Steam runs in background, but won't actually launch

[V.]

Steam was working normally days ago, until I closed the application and it no longer opened. I noticed that it opens in the background, seeing it through the Task Manager, and I even tried to end all the process related and opening it again... but it didn't work.

Here is a list of the things I tried:
- Restarting Steam;
- Restarting the computer;
- Uninstalling Steam, deleting the cache and all related files (app data, etc);
- Changing compatibility mode;
- Executing as administrator;
- Checking for Windows or Driver updates (everything is up to date);
- Checking if there is any conflict with Windows antivirus/firewall;
- Uninstalling Steam and writing "netsh winsock reset" in the CMD as Administrator;
- Reseting my computer (tried it today)
- Starting with Safe Mode with Networking to see if the issue persists, and nothing changed.

And yet the problem persists.
Here are my laptop's specifications:
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-54
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9300H CPU @ 2.40 GHz 2.40 GHz Processor
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (usable: 15.8 GB)
64bits
Windows 11

I contacted the Steam Support and this was their last answer:

"Since you're not seeing any files named crash_steam.exe... then this means that Steam itself could not process the .dmp file before it became unresponsive. Typically, this points to something outside of Steam interfering or causing issues with Steam running. Because there is no crash .dmp file, we are unable to investigate deeper on our end to determine the exact program or issue that is causing it.

As we have limited insight into the configuration or state of your computer, we can only give you general troubleshooting advice, and if you've already done all the advanced troubleshooting from the previously linked Steam client FAQ, your best bet now is to consult with a local computer professional so they can have physical access to the computer to better identify the issue. Otherwise, if you would rather try to still solve it on your own, it may be helpful to start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking and see if the issue reproduces. If it works, then you'll know there is something interfering on your computer. Should it still fail, then you likely have a larger problem with the OS itself.

You might also want to consider posting and searching for this issue in the following community hubs. It's possible other users have experienced similar issues and can offer helpful advice"

And here I am. I have no idea how to solve this issue and I'm almost hopeless. I may try hiring some technical assistance just for this problem soon, but that costs money and I wish I could try everything before that.

Sorry if there is any ambiguity in my words, English is not my first language, although I'll try to clarify anything you ask me.

Please, I need help.

[Mountain Months]

might not be the same as your problem but when this happened to me I had to reinstall my gpu driver

[V.]

Originally posted by Mountain Months:

might not be the same as your problem but when this happened to me I had to reinstall my gpu driver

:winterbunny2023:

Since NVIDIA released a new driver today, I gave it a try... but it also didn't work :(

[Iceira]

Locate steam.exe and run once as administrator. ( typical standard old advice that help alot of steam users. )

[にーと]

Same thing, happened same time after updating to Windows 11 version 26040.1000+.

Below this Windows 11 build version might be still working if you are able to downgrade with restore point.

[にーと]

Ok solved the problem with these steps:

download old version of steam with this arguments:

steam.exe -forcesteamupdate -forcepackagedownload -overridepackageurl http://web.archive.org/web/20230531113527if_/media.steampowered.com/client -exitsteam

create steam.cfg file in the location where steam.exe is and add the following:

BootStrapperInhibitAll=Enable
BootStrapperForceSelfUpdate=False

start steam with following arguments:

steam.exe -vgui

Now the Steam window opens normally on my Windows 11 24H2 26052.1000

[P1xel]

Originally posted by にーと:

Ok solved the problem with these steps:

download old version of steam with this arguments:

steam.exe -forcesteamupdate -forcepackagedownload -overridepackageurl http://web.archive.org/web/20230531113527if_/media.steampowered.com/client -exitsteam

create steam.cfg file in the location where steam.exe is and add the following:

BootStrapperInhibitAll=Enable
BootStrapperForceSelfUpdate=False

start steam with following arguments:

steam.exe -vgui

Now the Steam window opens normally on my Windows 11 24H2 26052.1000

idk if you will see this, but do you have a more permanent fix for this? as of right now, any time i want to open steam, i need to redo this entire process. also is there a fix for being able to access friend servers? This is the only fix that has allowed me to even open steam

[Lilibet]

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