[Updated May 2023] Steam Keeps Crashing on Windows?

• If Steam is crashing on your computer, the first thing you should do is restart your machine.
• Try running Steam as an administrator. This will grant the program full access to your system.
• The AppCache folder of Steam contains temporary data from all the games you’ve downloaded and played. You can try deleting this folder to see if it fixes the issue.
• We recommend downloading the Fortect PC repair tool to diagnose and repair Steam issues.

Steam is a well-known platform for digital copies of games and is probably one of the best cloud-based game libraries. However, even the best of the best encounters problems occasionally, which is entirely normal.

One of the most common issues with Steam is that it crashes randomly during launch or while browsing the game library. This issue isn’t the same as the Steam won’t open problem that some people face.

This can be a problem if you play an online game and Steam crashes. You will be disconnected from your game, lose your current match, and potentially receive a penalty for being AFK during online matchmaking.

While this issue doesn’t point out a specific reason or cause, a few known workarounds can help you address the problem faster.

Today, we will show you the best ways to fix Steam if it keeps crashing on Windows.

Let’s get right into it!

• See Also: NVIDIA Control Panel Keeps Crashing

Common Reasons Steam Keeps Crashing

Before you attempt to fix the Steam crashing issue, it’s essential to understand the common reasons behind this problem. By knowing the possible causes, you can better address the issue and find the appropriate solution. Here are some of the most common reasons why Steam keeps crashing:

• Outdated Graphics Drivers: Having outdated graphics drivers can lead to compatibility and performance issues, causing Steam to crash. Always make sure that your graphics drivers are up-to-date to avoid such problems.
• Insufficient Memory or Storage Space: Steam games require adequate memory and storage space to run smoothly. If your computer doesn’t have enough resources, it can cause Steam to crash. Close unnecessary applications and free up some space to prevent this issue.
• Corrupted or Missing Files: Steam relies on various files to function correctly. If any of these files get corrupted or go missing, it may cause the platform to crash. Solutions like verifying the integrity of game files or deleting the AppCache folder can help resolve this issue.
• Compatibility Issues: Steam may crash if there are compatibility issues with your operating system or other software on your computer. Running Steam as an administrator or updating your Windows can help address these problems.
• Bugs and Glitches: Sometimes, Steam may crash due to temporary bugs or glitches in the software. A simple restart of your computer can help eliminate these issues.

By understanding these common reasons, you can better identify the root cause of the problem and apply the appropriate solutions provided in this article to fix the Steam crashing issue.

Fix 1: Restart Your Computer

The easiest way to fix problems and issues on applications like Steam is to restart your operating system. This way, you can ensure that your system resources are correctly loaded.

Restarting your computer would also give your operating system a chance to eliminate any temporary bugs and glitches that may have occurred.

Follow the guide below to restart your computer:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows Key to access the Start Menu.
2. Click on the Power button to open the Power Options tab.
3. Finally, click on Restart and wait for your system to reboot.

Once done, relaunch Steam and observe if the program still crashes.

Fix 2: Launch Steam As Administrator

Steam requires Read and Write permissions to access your hard drive to download and install game updates. It may also need to change system files for installing Direct X APIs and other programs required by your games.

If Steam doesn’t have the correct permissions, it can crash or run into errors if the program tries to change system files or write on your hard drive.

To fix this, run Steam as an administrator to grant it full access to your system.

1. On your desktop, right-click on Steam and select Properties.
2. Go to the Compatibility tab and click Run this Program as an Administrator.
3. Click on Apply to save the changes and close Properties.

Try using Steam for a couple of minutes to check if the program still crashes on your computer.

• See Also: [Fixed] Microsoft Outlook Not Opening

Fix 3: Delete the AppCache Folder

The AppCache folder of Steam contains temporary data from all the games you’ve downloaded and played, and Steam uses this data to load games faster and improve their overall performance.

However, it’s possible that some of this data got corrupted and caused Steam to crash when it tried to access it.

To fix this, follow the steps below to delete the AppCache folder of Steam:

1. First, open the File Explorer on Windows and navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam.
2. Now, locate the AppCache folder in the directory.

3. Lastly, right-click on the AppCache folder and select Delete.

Open Steam again on your computer and check if it crashes after deleting the AppCache folder.

Fix 4: Delete Client Registry.blob

ClientRegistry.blob is a file used by Steam for holding your user data and registration data for all the installed games. Unfortunately, the ClientRegistry.blob file can get corrupted easily, and deleting it is known to fix about 30% of the problems on Steam.

See the steps below to delete ClientRegistry.blob on your computer:

1. Before anything, ensure that Steam is not running in the Task Manager.
2. After that, fire up the File Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files\Steam.
3. Find the ClientRegistry.blob file and delete it.

Relaunch Steam and check if the program would still crashes unexpectedly.

Fix 5: Update Your Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers are very crucial when you are playing games on your computer. If your graphics drivers are outdated or corrupted, your games and even Steam may not function as they should.

To ensure that your system has the proper graphics drivers, follow the steps below:

1. First, press Windows Key + X on your keyboard to access the Quick Menu.
2. Click on Device Manager and select Display Adapters.
3. Right-click on your Graphics Driver and select Update Driver. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the latest drivers for your system.

Once done, go back to Steam and check if the program would still crashes while in use.

Fix 6: Update Windows

The version of Windows installed on your computer may have a bug or glitch causing Steam to crash or could be outdated, causing incompatibility issues.

To fix this, try to check if there are any available updates for Windows on your computer:

1. First, open the Start Menu and click on Settings.
2. Inside Windows Settings, click on Update & Security.
3. Lastly, wait for Windows to check for updates and follow the on-screen prompts if there’s a newer version available.

Your system may restart several times while installing the update, so be patient. Once done, go back to Steam and check if the program would still crashes randomly.

Fix 7: Reinstall Steam

For your last option, try reinstalling Steam if it still crashes during use. Steam may not be installed correctly on your device, or some of its files got corrupted during a failed update.

See the step-by-step guide below to reinstall Steam on your computer:

1. First, open the Start Menu and search for Control Panel.
2. Access the Control Panel and click on  Uninstall a Program.

3. Locate Steam from the list and right-click on it.

4. Select Uninstall and follow the on-screen prompts to remove Steam from your computer.

Once done, restart your computer, go to Steam’s official website and download the installer from there.

If Steam is still crashing on your computer, we suggest visiting Steam Support and asking for their help to address the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions