Can't log into Steam, have tried everything I can find. Please help!

Richdog · 9 Feb 2013 at 13:59

As of a couple of weeks Steam has decided that it does not want, under any circumstances, to login. Every time I try I get: "Steam is having trouble connecting to the Steam Servers".

I had this issue before around a year or so ago and fixed it by deleting the clientregistry.blob. However this time no joy. I also tried deleting the data files and forcing Steam to re-update itself etc and still no joy. Googling info from people with similar issues has brought me no joy.

The last thing I want to do is have to reinstall Steam completely and re-download all my game data. Please help me find a solution before I throw the laptop out of the window.

EDIT - Firewalls etc are fine, Steam has full access.

Freddie1980 · 9 Feb 2013 at 14:03

Have you tried logging into steam from another computer? Disabled security/firewalls? Have you tried system restore to a point when Steam was working?

Richdog · 9 Feb 2013 at 14:14

Freddie1980 said:
Have you tried logging into steam from another computer? Disabled security/firewalls? Have you tried system restore to a point when Steam was working?

Sadly, I currently have no other computer to log into. As for system restore, I don't touch it with a bargepole... causes more issues than it fixes. Firewall access etc is fine.

Antar Bolaeisk · 9 Feb 2013 at 14:16

Can you install a separate instance of Steam (ie. to another location) and see if that'll login. Your original installation won't be affected.

FartInferno · 10 Feb 2013 at 09:54

Had this too, ended up re-installing to fix it. Copied all games files to another folder and copied them back after. Worked fine.

Richdog · 10 Feb 2013 at 09:57

FartInferno said:
Had this too, ended up re-installing to fix it. Copied all games files to another folder and copied them back after. Worked fine.

Ahh really, that's interesting... and Steam linked back up fine with the games in the menu afterwards? Can you please describe exactly the process and order you did it all in?

Skudd · 10 Feb 2013 at 10:01

FartInferno said:
Had this too, ended up re-installing to fix it. Copied all games files to another folder and copied them back after. Worked fine.

I had to do the same a few days ago, happened after steam update.

FartInferno · 11 Feb 2013 at 13:25

Richdog said:
Ahh really, that's interesting... and Steam linked back up fine with the games in the menu afterwards? Can you please describe exactly the process and order you did it all in?

Can't remember exactly what I did, it was quite a while back and away from my PC at moment but, I reckon you could use steammover to move files

FrenchTart · 11 Feb 2013 at 13:26

You simply need to backup the 'steamapps' folder. Once you reinstall Steam, copy the steamapps folder contents back.

Omaeka · 11 Feb 2013 at 13:29

Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps and copy the 'common' folder to your desktop, then delete everything from the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\ folder except Steam.exe, and then run something like Ccleaner to clean your registry, and then run Steam.exe and it'll reinstall everything again and then move the 'common' folder back to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps and then verify the caché of the games you had installed and they'll relink up to your Steam client.

Richdog · 16 Feb 2013 at 16:26

Well, yesterday I started up my laptop and all of a sudden Steam ran a big update, which seemed ot be to some kind of BETA version. It then told me the BETA version had ended and did another update, then said I was logging in from a different PC and to enter the code sent via email to access it. I did so and lo and behold Steam is now up and running again. No reason or rhyme for it whatsoever, completely random. :confused:

Omaeka · 16 Feb 2013 at 17:12

It was the Linux update I think.