[SOLVED] Steam Client Black Screen everywhere but in "Library"

[sPiN]

After searching around, I've found a number of tips in these forums to try and solve this problem. Sadly, none of them worked. The "-no-cef-sandbox", the clearing Steam's download cache, the messing around with Steam's shortcut compatibility modes.

Hit a wall, and frankly just getting♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥off.

EDIT
For ease of access to the solution I'm editing the first post.
Have a good one! o/

Originally posted by sPiN:

THIS!

Originally posted by DoomyDoom:

Heya. Just had the same problem pop out of nowhere, Win 7 SP1 just like you. Don't know if it will be of any help in your case, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen this pop up when googling so posting as one more possible fix.

I noticed that https://postimg.org/image/oygrcac9h/ process that usually pops up when you access steam browser doesn't show up. So I tried to find it and start it manually, and got an error like this[postimg.org]. Turns out I needed to reinstall Visual C++ 2017 redistributables, and it started working again.

When you posted I tried to run steamwebhelper.exe and got basically the same error message. Gonna reinstall VC redistributable and it'll probably get solved.

Thanks DoomyDoom and The Giving One!

[The Giving One]

Steam in the top left of the client. Then settings, then Web Browser. Delete Web Browser Cache.

Allow the page to refresh. Wait for this, as it may take several seconds. When you see the page refresh, try again.

[sPiN]

Did that alongside clearing Steam's download cache. No change, black screens on every tab but Library.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by sPiN:

Did that alongside clearing Steam's download cache. No change, black screens on every tab but Library.

Try this next.....

Boot your computer into safe mode with networking. It must be with networking.

Then log into Steam and see if the issue persists. If it does, repeat the steps exactly as I posted them above.

If that does help, reboot into normal Windows and see if the issue comes back. If it does, more steps are needed to try to help you.

[Fernap]

Same problem for me. Nothing suggested seems to help. It seems to be ever since the most recent Windows (10) update.

[sPiN]

I'm on Windows 7 SP1, how the ♥♥♥♥ a cache error goes unfixed for such a long time on a platform like Steam, I'll never know.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by sPiN:

I'm on Windows 7 SP1, how the ♥♥♥♥ a cache error goes unfixed for such a long time on a platform like Steam, I'll never know.

You did not reply to my post above it seems. Did you do the steps there as I suggested, in the exact order I suggested them ?

The problem is surely on your end that is causing this.

[sPiN]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

Originally posted by sPiN:

I'm on Windows 7 SP1, how the ♥♥♥♥ a cache error goes unfixed for such a long time on a platform like Steam, I'll never know.

You did not reply to my post above it seems. Did you do the steps there as I suggested, in the exact order I suggested them ?

The problem is surely on your end that is causing this.

Missed the previous reply.

Just finished the Safe Mode with Networking reboot, ran Steam, issue persisted.

Went Steam>Settings>Web Browser>Delete Web Browser cache , refreshed page, issue persisted.

Did the same as above but also deleted all browser cookies, issue persisted.

Also, when this happened I was on the Steam Beta Client. Going back to stable didn't solve the issue, nor returning to the beta client.

I'm not saying the issue isn't on my end, otherwise there would be far more than a few hundred posts about this popping up on google search. And I can't even begin to imagine what a gigantic ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ it must be on Valve's end maintaining compatibility and troubleshooting their platform on every conceivable hardware/software interactions.

Still, it's extremely annoying to search "steam black screen" and immediately seeing this issue shows up as far back as 2014. Steam's web browser has always been crap, and never played very nicely with websites running embedded videos. This black screen ♥♥♥♥ just got me fed up.

Kinda ranting hard on the problem because it's one of those that has existed for quite some time now and the troubleshooting of it is all over the place.
/rant

Thanks for the troubleshooting help anyways man.

[sPiN]

Also just did this

Originally posted by Teutep:

Try exiting Steam

Hold down your [Windows] and [R] -keys

%localappdata%

Press [Enter]

Open up the Steam -folder within, remove the htmlcache -folder

Hold down [Windows] and [R] -keys again

steam://flushconfig

Press [Enter]

See if the issue persists.

Black Screen still here on all tabs except "Library".

[The Giving One]

I needed you to perform the steps above before we continued here with my next suggestions, if you wish to continue that is.

Take screenshots of all of the programs you have installed on your computer. Control panel then programs/programs and features. (Windows 7,8,8.1) or "apps" (Windows 10 click "Start" (Windows icon on bottom left)")

Click Windows Start and type in msconfig and run that resulting process. Go to the services tab and check the box on bottom "Hide all Microsoft services". Take screenshots of all that is left.

Then go to the startup tab on top of that same window(Task Manager in W10). Take screenshots of all that there also.

Post all the screenshots here, using a file hosting site such as imgur.com

Post the model number and model of that computer. If custom built, post the exact motherboard instead.

I would suggest a repair of Steam, but first I think you have an issue that needs to be resolved first as it may just happen again after the repair.

[DoomyDoom]

Originally posted by sPiN:

After searching around, I've found a number of tips in these forums to try and solve this problem. Sadly, none of them worked. The "-no-cef-sandbox", the clearing Steam's download cache, the messing around with Steam's shortcut compatibility modes.

Hit a wall, and frankly just getting♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥off.

Heya. Just had the same problem pop out of nowhere, Win 7 SP1 just like you. Don't know if it will be of any help in your case, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen this pop up when googling so posting as one more possible fix.

I noticed that https://postimg.org/image/oygrcac9h/ process that usually pops up when you access steam browser doesn't show up. So I tried to find it and start it manually, and got an error like this[postimg.org]. Turns out I needed to reinstall Visual C++ 2017 redistributables, and it started working again.

[The Giving One]

@DoomyDoom

Thanks for the update. It may be that when missing .dll files, there is a conflict with other software that may be causing that.

For example.....(not your specific .dll file that was missing but still)

Anti-Spyware Software

Aggressive spyware detection software may block the normal operation of Steam. We have received reports that Spycatcher Express, Webroot Spy Sweeper and CA Pest Patrol (bundled with AOL's Security Center) may prevent Steam client application updates and connecting to game servers.

PC Tools ThreatFire software (which is also contained in PC Tools Spyware Doctor) can prevent the normal operation of loading of Steam games, including common errors such as "Unable to load filesystem_steam.dll" and "Engine Error: Could not load library client". If you are encountering Steam errors and have ThreatFire or Spyware Doctor installed, please do the following:

(snip)

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Often, these can be related to security software such as mentioned on that support page but there can be others. The list is not all inclusive.

[DoomyDoom]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

@DoomyDoom
Thanks for the update. It may be that when missing .dll files, there is a conflict with other software that may be causing that.

-skip-

I don't have any of that. I keep my gaming machine (and my PCs in general) in a somewhat minimalistic state, especially when it comes to stuff that runs in background (you can see I have 48 processes in total on my screenshot), auto-update services, keeping auto-starting software & services to a reasonable minimum etc. Helps a lot with avoiding severe OS performance degradation over time.

My case was probably a corruption from one of the recent installations that run various VC++ redistributable setups at launch. But who knows, I'll keep an eye out in case the issue pops again.

[sPiN]

THIS!

Originally posted by DoomyDoom:

Heya. Just had the same problem pop out of nowhere, Win 7 SP1 just like you. Don't know if it will be of any help in your case, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen this pop up when googling so posting as one more possible fix.

I noticed that https://postimg.org/image/oygrcac9h/ process that usually pops up when you access steam browser doesn't show up. So I tried to find it and start it manually, and got an error like this[postimg.org]. Turns out I needed to reinstall Visual C++ 2017 redistributables, and it started working again.

When you posted I tried to run steamwebhelper.exe and got basically the same error message. Gonna reinstall VC redistributable and it'll probably get solved.

Thanks DoomyDoom and The Giving One!

[sPiN]

SOLVED

Went to one of the games' folder (think it was Astroneer folder), went to vcredist, and ran the 64-bit version there. Restarted PC, it works now.

[Seven7]

On x64 OS you allways will install both vc++ x86 and x64.