Friends List appears blank upon starting Steam.

[Atruemos]

Okay so, for the past week or so half the time when I start steam on the PC my friends list appears blank, only I know it's not. It's not even like it's not connecting as it says I am online and it opens a chat window I had with someone previously. It's an easy enough glitch to fix as closing the friends window then reopening it is enough to fix it. But it keeps happening often enough that it is disconcerting.

I have tried a lot to solve this problem, even so far as to reinstall steam. Is there something else I am missing here?

[Iceira]

Either your pc dont recive its data or drop it, pretty sure if you test with spare pc, then you will learn 2 things, is it your pc that doing it or own network.

Network is also you and netcard router and your ISP ( though WiFI in top of this then you have worst possible setup, with lag or lost data, ( as you said it then you retry then its back , and that mean your pc dont waste time on startup and is way more responding and take lesser time to do it.

test with system is idle before steam start then pc is rdy , does that effect steam.
to say you need delayed startup, and yes its actual a thingy in windows problem is what cause this now. bulky or slow or other pc issue not update or to slow with something.

ps.
even contact steam support, they might want to have a diffrent point view in this and know why or want to know why, because who said this will not be a much bigger issue later with many steam user's. ( and yet it could also just be your pc only. )

[Rudiger]

I'm getting the same thing as well. It was working perfectly until recently. I have no internet issues either.

[Iceira]

Originally posted by Rudiger:

I'm getting the same thing as well. It was working perfectly until recently. I have no internet issues either.

did you understand OP can relog into steam and then it work, if i get it right, not sure that same you have.


your problem could be own ISP or test with spare pc and confrim 2 pc that cant and tell your ISP that, and anything froom before it was working to now, might have a clue and maybe ISP or technicain have a clue whats wrong.

this is a user forum, and you need info just like OP to even get a idea on what is wrong.

[Rudiger]

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

Originally posted by Rudiger:

I'm getting the same thing as well. It was working perfectly until recently. I have no internet issues either.

did you understand OP can relog into steam and then it work, if i get it right, not sure that same you have.

OP said they closed the friends list window and reopened it and it worked again. I was doing that as well.

[Iceira]

ask steam support, maybe they want to look at this, without whats wrong, or OS is corrupt or other things not ready then it connect to steam is all i think can do that.


do check network card drivers ( NIC )

off topic ( check system, just in case something is wrong )
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow
chkdsk ( per driver letter )

and wifi test with cable, whatever that is, or where it drop out at your pc or own ISP and its parttner's and why there is no Connection, is part your pc maybe or even ISP could have congested network. ( this is why you test with Friends laptop or spare pc, watchout for security app to anti virus app and wifi even. )

its like something is not ready then it try to connect to steam and relog seem to fix it.

you need steam support anmd maybe even own ISP help for that, and thats why test with spare pc, can be a very good idea, to try to double check this is not just own pc that do it.


seen from ISP point of view or network, then you are boosted if they can use a laptop and get it to work. and then will not waste there time on you own pc problem.

so interference to whatever you have to do to check own pc can help even safe boot mode.


other possiblities is QoS and network management app like ip-traffic regulation some have seen Lenovo do this, but any app that do atht can cause issue with it. and as i said even Wifi is seen as issue then many device access or bad connection or driver issue or antenna issue. ( all this is still user own equpment and is seen as not a ISP problem ) this is why gather proof or test with spare pc, can help alot and avoid get bill from I'SP and have waste there time.

some even blaim ipv6 cause issue, again contact own ISP with it, you do not want to remove that protocol anymoire, its 10-20 years ago ip4 adr was running out,
im pretty sure no matter what any say on that subject we are way more people any online today so turn ipv6 off is simple out of debat, whatever that is if ipv6 issue its should be solved to avoid such keep happend ask own ISP if you confirm its that.

and technicaly that is your problem and with own ISP problem that cause issue on network between both of you its not rest of the worlds problem.


there are already dedicate ipv6 device outthere and they are working, rest is your ISP problem and you. ( thats your problem if your isp dont use ipv6 and have activate it )

someday you cant keep doing ipv4 to ipv6, that is what isp is doing, then they dont so call use it

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/transition-from-ipv4-to-ipv6-address/
and thats why ipv6 can be a problem if it cause own network issue, depend on both possibilities then they use it or not. thats your ISP problem and yours, if this is even a ipv6 issue.

and its here its odd/funny reconnect fix it. ( thats a isp issue or should said they might want to look at it. )

[e1senbass]

So I had the same issue and resolved it by clearing the steam download cache in the steam settings. It can be found in the "downloads" tab. After relogging the friend list loaded immediately.

[z0rrer0]

Originally posted by e1senbass:

So I had the same issue and resolved it by clearing the steam download cache in the steam settings. It can be found in the "downloads" tab. After relogging the friend list loaded immediately.

Thanks mate! this worked for me

Cheers! ^_^

[Mordred]

Originally posted by e1senbass:

So I had the same issue and resolved it by clearing the steam download cache in the steam settings. It can be found in the "downloads" tab. After relogging the friend list loaded immediately.

Even though i'm a bit late, thank you @e1senbass - that helped me too! :)

[ᗷᑌᒪᗩᗰᗩTᗩRI]

Also worthwhile:

Steam / Settings / Interface / Client Beta Participation✔

Fixed even more UI/interface related issues for me, like botched text in the upper client menu. Haven't had the friends list issues since.

Before I just clicked a second time in the lower right of the Steam client to reload the chat client window again while was logged in already, and the friends were back again. Not a big deal, but now it works as intended: I log in, and there they are.

[Emma]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.