioning appropriately. So, you have to make sure there isn’t much resource usage by the system applications. Here’s the process
you can follow:
- Press Windows key+R.
- Typing MSConfig in the Run dialogue box, press Enter.
- Move to the Service tab, and uncheck the Hide all Microsoft Services.
- Click on the Disable all It will help to prevent these services from lunching at the start.
- Navigate to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager.
- Ensure disabling all applications from launching at startup.
- Save the changes and close the windows.
Restart your computer and check if the Steam works fine. If it does, it means a faulty application that troubles your Steam opening. So, now try enabling one by one of the services and applications and check when the problem comes back.
Thus you can find out which application is troubling and make sure you disable it temporarily or permanently. This solution can be a somewhat long time to perform, but it’s a feasible solution that works for many people.
Solution 7. Change Power CFG
The issue of taking a long time to launch can be provoked due to the computer not allowing optimal power to the application. To check if this is the case for your device, you need to change the Power setting of your computer.
- Press the Windows key, type Control Panel, and hit Enter.
- Click on the View by option and select Large icons.
- Go to the Power Options and click on the High-Performance option.
- Close the window and see if any changes occurred.
Solution 8. Change Priority
Before you use a device or an application, you need to ask yourself, “Which thing do I need particularly from this program?” Whether you can answer it or not, remember, you have invested money on this, so you deserve to get the best outcome according to that.
If the Steam client itself is running slow on your computer, here’s the process you can follow and solve.
- Press the Windows key, type Task Manager, and hit Enter.
- Click on the Details You can view each process running on your PC.
- Right-click on the .exe. If your program is lagging, navigate to Set priority and click Realtime or the High.
- Click on Set Priority and select Low if you face laggy games but normal Stream client.
- Close the window, check to see if any issue remains.
Solution 9. Delete HTML Cache
People solve their Steam opening problem by clearing the cache and cookies. But it can come back after some time. So, you need to find a permanent solution for fixing this issue. You can try deleting the HTML cache to solve the problem.
First, you need to clear the app files and then the Steam cache. Here’s how you can fix your Steam opening problem by deleting the HTML cache:
- Press Windows key+R.
- Type %temp% and hit Enter.
- Press Ctrl+A which helps to select all the files and press Shift+Delete to remove them permanently.
- Launch the run prompt again and type %appdata%, and press Enter.
- Press Ctrl+A and then Shift+Delete.
- Close the programs.
- Right-click on the Steam icon and select Open file location.
- Go to the Steam installation folder.
- Click on the App cache folder and delete the HTTP cache.
- Go to the Appdata > local > steam folder and delete the HTML cache.
- Run the Steam.exe and let it download the files it wants to.
Launching Steam, see if you find any issues like before.
Solution 10. Test the compatibility Settings
The Steam client might face incompatibility issues with the OS you are using. So, you need to check if this is the case. Here’s the process you can test the compatibility settings:
- Right-click on the Steam icon on your desktop and select Open file location.
- Right-click on the Steam executable and choose Properties.
- Navigate to the Compatibility
- Check the Run this program for compatibility mode for
- Click on the dropdown, try all of the OS one by one and check which one gives you better performance.
- Click on the Apply after selecting an OS, and press OK.
Solution 11. Disable Third-Party Antivirus
Sometimes your antivirus can create problems with your Steam client that punishes Steam a long time to open, even crashes. So disabling your antivirus is an option you can apply, and here’s a process you can follow to disable the third-party antivirus.
- Click the ^ button to open the system tray.
- Right-click on the antivirus, select shields control and select Disable permanently.
I have mentioned almost every way of solving the issue. Try all of them sequentially and see which one resolves your issue permanently.
Why Does Steam Take Forever to Open
Recent October, every once in a while, I faced this issue. I asked myself, “Why does Steam take so long to launch?”
Well, Steam takes forever to open for a couple of reasons. Read till the end to know why this problem occurs on your device.
- Compatibility Issue: Sometimes, Steam takes a long time to open if it is incompatible with your computer.
- Administrative Problem: Steam needs permission to read and write. If it is not running as an administrator, the launch can get delayed.
- Third-party Antivirus: Steam takes an eternity to open if the third-party antivirus is running in the background, sometimes.
- Family Sharing Feature: The family sharing feature needs additional details that slow down the process. So, if you have family sharing enabled, Steam can take a long time to open.
- Cookies and Caches: If the cache and cookies are corrupted, your Steam might slow down.
- Proxy Settings: Proxy settings might slow a process down. This time, your Steam can get caught.
- Faulty Background Application: If there is any faulty application running in the background of your computer, it might slow every app on your device. Steam might fall into the trap.
Why are my Steam games so laggy?
There are numerous factors that can cause Steam to be laggy. If the integrity of game files are damaged or the download data cache files are accumulating a lot of space, it could make Steam run slow. Steam requires a decent PC to run as well, so if your specs are not up to the mark, you may get a slow Steam experience.
In addition, it is possible that the Steam client is taking forever to load because of excessive download data or corrupted game files.
Similarly, if you haven’t updated your device drivers lately, it could cause multiple installed games to fail. I recommend using an automatic driver updater software like IOBit Driver Booster or Driver Reviver to fix this in 1 click. They have free editions too!
Lastly, if you have tried doing that and still can’t manage to repair the Steam error, then you can try reinstalling Steam from scratch by first uninstalling it from the system.
Conclusion
Most games nowadays need minimum powerful hardware to run the graphics. So before you do anything, make sure of the compatibility between Steam and your hardware.
If you feel like your Steam is opening after one eternity later, I suggest you apply all the above solutions and resolve your issue. If no steps can solve your case, I believe it’s your hardware problem. Furthermore, let me know if you solve your issue.
,
When Steam crashes or freezes when you play your favorite game, it’s very frustrating, so in this guide we’ll help you solve these problems.
Steam crashes can be caused by various reasons and it is often difficult to identify the exact cause because there is no information about the cause of the problem. However, here are some common reasons why Steam might crash:
- Outdated or corrupt game files.
- Conflicts with Antivirus/Firewall Software.
- Graphics driver issues.
- Damaged Steam Client files.
In this tutorial you’ll find several method to resolve the Steam client crashing & freezing issues on Windows 11/10.
Hot to FIX: Steam Crashing or Freezing on Windows 11/10.
Before moving on to the below advanced solutions, try the simple steps below and see if the problem is resolved.
- Restart your computer.
- Make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for the game you are playing.
- Update Windows.
- Disconnect any external USB devices (e.g. Game controllers, USB disks, etc.)
- Disconnect from VPN/Proxies.
- Temporarily disable or uninstall third-party antivirus programs. *
* Note: I suggest keeping your Antivirus/Firewall disabled while trying the other methods as well.
- Run Steam as Administrator.
- Delete Steam’s Download Cache.
- Verify Integrity of Game files on Steam.
- Update Video Drivers.
- Delete Steam’s APPCACHE folder.
- Delete Steam Beta file.
- Uninstall & Reinstall Steam client.
Method 1. Run Steam as Administrator.
A simple method to fix the Steam client crashing problem, is to run Stem client as Administrator. To do that:
1. Open File Explorer and navigate at the following location on disk:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\
2. Right-click on «Steam.exe» file and select Properties.
3. Select the Compatibility tab, check the «Run this program as an administrator» box, and click Apply > OK.
4. Now open Steam and check if the issue has been resolved.
Method 2: Delete Steam’s Download Cache.
An overloaded Steam cache can sometimes cause the Steam app and games to malfunction. Clearing the download cache on Stem may help resolve this issue.
1. Launch the Steam app.
2. Click on the Steam menu in the top left of the menu bar and select Settings.
3. Select Downloads from the left pane, and then on the right, click the CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE button.
4. When prompted with a verification message, select OK.
5. Steam will restart and clear the download cache.
6. Log in again with your Steam account to start gaming.
Method 3. Verify Integrity of Steam Game files.
If one or more game files on Steam are corrupted/damaged, crashes may occur while playing your favorite game. Verifying the integrity of game files through the Steam client can help correct the crashing problems on Steam.
1. Open the Steam app and click Library on the title bar.
2. Right click on the game that crashes and select the Properties option.
3. Select the Local Files tab and click the Verify integrity of game files button.
4. When the verification is done, restart the Steam client.
Method 4: Update the Graphics Drivers
Having an unstable or outdated graphics driver on your system can also cause Steam client to crash. In this case update or reinstall the graphics drivers according to the instructions below.
1a. Press Windows + R keys to load the Run dialog box.
1b. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the device manager.
2. In the Device Manager window, locate and double-click the Display adapters option to expand it.
3. Right-click on your graphics adapter and select Update driver.*
* Note: If you own a laptop with a secondary graphics adapters (discrete GPU), update the drivers on the secondary adapter.(e.g. AMD Radeon or NVidia)
4. In the «Update Drivers» window, select Search automatically for drivers.
5. Allow the system to search and install any available graphics drivers and then restart your PC. *
* Note: If Windows cannot find an updated graphics driver, visit the official support site of you Graphics adapter manufacturer (e.g. NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel), and download and install the graphics drivers from there.
Method 5: Delete Steam’s APPCACHE folder.
If the Steam client still crashing after applying the above methods, then proceed and delete the Steam «appcache» folder.
1. Restart your computer to make sure that no Steam process is running.
2. Open Explorer and navigate to the following path:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
3. Locate and delete the appcache folder.
4. Start Steam.
Method 6: Delete Steam Beta file.
If you are using the beta version of Steam, it could be the cause of the problem. Sometimes, the beta version of Steam is unstable and can lead to various issues. You can easily unregister the beta version of Steam by deleting the beta file in Steam’s «package» folder.
1. Open File Explorer and navigate at the following location on disk:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\package
2. Now see if there is a file named «beta» and if so, delete it.
3. Then, try to open the Steam app again and see if Steam works without any problems.
Method 7: Uninstall and Reinstall the Steam app.
If none of the above methods fixed the Steam not opening issue, uninstalling and reinstalling the Steam app usually fixes it.
Step 1. Backup Steam Games.
As a precautionary measure, go ahead and back up your Steam games to another location. To do that:
1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps
2. Then proceed and Copy the common folder to another location/disk.
Step 2. Remove and Reinstall Steam app.
1a. Press Windows + R keys to load the Run dialog box.
1b. Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
2. Find and right-click on Steam app and click Uninstall. (or alternatively select the Steam app and click Uninstall from the menu).
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall Steam and then restart your PC.
4. Finally, go to Steam webpage and click Install Steam to download and install the latest Steam client.
5. Open Steam and check if your games are there. If not, close Steam and copy the «common» folder from the backup location back to «C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps» folder.
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
If this article was useful for you, please consider supporting us by making a donation. Even $1 can a make a huge difference for us in our effort to continue to help others while keeping this site free:
- Author
- Recent Posts
Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).