How to fix the “There was an error communicating with the Steam servers” issue

There are multiple different types of error messages that you can get while on Steam. These error messages could stem from either an issue going on with your PC, your internet, or Steam's own servers. If you encounter the "There was an error communicating with the Steam servers" message, there are several troubleshooting options you can try to see if you can fix the problem on your own.

How to fix the "There was an error communicating with the Steam servers"

The first troubleshoot solution is to try restarting Steam. If that doesn't work, you should check your internet connection. If there is something wrong with your internet, try restarting your router and see if that helps. Most modern-day routers will have an on or off button that restarts it, but you can also just simply unplug and plug it back in.

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Change Internet Options on PC

If that doesn't work then you may need to change your Internet Options on a Windows PC. Find the Internet Options through the Windows search menu, and try locating the Connections tab. Under the LAN Settings uncheck Autodetect settings, then click OK. Proceed to click Apply and then OK again.

Switch to a new Download Region

If it's not your internet causing the problems, try switching to a different download region. To do that, first open up Steam and head over to the View option. In the first menu pick Settings, and then in the next menu select Downloads. Proceed to expand the drop-down menu in the Download Region section and select a region that is not your own, preferably a region nearby. After selecting the new region press OK. The point of selecting a new region is to see if other regions are having the same problems.

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Run Steam as Administrator

If that doesn't work, try running Steam as an Administrator. Search for Run on the Windows search bar and select the first app you come across. Copy and paste the Steam directory you can find in Steam's properties (it's usually something like "C:Program Files (x86)Steam") onto Run, and hit OK. Once that's done, find Steam.exe on the Steam directory and right-click it. In the right-click menu, select the Run as administrator option.

If none of these options work, then your best option is just to wait. The error is most likely an issue on Steam's end, so you just have to be patient and wait for Valve to fix it. You can check the Steam Status page to see when it will start working again.

For more on all things Steam, including When is the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade coming to Steam, keep reading Pro Game Guides.