How To Fix Steam Keeps Crashing On Windows?

Steam is an extremely renowned platform for the digital copies of games and is possibly one of the top cloud-based game libraries available. However, even the top of the best faces issues occasionally and it’s totally normal. One of the most common problems with Steam is that it crashes erratically during launch or while browsing your game library.

This problem is not the same as the Steam would not launch issue that a few users encounter. It can be an issue if you’re playing an online game and Steam crashes. You’ll be disconnected from the game, lose the current match, and potentially get a penalty for being AFK throughout the online matchmaking.

While this problem does not indicate a specific cause or reason, some recognized workarounds can assist you in addressing the issue faster. Today, we’ll show you the best methods for resolving Steam if it keeps crashing on Windows. Let’s get started!

Troubleshooting: Fix Steam Keeps Crashing On Windows

Contents

Follow the below steps for troubleshooting the steam keeps crashing on windows issue:

Method#1: Restarting The PC

The simplest method to resolve issues and problems on apps like Steam is to reboot the OS. This way, you can make sure that the system resources are properly loaded. Rebooting the PC would also give your OS the chance of eliminating any temporary glitches and bugs that might have occurred. Follow the below guide for rebooting the PC:

Hit the Windows key from the keyboard for accessing the Start Menu.
Then, click on the Power button to launch the Power Options section.
Finally, click on Restart > wait for the system to restart.

Once done, reopen Steam and see if the program would still crash.

Method#2: Opening Steam As Admin

Steam needs Write and Read permissions for accessing the hard drive for downloading and installing the game updates. It might also have to change the system files to install the Direct X APIs and other tools needed by the games.

If Steam does not have the right permissions, it can run into issues or crash if the tool tries to change the system files or write on the hard drive. For resolving that, run Steam as an admin for granting it full access to the system.

First of all, right-click on Steam on the desktop > choose Properties.
After that, navigate to the Compatibility section afterward > click on the Run this Program as an Admin option.
Then, click on Apply for saving the changes > close Properties.

Try to make use of the Steam for a few minutes to see if the program would still crash on the PC.

Method#3: Deleting The AppCache Folder

Steam’s AppCache folder has temporary data from all the games you have downloaded and played. Steam makes use of this data for loading games faster and improving the overall performance. However, it is possible that some of such data got corrupted and made Steam crash when it tried to access it. For fixing that, follow the below steps for deleting the AppCache folder of Steam:

First off, launch the File Explorer on Windows > go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam.
After that, find the AppCache folder in the directory.
Then, simply right-click on the AppCache folder > choose Delete.

Launch Steam once again on the PC and see if it will still crash after removing the AppCache folder.

Method#4: Deleting ClientRegistry.blob

This one is the file utilized by Steam that contains the registration data of your installed games. If we remove it, this file will be restored on the next sign-in. You preserve all of the default settings on every game installed (your skins, and name, etc.).

It resolves about thirty percent of the issues as this file can get corrupted simply. Do note that after this fix, when you open Steam again, it’ll ask you for the password and username. Do not follow this fix if you do not have the credentials at hand.

Moreover, you will not lose the saved progress and the in-game items. They’re saved on cloud storage by Steam, so it’s safe to assume that removing ClientRegistry.blob would not bring any issues to you or Steam. Follow these simple steps.

First of all, exit Steam completely and end all tasks.
After that, browse the Steam directory. The default one is C:\Program Files\Steam.
Then, find ClientRegistry.blob and rename this file to ClientRegistryOld.blob (or you can remove the file completely).
Reboot Steam and let the file be remade.

Hopefully, the client will run as expected. If it still does not work, follow the below steps.

Browse back to the Steam directory.
Now, find Steamerrorreporter.exe.
Next, run the app and reopen Steam.

Method#5: Booting System In Safe Mode With Networking And Then Open Steam

Safe mode is the diagnostic startup mode available in the Windows operating system. It’s utilized for gaining limited access to Windows while troubleshooting as the majority of the undesired software/processes gets disabled. The safe mode is created for assisting in pinpointing the issue or fixing it in most situations.

If the Steam starts up normally utilizing this fix, it denotes that there’s a conflict with a 3rd-party software/application with the Steam. You can try to remove/disable such apps to make sure that the conflict gets fixed. Launching anything in the safe mode does not pose any sort of threat, and it’s utilized worldwide for resolving different issues. You do not need to be anxious about anything.

You can get the PC to safe mode. If you’re running Win 7, you can hit the F8 key when your PC starts up.
After that, you can pick the Enable Safe Mode with Networking option > click on the option, and Windows will start in the desired manner.
Launch Steam and try to connect it to the internet and sign If it’s successful, it denotes that the antivirus or firewall/3rd-party app might be the problem. You can browse the fixes below, where we’ve explained how you can remove/configure such apps step by step.

If you still encounter an issue and Steam refuses to begin and keeps crashing, it denotes that there’s some other issue. Keep following the fixes listed below.

Method#6: Disabling The Antivirus and Firewall

It’s a well-known fact that Steam conflicts a lot with a lot of antivirus programs. Steam has many processes going on at once at the same time. It takes up a lot of CPU usage and memory. Because of that, a lot of antivirus programs add Steam as a potential threat and do not allow it to run as expected. For disabling your Windows Firewall, follow these simple steps below.

First of all, hit the Windows + R button to bring up the Run app.
Then, enter control in the dialogue box. It’ll launch the PC’s control panel in front of you.
Now, on the top right, there’ll be the dialogue box to search. Write Firewall > click on the first option that appears.
Next, on the left side, click on the Turn Windows Firewall on/off option. Through that, you can turn the firewall off simply.
Choose the Turn off Windows Firewall option on both the tabs, Private and Public Networks > save all the changes and exit.
Reboot Steam > open it using the Run as administrator option.
If Steam opens and does not crash, it denotes there was an issue with your firewall/antivirus conflicting with the client. If not, keep following the methods mentioned below.

Method#7: Updating The Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers are extremely crucial when you’re playing games on the PC. If the graphics drivers are corrupted or outdated, the games and even Steam might not work as it is supposed to. To make sure that the system has the correct graphics drivers, follow these steps:

First off, hit the Windows + X Key from the keyboard for accessing the Quick Menu.
Then, click on the Device Manager > choose Display Adapters.
Now, right-click on the Graphics Driver > choose Update Driver.
Follow the prompts that appear on your screen for installing the most recent drivers for the system.

Once done, return to Steam and see if the program would still crash.

Method#8: Resetting Your Network Adapter

The network adapter is the main part of the PC that communicates with your PC and with your OS. The network adapters function automatically with the other drivers, but there are cases where they get in a problem state or have a corrupt configuration set. In such a situation, resetting the network protocol might fix the issue.

First of all, exit Steam > close all the running Steam processes using Task Manager.
After that, hit the Windows key > enter Command Prompt.
Now, in the resulting list, simply right-click on Command Prompt > choose Run as Administrator.
Then, enter netsh winsock reset in the command prompt.
Reboot the system. After your system is started, open Steam and see if the error is fixed.

Method#9: Opting Out Of Beta

It is possible that you’ve opted into Steam’s beta program; it can trigger stability problems for a few users if the beta version has any issues. It can result in Steam crashing; follow these easy steps for opting out of the beta program of Steam.

If you can launch Steam, simply go to the steam settings > navigate to the Account section.
After that, simply click on Change > choose None for disabling the beta program.

If you are unable to launch Steam at all, you can try the fix given below.

Method#10: Updating Windows

The Windows version installed on the PC might have a glitch or bug causing Steam to crash or could be out-of-date, causing incompatibility problems. For resolving that, try to check if there are any accessible updates for Windows on the PC:

First of all, launch the Start Menu > click on Settings.
Now, click on Update and Security inside Windows Settings.
Lastly, wait for the Windows to check for any available updates > follow the prompts that appear on your screen if there is a newer version accessible.

The system might reboot a couple of times while installing the update, so bide your time. Once accomplished, return to Steam and see if the program would still randomly crash.

Method#11: Reinstalling Steam

For the final option, you can try to reinstall Steam if it still crashes. Steam might not be installed correctly on the device, or a few of its files got corrupted throughout the failed update. See the following step-by-step guide for reinstalling Steam on the PC:

First of all, go to the Start Menu > look for the Control
After that, access the Control Panel > choose the Uninstall a Program option.
Then, find Steam from the list > right-clicks on it.
Now, choose Uninstall > follow the on-screen prompts for deleting Steam from the PC.
Once done, reboot the PC > navigate to Steam’s official site > download the installer from there.

Other Workarounds:

If none of the methods mentioned above has helped you at all, then it is possible that you have a bad USB driver on the PC. Now you cannot resolve it directly; you’ll need to update the USB hub drivers and check for any issues; it is preferred to make use of the USB Drivers given by the manufacturer of the device.

However, for now, before launching steam, please unplug all of the USB devices except for the Mouse, then simply right-click on your Steam icon and run it as an admin. It ought to work for you. If it does work, but as soon as plugging the devices back crashes steam. You can try launching Steam as the Big Picture mode.

If Steam is still crashing on the PC, we recommend going to the Steam Support Service and ask for their assistance in addressing the problem.