Steam is a very popular PC gaming platform that is widely used on the market. Although the platform is impressive, you may still encounter some issues while using it. Sometimes, you may notice that Steam is stuck on connecting to your Steam account. When this happens, it may be due to a Steam server outage or a random software bug. Nonetheless, you can resolve this issue by performing a few operations. This guide will discuss how to fix the issue of SteamSteam stuck on connecting to a Steam account.
Why is SteamSteam not going online?
There are a few factors that can make SteamSteam not to connect or go online. Some of these factors may include:
Steam server outage
You may also encounter this issue due to server-side problems. It would be best to check news outlets to find out if there is any server outage for Steam services. Another feasible option would be to third-party news websites to find out about possible ongoing outage for services. You may also opt to go official by using the Steam server status page.
Random app or software bug
When you leave your computer or an application running for a long period, it may develop a bug. If you want to check whether this is the case with your computer, You should refresh the application or the system by restarting it.
PC internet connection issue
When SteamSteam cannot go online, it could also be due to your computer’s internet functionality. If you are using a laptop, it could be that your computer’s Network Interface Card (NIC) is not working correctly. You may also encounter this issue because the wireless card is damaged or malfunctioning. If you notice that your wireless functionality is down, you should try using a wired connection on your PC. And if you suspect that the problem is from your computer’s internet connection, you should run PC troubleshooting furthermore to fix it.
Steam files are corrupted
To function properly, SteamSteam utilizes a couple of folders and files or libraries. In a situation where one of these files or more gets corrupted or outdated, you may not be able to go online using SteamSteam.
Network devices are not working
You may encounter this problem because of your router or modem. If this is the case, then you should try fixing it by performing a power cycle. You can do it with the steps below.
- Step 1: Unplug your network devices from the wall outlet
- Step 2: Wait for at least 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
- Step 3: Turn on your modem or router and see how the internet connection works on your PC.
- Step 4: Check Steam one more time to see if it can now go online.
How to Fix Steam Stuck on Connecting to Steam Account or Will not Go Online
There may be times when SteamSteam gets stuck on connecting to your Steam account or will not go online. If you are experiencing any of these problems lately, there is a set of troubleshooting tips that you can perform to fix them. This section will show you some of the common solutions we find effective in fixing Steam connection troubles.
How to troubleshoot when SteamSteam does not go online
You can fix any Steam issues you are having if you follow this guide.
Solution 1: Restart Steam Client
This is an easy troubleshooting step that can resolve your issue if it is due to a minor bug or temporary power glitch problem.
- Step 1: Log out of your Steam account
- Step 2: Shut the Steam client and sign back in. In most cases, this is enough to resolve a Steam issue.
Solution 2: Check Steam Server Status
Go to the official Steam server status page to see if there is an ongoing outage. Valve’s Steam services are not up all the time, and in some rare cases, there may be system-wide issues that can occur.
Solution 3: Check the modem or router
Troubleshooting your network equipment may help if there are no Steam-server issues. There are several steps that you can do by following this router troubleshooting guide from SteamSteam.
Step 1: Unplug the router and the modem. If you have another managed network hardware, like network switches, unplug that hardware. Unmanaged devices may be left powered on, but use your judgment if you think these might be part of the problem.
Do not use a button labeled Restart or Reset since these likely start the factory reset or restore process. You can use a clearly labeled power button, but it would be best to unplug as this eliminates any doubt.
Step 2: Wait for at least 30 seconds. This will allow the devices to cool down and indicate to your ISP, computers, and other devices that the modem and router are offline.
This process may not be necessary if you know what the issue is with the connection. Restart the modem or router when you do not know what is wrong.
Step 3: Plug the modem back in. If it does not come on in the first few seconds, you need to press the Power button.
Your connection to the internet attaches to your modem. For instance, with cable-based internet service, the modem attaches to the coax cable outside the home.
Step 4: Wait for about 60 seconds. During this time, your modem authenticates with the ISP and is assigned a public IP address.
Most modems have four lights: a received light, a send light, a power light, and an activity light. When the first three lights become stable, the modem is fully powered on. If there is an internet light, wait for it to turn on to verify that the modem is getting internet from your ISP.
Step 5: Plug in the router. You may need to press a power button for some routers. On a combination modem-router, skip this step and the next one. The software in the device will initiate things in the right order.
The router is connected to the modem, so the device next to the modem is probably the router. Not every router has an antenna, but many do, so if you see one or more of those, that’s probably the router.
Step 6: Wait for at least 2 minutes. This will give the router time to boot up. It will also give computers, smartphones, and other devices that use the network time to get new private IP addresses assigned by the router’s DHCP service.
Suppose
you turned off the power for switches or other network hardware; you should power those back on. Wait for a minute. If you have multiple devices, power them on from the outside-in, based on the network map.
Step 7: When the router and modem restart, test to see if the problem went away.
Solution 4: Reboot your PC
Another easy troubleshooting option that you can do is rebooting your computer. Minor power bugs in a PC cause some Steam client issues. Restart a system is a minimum that you must do to fix whatever Steam issue you are having.
Solution 5: Reconfigure the PC’s firewall.
If it’s your first time installing SteamSteam on your computer, your computer’s firewall may be stopping it from connecting to the Steam network. Steam can also stop working if there is a recent system update in your computer that impacts network configuration.
You should try checking your computer’s firewall so that it can allow SteamSteam to connect online. Clear download cache. Steam may not work properly if one or more necessary files in its cache are corrupted or outdated. You can force SteamSteam to redownload the cache to fix the issue. Recreate the Steam shortcut.
Some Steam issues are fixed by editing the shortcut icon. Follow these steps to modify the shortcut:
- Step 1: Locate your Steam icon (for example, in your desktop folder).
- Step 2: Create a shortcut of SteamSteam in the same directory.
- Step 3: Click on Properties and head over to the General tab.
- Step 4: In the Target dialogue box, add -TCP in the end and click on Apply. Use this shortcut to launch SteamSteam.
If the solutions above could not resolve the issue, you could also try reinstalling the Steam application. If there is no known internet problem with your network and Steam servers are up and running, you can try to reinstall the Steam client to fix the issue. Deleting the Steam client from your computer will also delete your installed games, so you will have to also reinstall them afterward. Ensure that you get the Steam client from their official website only.
Conclusion
You are likely to encounter issues while trying to access your Steam account. When this happens, it may be due to a Steam server outage or a random software bug. You can fix this problem with any of the solutions listed above. In all, I hope this article was helpful, and you can now tackle this problem.