How to Fix Steam Games Crashing at Startup on Windows 11/10

Many Steam users have reported an issue when they launch games on Steam. It has been noticed that some of the games close on the loading screen while some games launch and then close without any error notification. The problem of Steam Games Crashing at startup can indicate an issue related to the game’s cache or a corrupted game file or outdated graphics drivers on your PC.

If you are facing this issue where Steam Games are crashing when you launch them, then go ahead and read this article. Here, we have curated a list of troubleshooting methods that can help you overcome this issue on your Windows PC.

Fix 1 – Delete ClientRegistry.blob File in Steam Installation Directory

 

Step 1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

Step 2. Look for any processes associated with Steam.

Select the process and press End task. Perform this for all Steam-related processes so as to exit Steam completely.

 

Task Manager End Steam Task Min

 

Step 3. Go to the Steam default installation folder.

The default location is C:\Program File (x86)\Steam

Step 4. Look for the file ClientRegistry.blob in the Steam folder.

Step 5. Select the file and hit the Delete button on your keyboard.

Step 6. Relaunch Steam and this file will be restored at the next login.



You will need to log in with your credentials and check if the problem with Steam Games crashing is resolved.

 

Note: Perform this fix only if you have your login credentials at hand. This file contains the registration data for all the Steam games installed on your PC.

 

Fix 2 – Verify the Integrity of Game Files in Steam

 

Step 1. Launch the Steam app.

Step 2. Go to the Library tab.

Step 3. In the Games listed below, right-click on the game raising this issue and choose Properties.

 

Steam Library Game Properties Min

 

Step 4. Select the Local Files tab and then click on Verify integrity of game files on the right side.

 

Steam Game Properties Local Files Verify Integrity Game Files Min

 

Step 5. Wait for the game validation to complete and fix the game.

Step 6. After the process is complete, click on the Steam menu in the main window.

Step 7. Select the option Exit.

 

Steam Menu Exit Min

 

Step 8. Now, open Task Manager and end the Steam-related processes here as mentioned in Steps 1 and 2 in Fix 1 above.

Step 9. Relaunch Steam.

Launch the game and check if the problem is fixed.

 

 

Fix 3 – Run Steam as Administrator

 

Step 1. Use the Task Manager and end all Steam-related processes as mentioned in Fix 1.

Step 2. Locate the Steam app shortcut on your desktop.

Step 3. Right-click on it and choose the option Open file location.

 

Steam Exe Open File Location Min

 

Step 4. Now, right-click on the Steam executable and select Properties.

 

Steam Executable Properties Min

 

Step 5. In the Properties window, go to the Compatibility tab.

Step 6. Check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.

Step 7. Finally, press Apply and then on OK.

Step 8. Launch Steam and check if the problem is resolved while launching the game.

 

Steam Properties Compatibility Run As Admin Min

 

Fix 4 – Repair the Steam Game Library Folder and Clear the Download Cache

 

Step 1. Open the Steam application.

Step 2. Tap on the Steam menu and then select Settings.

 

Steam Menu Settings Min

 

Step 3. In the Settings window, select the Downloads section in the left pane.

Step 4. On the right, click on Steam Library Folders below Content Libraries.

 

Team Settings Downloads Steam Library Folders Min

 

Step 5. Select the Library folder at the top of the Storage Manager.

Step 6. Then, click on the button with ellipses (…) and choose the Repair folder option.

When prompted by UAC for permissions, click on Yes.

 

Steam Storage Manager Repair Folder Min

 

Step 7. Wait for the Steam app to be repaired.

Step 8. After the repair process finishes, relaunch Steam and check if the error is fixed.

 

If the problem still exists after repairing the library folder in Steam, then clear the Download Cache as mentioned below.

 

Step 1. Perform Steps 1 – 3 above to open Steam Settings and go to the Downloads tab.

Step 2. Now, click on the Clear Download Cache button at the bottom on the right side.

 

Steam Settings Downloads Clear Cache Min

 

Step 3. In the confirmation prompt, click on OK.

 

Steam Clear Download Cache Confirm Min

 

Step 4. After the download cache is cleared, open Steam and log in with your credentials.

Open the Game and check if Steam is still crashing or not.

 

 

Fix 5 – Reinstall Steam Client

 

Step 1. Hit the Windows key and type installed apps.

Step 2. Click on Installed Apps in the best match search results.

 

Windows search installed apps min
Windows search installed apps min

 

Step 3. Search for Steam in the list of installed apps.

Step 4. Click on the dot menu associated with Steam and choose Uninstall.

 

Installed Apps Uninstall Steam Min

 

Step 5. When prompted for confirmation, click on Uninstall again.

 

Installed Apps Uninstall Steam Confirm Min

 

Step 6. After the app is uninstalled, reboot your PC.

Step 7. Click here to go to the Steam website.



Step 8. On this page, click on Install Steam to download the setup file onto your PC.

 

Steam website Install download exe min

 

 

Step 9. Run this file to install Steam on your computer.

After the installation is complete, log in using your credentials and check if the problem is fixed.

 

Additional Fixes

1. Update Graphics card Driver

You can try updating your graphics card driver (display adapters) using the Device Manager to check if it helps you overcome the problem at hand. Use any of the methods mentioned in the linked article to update your graphics adapters manually.

 

2. Perform a Clean boot

If you did not succeed in fixing the problem with the fixes mentioned above, then you can try to perform a clean boot and check if the issue still occurs in clean boot mode. Follow the steps in this article to restart your Windows PC in clean boot mode.

 

3. Check for Windows Update

 

Lastly, if nothing works, you can check if your Windows is updated to the latest version.

Step 1. Open Run (Windows + R).

Step 2. Type ms-settings:windowsupdate and hit Enter.



 

Run ms settings windows update min

 

Step 3. Click on Check for updates.

 

Windows update check min

 

Step 4. Windows will check if any updates are available and download and install them.

Step 5. Restart your PC after the update and check if the problem with Steam crashing is resolved or not.

That’s it!

We hope that the methods in this article have fixed the Steam Games crashing at startup issue on your Windows PC. Did you find this article informative and useful in fixing this issue with Steam? Please comment and let us know your thoughts on the same.