How To Swiftly Unfreeze Steam and Resume Gaming on Windows 11

Is Windows stopping you from playing your favorite game? Or is it Steam? When encountering the “Steam must be running to play this game” error, it might be difficult to quickly identify the cause.

Maybe Windows doesn’t grant Steam the right to make changes on your computer, or you’re dealing with an outdated Steam version.

If this has happened to you, there’s no need to fret as you can quickly fix it by going through the below steps.

1. Launch Steam

Most of the time, the easiest solution is the best. The “Steam must be running to play this game” error will appear if Steam isn’t running or is missing from your computer. Even if didn’t buy the game from Steam, certain AAA titles need it to complete the authentication process.

Launch Steam and check if the game is now running. Alternatively, you could add Steam to the Windows startup apps list so you don’t need to manually boot it up every time. If you don’t have Steam installed on your computer, head to the official Steam website to download and install it.

2. Delete Game Mods

Video game mods are a great way to add more content to an existing game. While you can download and install mods without breaking the game, sometimes they might stop the game from working.

If Windows only shows this error for a modded game, try uninstalling and deleting any custom mods that you’ve added to the game.

3. Update Steam

Before going through more complicated fixes, let’s make sure you’re not running an outdated Steam version. An outdated version will cause all sorts of issues, including the inability to run games.

To update Steam, launch the app and clickSteam from the top-left corner. Then, selectCheck for Steam Client Updates .

Steam will now search and automatically install any available updates. If you get the “Steam must be running to play this game” message, you’re already running the latest version, so move on to the next solution.

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4. Launch the Steam App With Administrative Rights

If you have Steam running but still run into the same error, you should try opening Steam with administrative rights. This way, Steam has the power to make the necessary changes to your computer, such as creating files, installing new games, and so on.

5. Check the Integrity of the Game Files

If the error is limited to a single game, there’s a chance the game is missing important files. Fortunately, you don’t have to reinstall it to fix the issue as Steam can check the game files’ integrity for you.

1. In the Steam app, open theLibrary menu.
2. Select the problematic game.
3. ClickManage > Properties .
4. From the left-hand menu, selectLocal files .
5. Click theVerify integrity of game files button.

Steam will now search your computer for the game files on compare them to the ones stored on its servers. If there’s any file missing, the app will download it on your computer.

6. Leave Any Active Steam Beta Programs

Steam offers its users to test out new and upcoming features before everyone through its Beta program. While this can add new features to Steam, it can also make it more unstable, which is why you might get the “Steam must be running to play this game” error.

In this case, you should opt out of Steam Beta programs. ClickSteam and go toSettings . Select account, and from theBeta participation section, clickChange . Then, set it toNONE- Opt out of all beta programs and clickOK .

7. Reinstall the Problematic Game

If you’ve tried anything but still can’t get the game to work, there’s one more solution for you to try. Reinstall the game.

Select the problematic game and click theManage icon . There, head toManage > Uninstall , and confirm the action in the pop-up window.

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Once Steam uninstalls the game, all you have to do is click theInstall button and Steam will manage the installation process for you.

Get Steam Games Working on Windows Again

Hopefully, the above tips helped you get rid of the “Steam must be running to play this game” error. To keep this from happening again, allow Steam to launch at system start-up and set it to automatically update the games.