How to fix fatal error Failed to connect with local Steam Client process?

The Steam community has seen numerous complaints from users who are experiencing the “FATAL ERROR: Failed to connect with local Steam Client process” error message when they try to launch certain games, especially Valve games such as Team Fortress 2, Half Life, and Counter Strike Global Offensive. In this article, we’ll show how to fix fatal errors in Steam for Windows 10 and other Windows versions.

Why Does the Error “Fatal Error: Failed to Connect with Local Steam Client Process” Occur?

The are many causes of this issue. Normally, they are related to standard Steam problems such as corrupt or missing Steam and game files. The error message can easily be removed by deleting certain cache folders, verifying the game files, reinstalling the game, or completely reinstalling the Steam Client.

How to Remove the Fatal Error – Failed to Connect Error Message from Steam?

Note that you can always try the next solution if one fix doesn’t work for you.

First Solution: Verify the Integrity of Game Files

This is the first solution because the process is easy to perform on your computer and it’s the simplest and most straightforward way to remove the error message. Many gamers have confirmed that after seeing the error message, they verified the integrity of game files and found out that some files were corrupt or completely missing, and redownloading those files helped them get rid of the message for good.

To verify the integrity of game files on your computer, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Steam Client program.
2. Once the Steam Client comes up, go to the Library tab through the menu at the top of the window.
3. Once you get to the Library tab, look for the entry of the affected game in the list.
4. Right-click the game’s icon.
5. When the context menu opens, select Properties.
6. In the Properties window, go to the Local Files tab.
7. Once in the Local Files tab, select the Verify Integrity of Game Files button located at the bottom of the window.
8. Now, wait for the process to verify the game files’ integrity.
9. Once the utility finishes checking, allow it to replace corrupt or missing files if there are any.
10. Now, reopen the affected game and check if the “FATAL ERROR: Failed to connect with local Steam Client process” still shows up.

Hopefully, this method will fix the issue. If it doesn’t, not to worry: there are other solutions you can try.

Second Solution: Close Steam via Task Manager and Restart It

This issue may also happen if you open the Steam software two or more times by accident, causing multiple Steam.exe processes to run on your computer. The problem can also occur due to various Steam-related services running in the background. Some users reported that the problem had been solved after they had completely stopped the software’s services and restarted them.

Follow these steps to completely restart Steam:

1. Firstly, exit the Steam Client by clicking Steam in the top-left corner and then clicking Exit in the drop-down menu.
2. Once the Steam Client closes, go to Task Manager to close other Steam-related processes that may be running in the background.
3. To open the Task Manager, simply press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys on your keyboard simultaneously.
4. When the Task Manager opens, expand it by clicking More Details at the bottom-left corner of the window.
5. Now, locate Steam-related processes such as GameOverlayUI.exe and Steam.exe. You should find them under Background processes.
6. Right-click each process and select End Task.
7. If a prompt comes up, click End Process or Yes.
8. Now, reopen your Steam Client.

Certain users reported that giving administrative privileges to the Steam Client software while launching it had solved the problem for them. To launch the app as an administrator, simply right-click the shortcut on your desktop and click Run as Administrator.

Third Solution: Log out of the Steam Client and Log Back In

Sometimes, the error message has something to do with your Steam account. This can be fixed by logging out and logging in again. Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Open the Steam Client.
2. Locate Steam at the top-left corner of the window and click it.
3. In the drop-down menu, click Change Accounts.
4. Confirm your choice when a prompt pops up.
5. When the login screen appears, enter your credentials and wait for the program to load.
6. Now, try launching the problematic game again to check if the problem persists.

Fourth Solution: Remove the Game from Your PC

Certain users reported that uninstalling and reinstalling the problematic game had fixed the problem. All you need to do is download the game files, and the Steam software will complete the installation process, making it easier than doing it outside of Steam.

The process below will show you how to remove the game and reinstall it:

1. Open the Steam Client.
2. Go to the Library tab.
3. Look for the affected game in the library, right-click its icon and select Uninstall from the context menu.
4. Confirm the dialog and wait for Steam to delete the game files.
5. Once the process is complete, right-click the entry of the same game in the library and select Install Game.
6. Choose a library folder where the game will be installed and wait for Steam to complete the process.
7. Now open the game to see if the problem is solved.

Fifth Solution: Go to Steam Root and Delete the Appcache Folder

Some users reported that deleting this folder had solved the issue. We’ll show you how to do it.

1. Firstly, make sure you close the Steam Client completely.
2. Now, go to This PC in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 or My Computer in earlier Windows versions.
3. If you didn’t specify a folder for Steam Client to be installed in, simply double-click Local Disk, open Program Files (x86) or Program Files and go to the Steam folder. The Program Files folder will depend on your Windows. An alternative method is to right-click the Steam Client shortcut on your desktop and select Open File Location.
4. Locate the Appcache folder and delete it.
5. Now launch Steam and check if the error message is still there.

Sixth Solution: Switch to the Beta Version of Steam

Some users say they got the problem solved by switching to a beta account. Since the latest updates of Steam are rolled out to the beta clients before they are introduced to the general public, you could solve the issue by entering the Steam Beta Client. To switch to a beta account, do the following:

1. Open the Steam Client, click the Steam menu, and then click Settings.
2. On the left side of the Settings window, click Account.
3. Click the Change button.
4. On the Beta Participation menu, select Steam Beta Update.
5. Click OK.
6. Restart Steam and check if the error message continues to pop up.

Seventh Solution: Uninstall and Reinstall Steam

The last resort is uninstalling the Steam Client. This method deletes all the games you have downloaded, but you can save them by backing up the Steamapps folder. Follow these steps to back up your game files:

1. The folder you’re to look for is Steamapps located in C ->> Program Files (x86) ->> Steam.
2. Now, locate the Steamapps folder by going to This PC or My Computer, and copy it to a different folder on your computer.

After this, uninstall the Steam Client by following this process:

1. Open Control Panel by clicking the Start button and searching for it.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a Program.
3. Look for Steam and select it.
4. Now, click the Uninstall button located above the list and confirm.
5. Follow the instructions that come up to complete the process.
6. Restart your computer and go to the Steam website to reinstall the latest version of the Steam Client.

We hope one of these solutions works for you! You can further enhance your gaming experience by installing Auslogics BoostSpeed. The software ensures your computer runs without glitches by wiping out junk files and corrupt keys that are messing up the Windows registry.

Have you ever experienced the “FATAL ERROR: Failed to connect with local Steam Client process” error message? Please share your experience in the comments section below.