Help Fixing "Failed to start game (App already running)" bug.

[MouseMatt]

Hi, whenever i launch CS:GO it does't open correctly and prompts me with the message "Failed to start game (App already running)". As you have probably gathered the app is not already running :-(

I have done some googling and tried all the fixes i can find including deleting the exe and verifying game cache, nothing. Uninstalling and reinstalling CS:GO, nothing. Uninstalling and reinstalling steam (while saving steamapps folder so re-downloading of all games wasn't needed), nothing. Have also had a look around for new video driver updates to know avail.

I am damn near tearing my hair out looking for a solution to this, if anyone has any ideas that haven't been already tried I would greatly appreciated it.

Thanks,
Matt

[皇族轩月]

your computer is OK？

[MouseMatt]

Yes, have no other problems this issue seems to be souly steam :-/

Update: tried a different game and am now getting the same issue! So no gaming on any game for me till I find a solution :'(

[76561198218426745]

Restart your PC in safe mode. Go to the Steam folder. Move the "steamapps" and "userdata" folder outside of the Steam folder, somewhere you can find them later. Delete the Steam folder and the remaining subfolders/files. Restart your PC in normal boot. Reinstall Steam. Move the "steamapps" and "userdata" folders back to where they were.

[AzKat 🐔]

Easiest fix:

1. Shutdown your pc for 1 minute then start it up again (in case you don't shutdown daily)
2. Before starting steam delete the file called: gameoverlayrenderer.log (yes, the file with the text inside it)
3. Make sure your browser is closed when you start steam and the game.


Also, in case it gets stuck like that, you can always close your browser to fix this, for some reason, when you are stuck ingame, you CANNOT delete that file, it will say it is "in use", but if you close your browser, and delete that file, your problem should go away (at least until the next time it gets stuck)

Reason why this happens: sometimes, while being signed in on your browser, your browser will make changes to the file in the same time your steam client makes changes to that file, something can happen and it will give you that error.

I made a #FIX cannot exit game.txt file in my steam folder and put the "delete the file gameoverlayrenderer.log" text inside to know what do to in case this happens and I forget.

[iiNewoii]

im having the same problem with castle crashers but it says that it is running but it doesnt even run.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME

[AzKat 🐔]

Originally posted by froggerclark:

im having the same problem with castle crashers but it says that it is running but it doesnt even run.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME

Go in task manager, do you see the game's process there? If not, do what I said above (delete the file called "gameoverlayrenderer.log" from the steam directory)

[MouseMatt]

AzKat- to be clear i have no problem going into task manager processes to stop the game from "running" the problem is when i try and run the game again I just fall back into the same problem. So does deleting gameoverlayrenderer.log help with that? What even is that file and why would having a browser open modify it??

Thanks for the replies guys :)

Btw this has been going on for nearly a week so the PC has been turned off and on lot during this time.

[AzKat 🐔]

Originally posted by Matt:

AzKat- to be clear i have no problem going into task manager processes to stop the game from "running" the problem is when i try and run the game again I just fall back into the same problem. So does deleting gameoverlayrenderer.log help with that? What even is that file and why would having a browser open modify it??

Thanks for the replies guys :)

Btw this has been going on for nearly a week so the PC has been turned off and on lot during this time.

dude, make a backup of that file (rename it to #gameoverlayrenderer.log), shut down steam, delete that file, start up steam.

I'm speaking from experience here, not from random internet bs, this happened to me a lot when I was leaving my laptop open for weeks in a row due to idling trading cards, but deleting that file helped every time.


I don't know WHY that happens, it just happens, and deleting that file fixes the problem.


Edit:

Or you could do steam's support "magic" and do the following:

"backup your steamapps folder, uninstall steam, delete the entire folder, download the installer from our website, install it, put the folder back, start steam, login, and it's fixed"

You could also do this, yes.


edit#2: I just noticed you mistook my reply to that other guy, that was meant for him, not for you.

[MouseMatt]

Cool thanks man will try as soon as i get home.

Have already Tried the full "Backup steamapps folder uninstall, delete entire folder....." and it took ages and fixed nothing so won't be trying that again that's for sure.

[AzKat 🐔]

But I wonder, does your problem look like this?

1. You start steam
2. You start csgo (you can start it)
3. You exit csgo (you are still ingame)
4. You wait 1 hour after exiting the game (you are still ingame)
5. You delete that file (don't know if it works while logged in on steam)
6. You are now out of the game.

Also, deleting the entire steam folder never helps, you only have to rename certain folders to #<name> (or anything else) to fix certain parts, and it's faster than doing a full reinstall, not to mention you might even have to "wait 7 days" for the trades to work again, or losing your entire "set launch options" configs for all of your steam games... or losing all of your steam settings.

[76561198218426745]

Originally posted by AzKat:

you might even have to "wait 7 days" for the trades to work again, or losing your entire "set launch options" configs for all of your steam games... or losing all of your steam settings.

That is why you backup the steamapps and userdata folder. If the instructions are followed exactly, nothing is lost and you do not receive any restrictions.

Originally posted by Matt:

Cool thanks man will try as soon as i get home.

Have already Tried the full "Backup steamapps folder uninstall, delete entire folder....." and it took ages and fixed nothing so won't be trying that again that's for sure.

Did you restart in safe mode?

[MouseMatt]

Its more like this:
1. Start Steam
2. Click to start CS:GO (or any other game now).
3. Screen goes black for half a second then automatically minimises something. Game is not playing and icon does not appear on bottom task bar despite steam saying I am "in-game".
4. Click play again on steam, message window: "Failed to start game (App already running)".
5. Then to close steam or try again I force stop the process in task manager.

At no point can I get into the game despite steam reading "in-game"

[MouseMatt]

No i didn't reinstall steam using safe mode. What different would this make?

[76561198218426745]

It prevents Steam from launching when you restart your PC. Only core services are loaded in safe mode. I have suggested this fix to dozens of people, and none of them have ever reported it failing, but the choice is yours. I realize this fix can be quite time consuming.

— Removed extra word. —

[MouseMatt]

Ok cool I will try what Azkat said first with the gameoverlayrenderer.log file but if that fails i will give reinstalling another try using safe mode this time. :-/