What to Do if You Encounter an Error Communicating with Steam Servers

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posted on 4 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Are you encountering the "Error communicating with Steam servers" error message? Many factors can cause this message, from offline Steam servers to a corrupted cache in your client. But you can easily fix the error regardless of the cause. Follow these troubleshooting steps to get rid of that message.

The Most Common Fix for \"Error Communicating with Steam Servers\"

Delete the Cache

Clogged cache files can cause bugs that interfere with Steam. Once you clear the cache, you'll see the Store loading like normal. Go to Settings/Preferences > Downloads > Clear cache. On Mac, you'll see "Preferences" instead of "Settings."

Restart Steam.

A simple restart might do the trick. Temporary glitches can prevent Steam from loading properly, so closing it and opening it again can fix the error. To completely close the platform, go to Steam > Exit. Just make sure Steam still isn't running in the background with Activity Monitor or Task Manager, then open Steam again. If this happens whenever Steam auto-starts whenever you turn on your computer, disable that feature so you manually open Steam. If you're using a Steam Deck, you'll need to restart your device instead. Press and hold the Power button for 4(LCD) or 7(OLED) seconds to prompt the restart.

Repair corrupted Steam files.

Corrupted files can interfere with your normal Steam activity. Follow these steps to delete all your old files so you can make room for updated files: Close Steam and go to your Steam library. (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam is default for Windows, Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Steam is default for Mac). Delete everything inside the Steam folder except "steamapps" and the executable program. (You will lose any custom mods or custom content this way). Relauch Steam to see if the error is resolved.

Check for interfering programs and apps.

Services like your anti-virus might be preventing Steam from connecting with the servers. VPNs, P2P Clients and File Sharing software, Firewalls, and security applications are also possible causes that you should make sure aren't blocking your Steam client. Check if any of them are preventing Steam from connecting to its servers, then turn it off or allow Steam to continue working to solve the "Error Communicating" issue.

Check server status.

You can't troubleshoot servers if they are offline. Go to https://steamstat.us/ and make sure the servers are up before you start troubleshooting. The best option is to wait for the servers to come back online.

Change Download Region

Change your download region to use another server. If the servers are down in your area, changing the download region should let you download games using a different server. Go to Settings/Preferences > Downloads > Download Region. Pick a close region, then try playing/installing your game again.