6 Ways to Fix Steam Games Not Launching on Windows 11

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Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Repair Microsoft Visual C++

Broken or missing Visual C++ files may lead to the problem. If this is the case, you may repair them. Follow the steps below.

Step 1:Click themagnifying lenson the Taskbar, typecontrol, and click onUninstall a program.

Step 2:Click onMicrosoft Visual C++(if there are many of them, you may perform the same steps for each) and selectChange.

Step 3:Click onRepairand follow any on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Fix 2: Run Games as Administrator

You might have trouble launching games in Steam due to a lack of elevated privileges to access a certain directory on your computer. If that’s the case, try launching the games as an Administrator.

Step 1:Launch Steam.

Step 2:Right-click on the game you’re having issues launching and selectManage>Browse local files.

Step 3:Double-clickon the game folder to access all the game data. Note that some games may not require you to click additional folders with the game files located right within the local files folder.

Step 4:Right-clickthe game’s executable (.EXE) file and selectProperties.

Note: You can also click onRun as administratorin the context menu. However, that won’t be helpful if you want the games launched with administrator privileges every time you start it from Steam.

Step 5:When a Properties dialog opens, click and navigate to theCompatibilitytab.

Step 6:Under theSettingssection, click and select the checkbox forRun this program as an administrator. Then, click onApply.

Fix 3: Verify the Integrity of Game Files

The games left sitting on your drive might often corrupt over time for multiple reasons, including human error caused by the accidental deletion of game files, malware lurking on your system, etc. Steam offers a built-in tool that can verify the integrity of the game files and fix any issues by replacing the corrupted or missing files.

Step 1:Launch Steam.

Step 2:Right-click on the game that is experiencing difficulty launching and selectProperties.

Step 3:Click on theLOCAL FILESoption from the sidebar.

Step 4:Click onVerify integrity of game files.

Wait for Steam to complete the Validation scan. If all the game files are intact and validated successfully, you should see a message stating so. If any corrupted or missing game files are detected, Steam will re-download them for you.

Fix 4: Run Games in Compatibility Mode

Some older Steam games may refuse to work on Windows 11. You can tryrunning the game in compatibility mode. Here is how to run Steam games in combability mode on your computer:

Step 1:Launch Steam.

Step 2:Right-click on the games you have issues launching and selectManage, followed byBrowse local files.

Step 3:Double-clickon the game folder to access all the game data.

Step 4:Right-click the game’s executable (.EXE) file and selectPropertiesfrom the context menu.

Step 5:Click theCompatibilitytab > check the box forRun this program in compatibility mode for:and click on thedrop-downbelow it to select a compatible version of Windows supported by the game.

Step 6:Then, click onApply.

Fix 5: Delete the Steam Download Cache

Over time, the accumulated Steam download cache can prevent games from automatically updating themselves, which may prevent games from launching on your computer. To fix this, try clearing the Steam download cache by following the steps listed below:

Step 1:LaunchSteam.

Step 2:Click onSteamat the top-left corner. From the context menu, click onSettings.

Step 3:Click onDownloads>CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE>OKto close the Settings dialog.

Fix 6: Reinstall the Steam Client

If none of the previous solutions works, remove Steam and reinstall it from scratch. Uninstalling Steam from your PC will remove all your games, their downloadable content (DLCs), and saved files. You may want tocreate a backup of Steam game filesbefore proceeding further.

Step 1:Press theWindows+Ikeys to open the Settings app.

Step 2:When the Settings app opens, click theAppsoption in the left sidebar andInstalled Appson the right.

Step 3:TypeSteamin the search box at the top.

Step 4:From the search results, click thehorizontal three dots menunext to the Steam result > selectUninstall.

Step 5:After removing Steam, download and install a new version on your computer.

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Last updated on 28 May, 2024

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