Steam is the go-to online digital store for games. Likewise, it has the biggest library of games of any online gaming marketplace. Many gamers on different platforms use Steam to purchase games and store their library of games. This flagship gaming digital marketplace from Valve is also the most popular. You can also use your Steam account on multiple different platforms. This is one of the main advantages of Steam. Consequently, you can download and install games that you purchased from one platform onto another platform. Although Steam is a well-optimized digital store for games, you may run into issues when using it. A very common issue that many users report running into, is the connection issue with the Steam network. Thus, knowing how to fix when you could not connect to Steam network can be very helpful. Some users of Steam may also be on platforms such as macOS. In this case, you may also find that you could not connect to Steam network Mac. There are some general workarounds as well as fixes for network issues. This article is therefore regarding how to fix could not connect to Steam network.
How to Fix Could Not Connect to Steam Network Error
Here, you will get to know about various ways to fix could not connect to Steam network error.
What are the Causes of Could Not Connect to Steam Network Issue?
There may be a number of reasons as to why you are encountering network issues with Steam. Here are some of the possible causes below.
- The Steam servers are down.
- Your Wi-Fi connection or internet connection is not working.
- Your Steam version is not updated to the latest version.
- Your system’s background running apps are conflicting with Steam.
- Your system’s firewall is stopping you from connecting to the internet properly.
- Your network driver is outdated.
- The Winsock.dll is not available.
- Your Internet Service Provider is facing technical difficulties.
- The necessary network ports for Steam are not open.
Solutions to Fix Could Not Connect to Steam Network Issue
There are some general fixes that you can follow to resolve this issue. You can follow the different fixes below.
Method 1: Restart Steam
A simple fix that you can follow is to simply restart Steam. Likewise, all you have to do is to quit Steam. You can make sure that Steam is no longer running by checking in the Task Manager. Afterward, you can launch Steam again and see if it fixes the issue.
1. Launch the Steam app.
2. On the top left corner, click Steam.
3. Select Exit on PC or Quit Steam on Mac.
4. Open Steam again and log back in if you’ve been logged out.
Method 2: Restart PC
Another simple fix that you can follow is to restart your system. Likewise, you may be running Steam on a Windows or Mac system. Read out our guide on How to Restart PC.
Also Read: Fix Steam Image Failed to Upload
Method 3: Wait for Steam Server Uptime
Another fix that you can also try is to make sure that the Steam servers are active. You may be encountering connection issues simply due to server issues. Therefore, you can check the status of the Steam servers by clicking Steam Charts overview page.
Method 4: Update Steam Client
A fix that you can also follow to resolve this could not connect to Steam network issue is to update the Steam client. Likewise, you may be facing issues because your Steam version is outdated. Therefore, a fix you can follow is to make sure that your version of Steam is on the latest stable version available. Although Steam automatically updates itself when logging into it, you can manually check for updates by going to Steam and clicking on Check for Steam Client Updates.
1. Open Steam Client.
2. Click on Steam at the top left corner and select Check for Steam Client Updates… option.
3A. If any new updates are available, wait until the update is complete and click on RESTART STEAM.
3B. If the Steam client is already up-to-date, it will display Your Steam client is up-to-date.
Method 5: Troubleshoot Internet Connection
You can also make sure that your internet connection is working properly to resolve the issue. In case you are using a wireless Wi-Fi connection, you can make sure that your WiFi router is working properly by connecting to it using a different device. Read out our guide on How to Troubleshoot network connectivity problems on Windows 10.
Method 6: Switch to Wired Connection
In case you are using a wireless internet connection and facing this issue, you can try switching to a cable connection. A wired connection is usually faster as well as more stable. Therefore, it is a good idea to switch to a wired internet connection.
Method 7: Contact Internet Service Provider
You may also be facing Steam connection issues simply due to your ISP facing technical issues. Likewise, you can go to your Internet Service Provider’s official website to see if they are facing issues.
Also Read: Fix AppHangB1 Error on Steam
Method 8: Reinstall Steam
In case any of the other fixes fail to resolve this could not connect to Steam network issue, you can resort to performing a complete reinstall of Steam. Although this may not seem practical, uninstalling Steam and reinstalling it can usually resolve most of the bugs as well as glitches that may result in the network issue.
1. Open the Steam app and click on Steam at the top left corner. Here, select the Settings option in the menu.
2. In the Downloads tab, click on STEAM LIBRARY FOLDERS to open the storage manager.
3. Choose the local drive on which the games are installed. Here, we have chosen Local drive (d).
Note: The default installation location for Steam games is Local drive (c).
4. Click on the three dots and select Browse Folder to open the steamapps folder.
5. Click on the SteamLibrary as shown below to go back.
Note: If you couldn’t find SteamLibrary in the address bar, go to the previous folder and look for the SteamLibrary folder.
6. Copy the steamapps folder by pressing Ctrl + C keys together.
7. Paste the steamapps folder to another location for backup by pressing Ctrl + V keys simultaneously.
8. Press the Windows key, type Control Panel, then click on Open.
9. Set View by > Category, then click on the Uninstall a program option under Programs section.
10. Locate Steam and right-click on it.
11. Finally, click Uninstall.
12. Click on Yes in the UAC prompt.
13. Click on Uninstall to confirm the uninstallation.
14. Click on Close once the application is entirely uninstalled from the system.
15. Click on Start, type %localappdata% and hit the Enter key.
16. Now, right-click on the Steam folder and select Delete.
17. Again, press the Windows key, type %appdata% and click on Open.
18. Delete the Steam folder as done previously.
19. Then, restart the PC.
20. Visit the Steam official site and click on INSTALL STEAM to get the Steam installation executable.
21. Click on the installed executable file to install the application.
22. Click on Yes in the prompt.
23. In the installation wizard, click on Next >.
24. Select the desired language and click on Next >.
25. Then, click on Install.
Note: If you do not want the app installed on the default folder mentioned, choose the desired destination folder by clicking on the Browse option.
26. Wait for the Steam to be installed and click on Finish.
27. Once the installation is complete, log in with your Steam credentials.
Also Read: Fix Steam Error 26 on Windows 10
Some Specific Fixes for Windows
Here are the specific solutions for Windows PC to fix could not connect to Steam network error.
Method 1: Restart Steam from within Program
Firstly try to reboot the Steam app as shown in the steps below.
1. Launch Steam and click on Steam at the top.
2. Click on Go Online
3. Go to the LEAVE OFFLINE MODE option.
4. Restart Steam.
Method 2: Run Steam as Administrator
You can try to run Steam as administrator to solve could not connect to Steam network error on Windows PC as shown in the steps below.
1. Left-click on the Steam shortcut.
2. Click on the Run as administrator option
Method 3: Disable Windows Firewall (Not Recommended)
The Windows Firewall also helps in keeping unauthorized users away from accessing resources or files of your computer by blocking them. So a Firewall is a very important feature for your computer and it is absolutely necessary if you want your PC to be safe & secure. Read out our guide on How to Disable Windows Firewall.
Method 4: Update Network Driver
ou sometimes can face a problem where you can’t connect your computer to a network. There are many possibilities for this error, but the most common being outdated network adapter drivers. It is recommended that you update your network adapter drivers regularly to avoid issues with connection. Read out our on How to update network drivers on Windows 10.
Method 5: Repair System Files
Windows System Files can get corrupt due to many reasons such as incomplete Windows Update, improper shutdown, virus or malware attacks, etc, Also, a system crash or a bad sector on your hard disk can lead to corrupt files, which can prove to be deadly in the long run. Read out our guide on How to Repair system files.
Method 6: Change Steam IP
Another methods to fix could not connect to Steam network on Windows PC is to change Steam IP by following the steps given below.
1. Right-click on the Steam desktop shortcut.
2. Click on the Properties option.
3. In the Target dialogue box, add –tcp at the end of the path.
4. Click on Apply and OK.
Also Read: How to Fix Steam Not Downloading Games
How to Fix Could Not Connect to Steam Network on Mac
Here are the methods to fix could not connect to Steam network mac issue.
Method 1: Force Quit Steam and Restart
1. Launch the Apple menu and select Force Quit.
2. Select Steam in the Force Quit Applications box.
3. Select Force Quit and wait for up to 10 seconds.
4. Launch Steam again.
Method 2: Force Update Steam
1. Open the Finder app and select Applications.
2. Control-click on Steam and select Show Package Contents.
3. Go to the Contents folder and open MacOS folders.
4. Open the steam_osx file.
Also Read: Fix No Steam User Steam Error on Garry’s Mod
Method 3: Reinstall Steam
1. Open Finder and open the Go to Folder box.
2. Type in ~/Library/Application Support/Steam.
3. Select all the files and folders except the steamapps folder.
4. Delete the selected files and folders.
5. Drag Steam from Mac’s Applications folder to the Trash.
6. Download Steam for Mac from Steam download page and install.
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We hope that this guide was helpful and that you were able to learn about the steps on how to fix could not connect to Steam network issue. Let us know which method worked for you best. If you have any queries or, suggestions then feel free to drop them in the comments section below
