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

[dynamike]

did you find a fix because it is happening to me

[anoush]

see dude ... first run the game from the folder ...not steam luncher... ok?
just remember that steam must be online...
then close something ....like waht?? like i played a lobbi game and i get out of the game,and i didnt click on leave lobby ....i just exit of dota2 .now dota2 give me the app is running because of that lobby. ye...your welcome :)

[Birkulese]

The Easiest way I found is to sign out of steam and sign in again and the "running" should dissapear.

[Jord]

Try this fix that worked for me:

1. Try launching the game
2. Open Task Manager
3. Find the "Steam Client Bootstrapper" process
3. Expand it
4. Find the process for the game you just launched
5. Double click it

This should open the game.

EDIT: After closing it and opening other games everything seems to be back to normal!

[JustGOD]

I cant do anything with this error, i saw videos i tried what you guys said, nothing work....

I just unistall the game and im gonna try to install again see if that works

[dynamike]

if you have anti virus uninstall it. it fixed it for me

[sk2er]

Im pretty sure just right click the steam icon thats running in your taskbar and go to exit steam and start steam again and it should work, it works for me for c iv 5

[[Su1c!D4L]-Ps!Ch0Doc]

After the last few "minor updates" - since "Danger Zone update, to be more precise, had a similar problem. Could close the game but Steam was out of whack - every time I opened Steam from taskbar and moved the mouse over it, the mouse pointer looked like it was constantly working. Two days ago, CS:GO started acting up, by appearing in Steam as running but not in Task Manager.
What worked for me now was:
- force closed Steam, uninstalled CS:GO then reinstalling it and suddenly problem was solved AND the game was opening faster!
In the past, from what I gathered and did that solved the problem:
- opted out from any beta updates
- checked to see if the sync option is active (some users said they had to deactivate it and reactivate it after reinstalling CS)
- deleted CS:GO and uninstalled Steam
- ran a disk cleanup for any unnecessary files and defragmentation/optimisation
- restart PC
- check video drivers to be the latest compatible version for your video card through the producer app
- downloaded latest Steam installation kit and ran it
- logged in and out of Steam to make sure IT IS the latest version
- reinstall CS:GO and launch it from the download page after it is installed
- wait 1-2 minutes, especially if your sync folder is bigger
- exit the game
- restart PC
- launch CS again
In general, this or any shorter version of the steps worked.

[Fadez]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από 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.

I just tried this and it did not work do you have any other solutions by chance?

[dynamike]

if you have any AV uninstall it.

[Max]

so I was having this issue for a while. the only way I could fix it was restarting but thats annoying. then I read the comment about game overlay whatever, I look it up and try and delete it but even with steam closed it says its open in microsoft ime and cant delete it (the thing that manages different keyboard languages because I often switch languages.) so I look in process hacker for ime, quickly terminate it and delete the file, and then what do you know I open steam and tf2s not running anymore. Im thinking this happens when I had ime set to japanese and then close tf2 but im not sure.

[76561198148368558]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από smol boye:

Found a fix! open up task manager by hitting ctrl alt delete then look in the processes for your game, if the game doesnt show up then hit more details and look in background processes. this is caused by the computer acting with the file wrong, so sometimes it can read it as a background process. (especially games with launchers) hope this helped!

I Have the same issue and i followed what you said and i found it in the background process but what should i do about it to fix the problem? And did anyone figure it out?

[CthulhuXD]

THIS WORKED FOR ME

Launch the executable (ie csgo.exe) from the steamapps folder, let it open and run (which it will), close the game then launch it through steam itself. Fixed my issue.

[hhhhhhhhh]

Same. It happens no matter what for me but rarely. It could be any game and everything could be closed but steam will not let me run, I am sure it's some bug that somehow hasn't been fixed because it's happened to me ever since I've had steam. It has also happened on a variety on computers for me so I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with malware or anything. There are two ways around this that have worked for me. The easiest way (or the less annoying) is to open the game directly in files. Or you can just restart steam and your computer which can get really annoying sometimes. There is no way to fix this in task manager it is just a annoying bug.

edit: I don't have csgo this just happened to me for civ 5 and wanted to know a better way.

[IssMeMila!!!]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από AzKat 🐔:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από 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)

checkmate buddy, how do i find this file?