How to fix "A connection to the Steam VAC servers could not be made" error in Windows?

"A connection to the Steam VAC servers could not be made" means Steam could not reach Valve Anti-Cheat, so the game will not let you join VAC secured servers. Valve names four causes: the connection, security software, background programs and third-party anti-cheat tools. Exit Steam completely and restart the PC first, then repair the Steam Service.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for the Steam client on Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, read against Steam Support's pages for this message, for "Disconnected by VAC" and for the ports Steam needs.

What "A connection to the Steam VAC servers could not be made" means

VAC is Valve Anti-Cheat. A server marked as VAC secured only lets players in when Steam on their PC can talk to Valve's anti-cheat servers. When that connection fails, the game stops the join and shows this message. Your account, your game and your purchase are not affected.

Steam Support lists the message together with two others that mean the same thing: "Secure connection failed" and "No Steam logon". The page names four main sources: connection issues, security software, background applications and third-party anti-cheat applications. Each one has a fix below.

What causes the Steam VAC connection error, from most to least likely

Steam Support names the four sources but publishes no numbers. The order below is ours. It follows Valve's own hints: that a problem right after a Steam update is most likely a firewall, and that a restart of the PC can clear an error that shows on all servers.

How to fix "A connection to the Steam VAC servers could not be made"

Fixes 1 to 3 follow Steam Support's own steps for this message and take a few minutes each. Fixes 4 and 5 look for a program or a network that blocks VAC. Fixes 6 to 8 are for the stubborn cases and for "Disconnected by VAC".

Fix 1. Exit Steam completely and restart the PC and the router

2 to 5 minutesNo riskEveryone starts here, and above all when the error shows on every server.

Steam Support says the error "may be resolved by exiting Steam and restarting your computer" when it persists on all servers. Closing the Steam window is not enough: Steam keeps running in the system tray with its old connection.

1. Close the game.
2. Open the Steam menu in the top left corner of Steam and select Exit. Closing the window only hides Steam.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and check Processes for any entry that starts with Steam. Select it and select End task.
4. Turn off the router or modem, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on.
5. Restart Windows: Start > Power > Restart.
6. Start Steam, wait until it has signed in and finished any update, then join a VAC secured server.

A Steam process that will not close in Task Manager is common after a game crash. Step by step: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit)

Fix 2. Repair the Steam Service with SteamService.exe /repair

3 minutesLow riskThe error stays after a restart, or shows together with "Valve Anti-Cheat challenge timed out".

Steam Support says the VAC error "may also indicate a Steam service failure". The Steam Service is the part of Steam that runs with system rights, and the repair command installs it again in place.

1. Exit Steam through the Steam menu and Exit.
2. Press Win + R to open Run.
3. Type the command below and select OK. Keep the quotation marks.
4. Select Yes when Windows asks for administrator permission. Steam Support says the command needs administrator rights and may take a few minutes.
5. Start Steam and join a secure server again.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe" /repair

Fix 3. Remove the old firewall entries for Steam and the game and let Windows learn them again

5 minutesLow riskThe error started right after a Steam update, or you use Windows Defender Firewall together with another firewall.

Steam Support: "If you have a connection problem immediately after a Steam update, it is most likely being caused by a firewall." Valve's fix is to delete the old rules and create new ones. The firewall stays on.

1. Exit Steam through the Steam menu and Exit.
2. Press Win + R, type firewall.cpl and press Enter. Windows Defender Firewall opens.
3. Select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall on the left.
4. Select Change settings and confirm the administrator prompt.
5. Select each entry for Steam and for the game, such as Team Fortress 2, and select Remove. Valve names Steam.exe, HL.exe and HL2.exe.
6. Select OK and close the window.
7. Start Steam and the game. When Windows Security asks about network access, allow it for Private networks.
8. Join a secure server.

• Another firewall program. Do the same in its program rules: remove the Steam and game rules and let it ask again. Valve: "Just because there are existing permissions does NOT mean they are correct permissions."
• Two firewalls at once. Valve says never to run more than one firewall while using Steam. Its examples include Windows Firewall with a third-party firewall, and Windows Firewall with a motherboard's built-in firewall. Keep one, and keep it on.
• Security suite. Add Steam.exe and the game's .exe as trusted programs, as Steam Support asks. If you cannot find the setting, pause protection for one test and turn it back on: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment

Fix 4. Close the programs that interfere with VAC and test with a clean boot

10 to 15 minutesLow riskYou run a network tool, VPN, cheat tool, overlay, idler, virtual machine program or another anti-cheat program, or the error began after you installed one.

Steam Support lists background applications and third-party anti-cheat applications as two of the four causes, and names programs that interfere. A clean boot starts Windows without all of them at once, so you can see whether one of them is the cause.

1. Exit Steam through the Steam menu and Exit.
2. Close every program from the table that is running, including its icon in the system tray.
3. Disconnect a VPN and exit its app.
4. Start Steam and join a secure server.
5. If it still fails, do a clean boot so Windows starts with Microsoft services only. Step by step: How to perform a clean boot in Windows
6. After the restart, start Steam and join again.
7. If it works now, turn the services and startup apps back on in small groups until the error returns. The last group holds the cause.

Fix 5. Test another network, check the router and open the ports Steam needs

10 to 20 minutesLow riskThe error shows on one network only, you use a university, office or hotel network, or your router has two internet lines.

Steam Support says routers, "especially Wireless routers", can cause these errors, that Dual WAN routers are not compatible with Steam, and that many university and business networks block the ports Steam needs. A test on another network tells you whether the PC or the network is at fault.

1. Connect the PC to another network, such as a phone hotspot, and join a secure server. If it works, the home network is the cause.
2. Connect the PC by cable straight to the modem, without the router, as Steam Support suggests. If it works now, the router is the cause.
3. If the router has two internet lines, use one line only for the test. Valve says Dual WAN routers are not compatible with Steam.
4. If the router has its own firewall, open the ports from the table below in its settings, then exit and restart Steam.
5. On a school, office or hotel network, ask the network administrator to open the Steam ports. Valve says they cannot be remapped to other ports.
6. Check the connection itself if it drops often. Step by step: How to check your internet connection in Windows

If Steam itself also says it cannot connect, the problem is wider than VAC. Our guide to Steam error code 105 covers DNS and router filters that block Steam's addresses.

Fix 6. Remove mods and skin changers and verify the game files

5 to 30 minutes, by the size of the gameLow riskThe message is "Disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers", or one VAC game fails while others work.

Steam Support says modifying game files or in-game textures may cause the VAC error. Verifying compares the game folder with the original files and downloads what was changed or is missing.

1. Remove custom textures, skin changers and any program that modifies game files, as Steam Support asks.
2. Restart the PC.
3. Open Steam, right-click the game in the Library and select Properties.
4. Select Installed Files and then Verify integrity of game files.
5. Wait for the check to finish and join a secure server.

The full steps, with what Steam shows when files are replaced: How to verify game files in Steam, Epic Games, Xbox app, EA app, Battle.net and GOG Galaxy

Fix 7. Restore the Windows boot settings that VAC requires to default

5 minutesRead the warningThe message is "Disconnected by VAC", or you or a tool ever changed boot settings for driver testing, debugging or test signing.

Steam Support says kernel integrity checks, kernel debugging and Data Execution Prevention "must be set to default to play on VAC secured servers". These commands put those settings back to the Windows defaults, which also makes Windows safer.

1. Exit Steam through the Steam menu and Exit.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click it and select Run as administrator.
3. Type bcdedit /export C:\bcd-backup and press Enter to save the current settings.
4. Type each of the four commands below and press Enter after each one.
5. Restart the PC, start Steam and join a secure server.

bcdedit /deletevalue nointegritychecks
bcdedit /deletevalue loadoptions
bcdedit /debug off
bcdedit /deletevalue nx

Steam Support notes that if a command answers "The value is protected by Secure Boot policy and cannot be modified or deleted.", that setting is already at its default. Leave Secure Boot on: it does not have to change for VAC.

Fix 8. Repair Windows system files and scan for malware

20 to 40 minutesNo riskFixes 1 to 7 did not help, or other programs on the PC also act up.

Steam Support lists a system file check as a fix for VAC errors, because damaged Windows files can break the parts VAC relies on. It also warns that viruses and spyware cause connection problems with Steam.

1. Exit Steam through the Steam menu and Exit.
2. Run SFC and DISM from an administrator Command Prompt. Steam Support asks for sfc /scannow. Step by step: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files
3. Restart the PC when the check is done.
4. Run a full scan with Microsoft Defender while Steam is closed, as Steam Support suggests. Step by step: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender
5. Start Steam and join a secure server.

If the Steam VAC error still shows: what to check and whom to ask

The message has no log file you can read yourself. What helps support is a clear picture: the exact text, when it shows, on which networks, and what you already tried. Steam Support has a help wizard at https://help.steampowered.com that leads to a ticket.

1. Take a screenshot of the message with its full text.
2. Note whether it shows on every VAC server or only on some, and in one game or in all.
3. Note whether it works on another network, from Fix 5.
4. List the security, network and anti-cheat programs on the PC.
5. Open the help wizard, choose the game and the connection problem, and attach what you collected.

• When it is the network: it works on a hotspot but not at home, school or work. The router or the network administrator has to open the Steam ports.
• When it is your internet provider: the connection drops often even without games. Steam Support says to contact the provider.
• When it is a ban, not this error: the message says you are banned, not that a connection failed. Steam Support says VAC bans are permanent and cannot be removed by support.

How to keep the Steam VAC connection error from coming back

The rule behind all of this is short. VAC needs Steam running cleanly, a firewall that knows the current Steam files, a network that lets Steam through, and a game and Windows nobody has changed. Keep those four as they are and the message stays away.

Frequently asked questions

What does "A connection to the Steam VAC servers could not be made" mean?

It means Steam on your PC could not reach Valve Anti-Cheat, so the game will not let you join a VAC secured server. Steam Support lists four sources: connection issues, security software, background applications and third-party anti-cheat applications. The message does not mean your account is banned or your game is broken. In most cases an exit of Steam through the Steam menu and a restart of the PC and the router clear it. If not, repair the Steam Service and reset the firewall entries for Steam, as Fixes 2 and 3 show.

Can I get VAC banned because of this error?

No. The error says that Steam could not talk to VAC, and nothing on this page changes how VAC works. A VAC ban comes from cheats detected on the PC, not from a failed connection. Steam Support says VAC bans are permanent and cannot be removed by support, and that a ban issued by mistake is removed automatically. The one real risk is a tool that touches the game, such as Cheat Engine or a DLL injector. Steam Support names those for VAC errors too, so close them while you play.

What does "Disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers" mean?

It is a different message from the connection error. Steam Support says it is caused by third party software that interferes with the game or Steam, or by modified game files and textures. Remove custom textures, skin changers and programs that modify game files, restart the PC and verify the game files (Fix 6). If it stays, repair the Steam Service (Fix 2), restore the boot settings to default (Fix 7) and run a system file check (Fix 8). Steam Support names CCleaner, Cheat Engine, DLL injectors, hypervisors and Steam idlers as common conflicts.

Why did the VAC error start right after a Steam update?

Steam Support says a connection problem immediately after a Steam update is most likely caused by a firewall. The firewall still holds rules for the old Steam files. Valve's advice is to remove all firewall entries for Steam.exe, HL.exe and HL2.exe and let them be learned again, because existing permissions are not always correct ones. Fix 3 shows how in Windows Defender Firewall. Exit Steam before you change the rules, then start Steam again so Windows can ask for network access.

Should I turn off my antivirus or firewall to fix the VAC error?

No. Steam Support asks you to set security programs to recognise Steam.exe and the game as trusted, and to remove and relearn old firewall entries. That keeps the protection on. If you want to test whether the antivirus is the cause, pause it for one join and turn it back on at once, then add the exception if it was the cause. What Valve does warn against is running two firewalls at the same time, such as Windows Firewall together with a third-party one.

Which ports does Steam need for VAC secured servers?

Steam Support's page Required Ports for Steam lists them. To sign in and download: TCP 80 and 443, and UDP and TCP remote ports 27015 to 27050. For game traffic: UDP remote ports 27000 to 27250. Voice chat and peer to peer use UDP 3478, 4379, 4380 and 27014 to 27030. Open them on a router with a built-in firewall and restart Steam afterwards. Valve notes that many university and business networks block these ports and that they cannot be moved to other ports.

Why does Team Fortress 2 or Counter-Strike take minutes and then show the VAC error?

The game waits for Steam to confirm the VAC connection before it joins a secure server. When Steam cannot reach VAC, the game waits until the attempt times out, and only then shows the message. That is why readers describe a long wait followed by a black pop-up box. The fixes are the same for both games: exit Steam and restart (Fix 1), repair the Steam Service (Fix 2) and reset the firewall entries (Fix 3). We could not confirm exact time-out values from Valve.

This device can't reach Steam servers: is that the same error?

Not quite. "This device can't reach Steam servers" and similar messages mean Steam itself cannot connect, so the store, the friends list and downloads also fail. The VAC error appears while Steam works, and only secure game servers fail. When Steam as a whole is offline, start with Fix 1 and Fix 5 on this page, then read our guide to Steam error code 105 for DNS and router filter problems. Once Steam is online again, the VAC connection usually returns with it.

I searched in Spanish, Russian or Polish. Is this the same problem?

Yes, if the game showed the message about the Steam VAC servers. Readers find this page with "que paso" (what happened), "не подключается" (does not connect), "все пробовал не помогло" (tried everything, nothing helped) and "nie pomogło" (did not help). The cause and the fixes do not depend on the language of Windows or Steam. If you tried everything, follow the fixes in order and do not skip Fix 3 and Fix 4. Roblox does not use VAC, so this page does not apply to Roblox.