How do I fix the “Failed to initialize Steam” error?

Failed to initialize Steam is an incredibly popular error that occurs in the Steam distribution client. This error appears immediately after starting a game from the user’s library. This game could be GTA 5, PUGB or Dota 2 – literally any game. In today’s article, we will try to explain to you how to get rid of the Failed to initialize Steam error when it occurs on your computer.

“Failed to initialize Steam”: how to fix the error

Method # 1 Restarting Steam

The most elementary yet effective way is to restart Steam. All sorts of bugs, problems or errors often appear in the client of this store, but everything is solved very simply – by a regular restart. Try restarting the Steam client and then launching the game you want to check if the “Failed to initialize Steam” error has been resolved.

Method # 2 Run as Administrator

The next way is to run the Steam client as an Administrator. A huge number of users around the world claim that you can get rid of the error “Failed to initialize Steam” simply by running the client with the rights of the system administrator account. To do this, you need the following:

  • close the running Steam client;
  • go to the root folder of the Steam client;
  • find the executable file Steam.exe there;
  • right-click on this file and select “Run as Administrator”.

Try running the game you want from your library again. Perhaps the “Failed to initialize Steam” error will disappear this time.

Method number 3 Checking the integrity of the game files

Sometimes, the error “Failed to initialize Steam” can be caused by damage to the files of the game you are launching. Checking this is extremely easy using the Steam client’s built-in game file integrity checker. To run the scan, you need to do the following:

  • start Steam;
  • go to the library of games and find the one you need;
  • right-click on it and go to “Properties”;
  • go to the “Local files” tab;
  • click on the button “Check the integrity of the game files …”.

As soon as the above button is pressed, a small window will appear in front of you with the progress of checking the game files. If some game files fail the checks, they will be re-downloaded. In turn, if some files did not pass the checks and were re-downloaded, try reopening the game you need to check for the “Failed to initialize Steam” error.

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