Share this article

This article is translated in

Improve this guide

Steam Can’t go Online: Fix It Permanently with These 5 Tips

Get the best out of using the service online

4 min. read

Updated onAugust 9, 2024

updated onAugust 9, 2024

Share this article

This article is translated in

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

You must have stumbled on this article because your Steam can’t go online. A few users have reported this issue, while others can’t log in anymore aftertoo many retries.

We have researched the actual causes and solutions. In some extreme cases, users complained about Steam going into offline mode randomly, which can be highly frustrating for avid users.

How can I fix Steam if it can’t go online?

1. Clear your download cache

Clearing the download cache can also resolve issues with the server likeSteam error 102.

2. Change your Internet settings

If you’ve changed location recently, ensure that your Steam access isn’t geo-restricted.

On this note, we recommend using a VPN to protect your online privacy while you surf the Internet or play online games and to access gaming content from anywhere in the world.

PIA (Private Internet Access)is an excellent VPN, with hundreds of servers all around the globe, top-notch privacy (no logs), and superior mobility (access on up to 6 devices with one subscription).

Private Internet Access

3. Modify your shortcut

4. Reset Winsock

5. Reinstall Steam

Restart your PC and launch the app with administrative privileges. Steam will start updating itself and try to replace the missing files. Hopefully, it will work as expected.

Why can I not go online on Steam?

A few users have saidSteam won’t go online but I have internet. Here are the most common triggers for this Steam error:

You can try reinstalling the app if all other solutions fail and Steam still can’t go online. If you’re unsure about cleaning all the related folders, check how toremove software leftovers on Windows 10/11.

There you go. These are just a few solutions that you can try if Steam won’t go online on your PC or if Steam is stuck in offline mode. And if you have a sign-in issue like thetravis rilea error, check out our fix guide.

Feel free to try them all and let us know if they worked for you by leaving a comment in the section below.

Steam Can’t go Online: Fix It Permanently with These 5 Tips#

How can I fix Steam if it can’t go online?#

1. Clear your download cache#

2. Change your Internet settings#

Private Internet Access#

3. Modify your shortcut#

4. Reset Winsock#

5. Reinstall Steam#

Why can I not go online on Steam?#