How To Fix: Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ In 6 Simple Steps

Steam was one of the first platforms that were developed for the gamers community. The platform developers have kept everything in mind for the gamers. But recently a lot of gamers have been complaining about the error. So here we are with the Fix: Steam Says ‘Game Is Running’ that will solve all your problems

From purchasing the games to streaming them online with your friends. You can do it all on the Steam application. Although the developers are particular about the gaming quality and the experience on the platform. But, the “Game Is Running” error is something that can only be solved by the users as it is not some bug that can be debugged by any update. So, here we are with the article to Fix: Steam Says Game Is Running.

There are several troubleshooting ways to fix: Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ some of these are restarting the application, restarting the system, closing the game launcher, and many more.

But, what if any one of the above-mentioned didn’t work? Don’t Worry this guide on “Fix: Steam Saying” will tell you all the working troubleshooting methods to the error.

Fix: Steam Says ‘Game is Running’

One of the most common errors on the steam platform is it saying ‘Game is Running’. Well, here we are with some of the troubleshooting methods that will surely help you in fixing the error. But, before starting with these, let us look at the most common reason for the steam saying ‘Game Is Running’ even if it is not.

Also Read, How To Hide Or Remove Games From Steam Library? In 6 Simple Steps!!

One of the most common reasons for Steam Saying ‘Game Is running’ is, the last game might not be closed properly or you might have not exited the game and it is still running in the background.

Now, let us start with the troubleshooting methods that will help you in overcoming the error that says ‘Game is Running’.

Close the Game From Task Manager 

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - Closing Steam from Task manager
Source: The Droid Guy

Well, if the scenario is that the game you are playing previously hasn’t been shut down properly then the first thing to do is to open the task manager on your system and try to end the task. To do so follow the steps given below.

  1. Press the “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” keys on your keyboard.
  2. This will open another window on your desktop. Now, from the options available choose “Start Task Manager”.
  3. Clicking on it will take you to the previous window with the task manager running.
  4. Now, in the task manager search for the game or steam and click on it.
  5. You will find the option “End Task” at the bottom of the task manager. 
  6. Click on it and you are done.

Restart The Steam Application

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - restart steam application
Source: Business – Insider

If closing the game from the task manager doesn’t work then try to restart the steam application. To do so you can either close the application from the Close (X) button or you can follow the steps given above from the task manager. You can also close the game from the Taskbar present at the bottom of the screen. Choose any of the ways to close the application and after closing, relaunch the Steam Application.

See if this helps in Fix: Steam Says ‘Game Is Running’. If not then perform the troubleshooting method given below.

Also Read, How To Level Up On Steam For Free? 3 Quick Tricks To Gain XP!!

Close Game launcher In System Tray

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - Closing game launcher in System Tray
Source: Kommando Tech

Many games on the Steam platform come with their launchers. There is a chance that the game you played previously has got its launcher and you have forgotten to close it.

For this check your system tray and if you find any of the game launchers opened. Right-click on it and press the “Close” option.

Now, restart the steam again and see if this works.

Restart The System

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - Restart The PC
Source: CloudAffinity

The best way to fix: Steam Says ‘Game Is Running’ is to restart the system. This method works in 80 percent of the cases. Follow the steps given below to restart your PC. But, before restarting make sure you have closed the steam application.

Press the “Window” icon present on the bottom left corner of the desktop screen.

You will find the power button, click on it.

From the menu that appears, click on the “restart” option.

This will restart your system.

Alternatively,

  1. Press “ALT + F4” from your keyboard.
  2. This will display a popup window.
  3. Click on the drop-down button and select “Restart”
  4. Hit “OK”
  5. Your system will restart.

Also Read, How To Appear Offline On Steam Using The Invisible And Offline Mode

Reinstall The Game

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - Reinstall the game

If none of the methods given works to Fix: Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ then the next suggestion would be reinstalling the game. That means you need to uninstall the game first and then install it again. To do so you need to follow a procedure of certain steps mentioned below.

  1. Open the steam application on your system.
  2. Navigate to the “Library” and open it.
  3. Now, move to the game you wish to uninstall and right-click on it.
  4. From the dropdown menu that appears select “Uninstall”.
  5. You will get a popup window asking “Delete Game Files?”. Select delete.
  6. All the game files associated with the game will be deleted.
  7. Now, exit steam and relaunch it.
  8. Go to the Library, search for the game and click on install.
  9. Click “Next” and click “Finish”.
  10. Permit steam to download game files again.
  11. Once downloaded, launch the game.

Reinstall Steam

How To Fix Steam Says ‘Game is Running’ - Reinstall the steam application
Source: Alphr

If none of the methods given above on how to Fix: Steam Says ‘Game Is Running’ then this is the most drastic step to take. But this will surely fix the error and you can stream back again on the steam platform. The idea is to reinstall the whole steam application. To do so follow the steps given below.

  1. Go to the search on your Windows TaskBar or you could just press the “Window Key + R” on your keyboard and search for “Control Panel‘.
  2. In the control panel navigate for “Uninstall a Program” under “program”.
  3. This will open the list of the applications installed on your system.
  4. Search for “Steam” in the list that is in front of you.
  5. And click on it to uninstall the program.
  6. Now, a popup will appear in front of you asking you to uninstall. Click on yes to confirm.
  7. Within some time steam will be uninstalled from your device.
  8. After you have uninstalled the Steam platform from your system. Download the latest version of the application.
  9. The .exe file will be downloaded. Install it by clicking on it and granting it permissions on the system.
  10. Now, download the game you wish to play, following the steps given above.

Also Read, How To Disable Discord Overlay On PC, Steam, And For Specific Games

We hope our guide on how to “Fix: Steam says ‘Game is running’” error cleared all your doubts. These are the hundred percent working troubleshooting methods on the steam error. If you still face difficulty with the “GAME IS RUNNING” then do write to us in the comments section. And, don’t forget to share this piece of information with your friends.

Featured Image Source: DashTech

Rahul Gupta

Rahul functions as the head of the company’s Research & Insights division. A seasoned Digital Marketing Expert with more than 10 years in Organic Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Business Development, Lead Generation, Management, Customer Acquisition, building diverse portfolios of websites, growing online presence for many tech brands and others.

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