If you are having trouble downloading an update, a game or an add-on, this guide will help you repair the Steam client. The easiest way to repair Steam is to reinstall it. However, we don't want to spend hours redownloading all our games, so our first step is to back up our game installation. Now, simply reinstalling the Steam client should take a matter of minutes.


Step 1 - Backup Game Installations

  1. Fully Exit Steam and ensure it is not running by checking Task Manager.
  2. Locate your Steam Installation folder (Typically C:\Program Files\Steam).
  3. You can back up your game installations to save time downloading everything again. Simply Cut & Paste your steamapps folder to a location outside your Steam folder. If you move this folder to somewhere else on the same storage drive, it will be significantly quicker.

Step 2 - Uninstall Steam

  1. Fully Exit Steam.
  2. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Control Panel.
  3. Select Add or Remove Programs (Apps & Features in Windows 10).
  4. Locate Steam in the list and click on Uninstall.
  5. Locate the Steam installation folder (Default Location: C:\Program Files\Steam).
  6. Delete the entire contents of your Steam folder.

Step 3 - Reinstall Steam

  1. Download the Steam installer from: https://store.steampowered.com/about/
  2. Run the download file and follow the onscreen instructions.
  3. Fully Exit Steam.
  4. Cut & Paste the steamapps folder back into the Steam folder.
  5. Open Steam.
  6. Go to the Steam > Settings > Storage.
  7. From the drop-down box, select the drive where your games are installed or click Add Drive to search a location for existing game installations.


Additional Troubleshooting

If you are still experiencing problems with the Steam client, please refer to the following troubleshooting guide: 

Steam Update & Installation Issues