Windows can't find steam.exe

[Selv]

I feel like I am going out of my mind. I have tried everything I can think of/googled to get steam to work. It use to work just fine until suddenly it didn't. I have windows 10 on 64-bit OP.

Clicked steam short cut, and an alert comes up saying windows can't find C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe. Double check file path, it's fine.

Do everything below with Administrative privileges.

I go directly to the program, click on steam.exe same thing happens. Restarting computer, no change.
Uninstall Steam, reinstall Steam. No change.
Uninstall Steam, uninstall anti-virus. Reinstall Steam. No change.
Uninstall Steam, reinstall anti-virus. Reinstall Steam. No change.
Restart several more times, no change.

Bootlegger doesn't seem to start at all, including at restart. Window's can't find the file path even though it's clearly where it's supposed to be.

I have googled and seen several issues that seem similar but upon trying the fixes (as listed above) nothing works.

Please help. Already wasted over an hour just trying to get this to work.

[𝔇ave]

does deleting the shortcut and creating a new one from the steam executable from the folder make any difference?

[Jaunitta 🌸]

Only if you use the wrong one
Steam.exe application
No other
Try one more
go to Control panel all items>windows firewall on the left add another program through add Steam.exe
Whitelist in Virus security

[ReBoot]

Start your system in safe mode (for obvious reasons with networking). Does doubleclicking the EXE work then?

[Selv]

Originally posted by Dave:

does deleting the shortcut and creating a new one from the steam executable from the folder make any difference?

Unfortunately no

[Selv]

Originally posted by Jaunitta 🌸:

Only if you use the wrong one
Steam.exe application
No other
Try one more
go to Control panel all items>windows firewall on the left add another program through add Steam.exe
Whitelist in Virus security

Yep, already done that. Added it to windows firewall exceptions and AVG (anti-virus) exceptions. No change. Windows still won't recognize the pathway.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by KingDyn:

Originally posted by Dave:

does deleting the shortcut and creating a new one from the steam executable from the folder make any difference?

Unfortunately no

And what about safe mode?

[Selv]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by KingDyn:

Unfortunately no

And what about safe mode?

Just tried it. Didn't work either. Comes up with the same error window.

[Si-Fi]

Originally posted by KingDyn:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

And what about safe mode?

Just tried it. Didn't work either. Comes up with the same error window.

Just out of curiousity, rename Steam.exe to Steam1.exe then try and run it directly.

[ReBoot]

Perform a disk check.

[Selv]

Originally posted by Si-Fi:

Originally posted by KingDyn:

Just tried it. Didn't work either. Comes up with the same error window.

Just out of curiousity, rename Steam.exe to Steam1.exe then try and run it directly.

holy heck this actually worked. it went into an automatic update and now it runs. however it only runs from steam1.exe not steam.exe. :I but it's running and that's all i care about thank you.

[Si-Fi]

Originally posted by KingDyn:

Originally posted by Si-Fi:

Just out of curiousity, rename Steam.exe to Steam1.exe then try and run it directly.

holy heck this actually worked. it went into an automatic update and now it runs. however it only runs from steam1.exe not steam.exe. :I but it's running and that's all i care about thank you.

No worries.