Steam must be running to play this game (Steam initialization failed)

[GΩD ΞΛTER]

I get this error message when attempting to run the game….

[Mandos]

I get the same error. Run Steam as administrator and it should work. It's a bit annoying though.

[Ouchi]

restart steam

[Nigel]

I also got this error. Resolved by running Steam in an Administrator account, it's *not* resolved if you run Steam in a standard User account and right-click to "Run as Administrator". As Mandos says, it's [more than] a bit annoying.

[la merde]

Please look at the following thread:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/314160/discussions/0/626329820755274025/

[EbonHawk]

Steps to try for all games that do this on various Windows platforms,..

1) Exit and Restart Steam, then try to launch the game

2) Verify integrity of game files

3) (used to be a problem, don't know if it still is) Exit Steam; if you have to, pick End Task in Task Manager on Steam.exe if it doesn't completely exit out of memory. Delete clientregistry.blob Start Steam and wait for it to Update.

4) Maybe try reinstalling Steam after uninstalling it via Control Panel

[Tom]

I found another solution, this is for users that already required User Account Control (UAC for short - the blue and yellow shield icon) to load the game, and you could play fsx until suddenly UAC required a password. To fix this, you simply need to switch your user to administrator. Clicking "run as administrator" won't work if it already requires administrator password.

If you are confused on how to switch your user account over to an administrator user (In Windows 8 and above, not sure how to below), you must go into PC settings on another user that is already an Administrator, click accounts, other accounts, select your user, click edit, and finally set your user to administrator.
Hope this helps.

[EbonHawk]

Does anyone still keep UAC enabled? It's one of the first things I disable on a new system. I mean, if you need it, by all means keep it, but I have never found a use for it other than to annoy the crap outta me.

[Tom]

Originally posted by EbonHawk:

Does anyone still keep UAC enabled? It's one of the first things I disable on a new system. I mean, if you need it, by all means keep it, but I have never found a use for it other than to annoy the crap outta me.

I found you could only disable UAC for fsx by completly disabling UAC on your user (in the control panel)...

[EbonHawk]

Originally posted by Tom:

Originally posted by EbonHawk:

Does anyone still keep UAC enabled? It's one of the first things I disable on a new system. I mean, if you need it, by all means keep it, but I have never found a use for it other than to annoy the crap outta me.

I found you could only disable UAC for fsx by completly disabling UAC on your user (in the control panel)...

That's what I meant. I haven't had UAC enabled, at all, on any of my systems since Day One. Just no point.

[Rogen]

There are other more technical ways.

For example I have UAC control set on, yet FSX-SE doesn't ask for admin rights to run.

This is because I've set the exe's manifest to not require admin rights.

There is a little further tweeking of the ACL's on the FSX working folders so that it can in fact run correctly without admin rights.

Result is FSX runs just fine with no annoying prompt.

If the above is all Greek then I suggest exploring the forum threads/posts as there are mutliples describing how to achieve such a configuration.

Cheers

[Chummin]

Originally posted by Tom:

I found another solution, this is for users that already required User Account Control (UAC for short - the blue and yellow shield icon) to load the game, and you could play fsx until suddenly UAC required a password. To fix this, you simply need to switch your user to administrator. Clicking "run as administrator" won't work if it already requires administrator password.

If you are confused on how to switch your user account over to an administrator user (In Windows 8 and above, not sure how to below), you must go into PC settings on another user that is already an Administrator, click accounts, other accounts, select your user, click edit, and finally set your user to administrator.
Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, this worked for me.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Constant Chum:

Originally posted by Tom:

I found another solution, this is for users that already required User Account Control (UAC for short - the blue and yellow shield icon) to load the game, and you could play fsx until suddenly UAC required a password. To fix this, you simply need to switch your user to administrator. Clicking "run as administrator" won't work if it already requires administrator password.

If you are confused on how to switch your user account over to an administrator user (In Windows 8 and above, not sure how to below), you must go into PC settings on another user that is already an Administrator, click accounts, other accounts, select your user, click edit, and finally set your user to administrator.
Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, this worked for me.

Glad I could help :)

[jamesneon42]

I have this issue too. Recently installed FSX and when running it, even in admin and after restarting steam, it still comes up with "Steam must be running, Steam initialisation failed" What could i do???

[Kirb]

i tried every thing it still says Steam must be running to play this game (Steam initialization failed) initialization means a start up that means steam failed to start up fsx i dont know what to do i have been waiting all day to play it but i never did.

[Billy Bob]

Running as an administrator works