"Windows cannot find C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe. Make sure you have typed the name correctly, and then try again."

[FortKavanagh]

Can anyone help me out here please, I've been utterly unable to fix this problem?

One day it had just started spitting out "Windows cannot find C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe. Make sure you have typed the name correctly, and then try again." I know it was installed correctly because I've been using it previously for a long time without incident just working yesterday.

I checked the folder and ran through all the Steam troubleshooting headaches, had to reinstall over the existing install with a more updated installer from steam.com, I ran avg tuneup to fix registration errors as well as I have adding the entire steam folder to AVG exception an it didn't work either?

I had to had to uninstall it then delete the leftover registry keys, then I restarted the laptop to make sure there are no more problems left, then I reinstalled it cleanly and I still have the same problem, and then I went to Steam support an I ran through their basic boilerplate including updating drivers and crap, then got directed to basically what I already done after restarting the laptop after deleting the registry keys and folders, and reinstalled Steam again.

Having done all that, I'm still getting the same error, my laptop is HP, it has 8GB's, it's a Windows 10 pro install, it has a 1Tb hard drive, and it's all caught up with all the updates and junk, and I'm still having trouble with "Windows cannot find C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe. Make sure you have typed the name correctly, and then try again." and this is "REALLY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ME OFF"... and I think it's related to the latest windows 10 update an it is part of the problem... and so can anyone help me out "WITHOUT" trolling me please?

[Nx Machina]

Check your antivirus to see whether it is blocking or has quarantined Steam.exe.

Exclude the entire Steam folder in your antivirus if it has blocked the Steam.exe.

Steam usually defaults to C:\Program Files (x86) when installing as it is 32 bit.

Windows 10 2004 update? Microsoft advised against updating.

[FortKavanagh]

Originally posted by Kusa:

Check your antivirus to see whether it is blocking or has quarantined Steam.exe.

Exclude the entire Steam folder in your antivirus if it has blocked the Steam.exe.

Steam usually defaults to C:\Program Files (x86) when installing as it is 32 bit.

Windows 10 2004 update? Microsoft advised against updating.

Sadly I already tried that and still no improvement.

[Mr.Brightside]

im having this issue aswell. i've even gone so far as to uninstall it completely and reinstall it. but, im still gettting the exact same message no maater what i do. i feel like it HAS to do with the windows update that just came out. cuz this only started after i updated windows tonight

[Mr.Brightside]

me and a buddy tried some stuff, uninstall steam and install or move it to a different location. the directory seems to be eating *** after the windows update

if u install it to a different location on ur hard drive it works fine

[Grodi]

I am also having the same issue, even clicking on the steam.exe file tells me it cant find the file at the location i have just double clicked it from. I have added the entire steam folder to AVG exception. As a side not, i had just ran a complete AVGTuneUP? Anyone else started having issues after running AVGTuneUp? Also would be nice (sorry for you) to hear people with this issue not using AVG, just to rule it out.

[FortKavanagh]

At least I'm not the only one having trouble with this problem lol.

At first I thought there may be a problem with the Steam Client Service, this service is a required component of Steam on Windows, and If the services are not operating properly certain Steam functions may fail.

To try repair the Steam Client Service, I looked online an encountered others who encountered this exact problem and they tried to do the following:

"Click the Start button, then 'All Programs', and 'Accessories'
Right-click on Command Prompt and click "Run as administrator..."
In the command prompt, type the following command, including quotation marks, and press Enter:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe" /repair

or

"C:\Program Files\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe" /repair

Note: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\ is the default installation directory for Steam - change this to the correct directory if you installed Steam to a different location.

This process will take a few minutes to complete. Once finished, the message "Steam Client Service repair completed" will appear.

After this, please reboot your computer and re-test the original issue."

I tried these instructions like they did but I'm still encountering the same problem... NOW I got a splitting headache because the last two big windows accumulated updates are making my computer slower than usual and I don't know why!

P.S. I also used my subscriptions of AVG antivirus to fix the problem via the antiviruses exceptions list an that didn't work, and tried AVG TuneUP to try to fix the problem via fixxing broken registry keys and that didn't work either, and so right now I had to uninstall it and to sleep on the problem for now... if anyone finds the solution please post it here please?

[Nx Machina]

Found this on another thread.

Originally posted by moriarty.cat:

I watched this youtube clip :

YouTube™ Video: Fix for: Windows cannot find setup.exe Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again 

Views: 190,011

This is a permanent solution for this irritating error in windows, this problem is commonly caused by third party programs, specially those who claim to speed up your pc

Followed all the steps and instead of setup.exe , I opened steam.exe

In there I noticed there was a DEBUGGER value entered which had the word Avast in it. I clicked modify, removed the text and clicked ok. Voila it now works.

That must have been my anti virus registry setting to mask the steam exe. Thank god I found that out, I have wasted an evening looking at this. Thanks for everyone's efforts at helping me.

Hopefully this will resolve the issue.

[FortKavanagh]

I really don't like messing around with the registry keys (TOO MANY WAYS to ♥♥♥♥ up a computer "software wise"), the videos barley explains anything, I already cleaned my registry of steam related registry keys an I'm still having trouble, and the video isn't even steam related?

[FortKavanagh]

On a side note has anyone reported this glitch to Steam?

[Not my Kraken Please]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Check your antivirus to see whether it is blocking or has quarantined Steam.exe.

Exclude the entire Steam folder in your antivirus if it has blocked the Steam.exe.

Steam usually defaults to C:\Program Files (x86) when installing as it is 32 bit.

Windows 10 2004 update? Microsoft advised against updating.

Thank you bro So all you gotta do is restore and add exeptions to the file and it will work