How to fix "Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in" Steam error in Windows?

"Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in" is the text Steam shows for every sign-in failure that has no message of its own. The real reason is the small Error Code line under it. Stop retrying, check that Steam is up, then test the same account on the Steam website.

Facts checked on 14 October 2026. Steps written for the Steam client on Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, and the sign-in form of store.steampowered.com.

What "Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in" means

We read the sign-in code that Steam's own website serves, on 14 October 2026. In its language file the sentence has the name Login_Error_Default_Description. The word default is the whole story: the form has a few failures it can name, and everything else falls through to this one sentence.

So "Something" is not a secret. Steam's servers sent back a result number, the form had no special text for it, and it printed the general one. The number is not thrown away. It is printed under the text in small grey letters, as Error Code: followed by a short code.

• A wrong password is a different message. The form stays open and says "Please check your password and account name and try again."
• A wrong Steam Guard code is a different message too: "Incorrect code, please try again".
• Other spellings people search for are the same screen: something went wrong while trying to sign you in, something went wrong signing you in, Steam login error something went wrong.

The error code under the message: e84, e87, e20, e8 and the others

In the sign-in code the reference is built in one line: the letter e and the result number. Valve publishes no list for this screen. It does publish the meaning of the numbers for game developers, in the Steamworks documentation. The table joins the two.

• No code at all under the text usually means the QR code sign-in failed. That path sets the general error without a reference.
• A bare number without the letter is a result the sign-in page already had when it opened. Read it like the same number with an e.
• Write the code down before you close the window. It is the one thing Steam Support can use.

What causes the Steam sign-in error, from most to least likely

Valve publishes no numbers on this, so the order below is ours. It follows three things: the text itself ("try again later"), the page Steam Support wrote for people who cannot sign in to the client, and the meaning of the codes.

How to fix "Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in" on Steam

Fixes 1 and 2 are for everyone: they tell you whether the fault is on Steam's side, on your network or in the client. Fixes 3 and 4 change the way and the address you sign in from. Fixes 5 to 7 repair the client on the PC and are only worth doing when the website signs you in.

Fix 1. Stop retrying, check that Steam is up, then wait

5 minutes, then waitingNo riskEveryone starts here, and it is the only fix for Too Many Retries, e84 and e87.

The text ends with "Please try again later" because most of its causes sit on Steam's servers, where nothing on your PC can reach them. Steam also counts sign-in failures from your location, so every extra attempt during an outage works against you.

1. Stop selecting Retry. Write down the title of the screen and the Error Code line under the text.
2. Close the sign-in window. Leave Steam alone while you check the rest.
3. In a browser, open https://store.steampowered.com/stats/. Steam Support calls this page the Steam Server Status page.
4. Look at how the page behaves. Steam Support says a timeout on Steam's sites means it is very likely a system-wide issue.
5. Wait before the next attempt. Valve names no length, so we suggest 15 minutes at least and longer after many retries.
6. Sign in once, slowly, with the account name and password typed by hand.

Valve schedules planned work in the business hours of its office in the Pacific time zone of the United States. It also says that Steam's busiest time is around 12:00 Pacific Time. An error that begins in that part of the day and hits many people at once is rarely yours to fix.

Fix 2. Sign in on the Steam website in a browser

3 minutesNo riskYou do not know yet whether the fault is Steam, your account or the client on this PC.

The website and the client use the same account and the same sign-in form, but the client reaches Steam in its own way. One attempt in a browser therefore splits the causes in two: account and servers on one side, the program on your PC on the other.

1. Open a browser on the same PC and go to https://store.steampowered.com/login/.
2. Under Sign in with account name, type your Steam account name.
3. Type the Password and select Sign in.
4. Confirm with Steam Guard as you normally do: in the Steam Mobile App or with the code from the e-mail.
5. Compare the result with the table below. Make one attempt only.

Fix 3. Sign in another way: QR code or a Steam Guard code

5 minutesNo riskThe error comes after the password, while Steam waits for the phone, or you see the Expired screen.

Steam offers three ways to confirm a sign-in, and they travel different paths. A QR code sign-in skips the name and password. A typed code skips the notification to the phone. If one path fails, another may still work.

1. On the phone, set the date and time to automatic. Steam Support: the codes "are generated using the phone's time, and if the time is off, the codes will be incorrect".
2. Open the Steam Mobile App and go to the Steam Guard page, the middle shield icon in the bottom bar.
3. On the PC, open the Steam sign-in window so that the QR code is visible.
4. In the app, use the Scan a QR code prompt and hold the phone up to the screen.
5. Check the confirmation page in the app. It shows a map and the approximate location of the device that is signing in.
6. Approve the request if the details are yours.

If the QR code fails too, go the other way round. Enter the account name and password, and when Steam waits for the phone, select Enter a code instead. In the app, select Show Steam Guard code on the Steam Guard page and type the code. It changes every 30 seconds and works once.

• More than one account in the app. Steam Support: "make sure you are entering codes for the correct account". The account is chosen in the drop-down on the Steam Guard page.
• The phone is lost or the app was deleted. Select Use backup code if you saved backup codes. If not, use Help, I no longer have access to my Steam Mobile App on the form.
• Steam Guard by e-mail. Enter the newest code only. Steam Support says older codes do not work, and that signing in again sends a new e-mail.
• No e-mail arrives. Check the spam folder and add [email protected] and [email protected] to your trusted senders. Steam asks you to contact Support if nothing has come after 3 hours.

Fix 4. Turn off the VPN or proxy, or change the network

10 minutesLow riskA VPN or proxy is on, you are on a shared network, or the limit screens keep coming back.

Steam's limit text speaks of failures "from your location", not from your account. On a VPN server, a campus or an office network many people share one address. Steam Support also lists VPN software among the programs that can keep the client from reaching the Steam network.

1. Disconnect the VPN and exit its app completely, so that it does not reconnect by itself.
2. Press Win + I and open Network & internet, then Proxy.
3. Under Manual proxy setup, next to Use a proxy server, select Set up.
4. Turn Use a proxy server off and select Save. Leave Automatically detect settings on.
5. Restart the modem and the router. Steam Support advises this before anything else on the network side.
6. Start Steam and sign in once.

If that changes nothing, test a different network. Turn on the hotspot of your phone, connect the PC to it and sign in once. Steam Support recommends this test in its own words: connect "to an entirely different network, preferably from a different internet service provider".

• It works on the hotspot. Your home address is limited or blocked. Wait as in Fix 1. If it never clears, see the ports in Fix 7 and ask your provider.
• A proxy was set and you did not set it. On a work or school PC it belongs to the organisation. On your own PC an unknown proxy is worth a malware scan: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender
• University and business networks. Steam Support: many of them block the ports Steam needs, and those ports "can not be re-mapped to HTTP or reconfigured to a custom port range". Only the network administrator can open them.
• It fails only in the evening. Steam Support notes that a provider may be blocking or shaping the connection at certain hours, and tells you to test at another time of day.

Fix 5. Close Steam completely, then restart the PC

5 minutesNo riskThe website signs you in but the client keeps showing the error, with any code.

Steam Support describes a client whose process keeps running in the background without working properly. Its first step for any misbehaving client is to restart Steam and the computer, which resets caches and releases locks on files.

1. Close the sign-in window.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and stay on Processes.
3. Find every entry that starts with Steam, such as Steam and Steam Client WebHelper.
4. Right-click each one and select End task until none is left.
5. Restart Windows from the Start menu.
6. Start Steam and sign in once.

Task Manager works the same way in Windows 10. If an entry refuses to close, the full procedure is here: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit)

Fix 6. Reinstall Steam over itself, then rebuild its files

15 to 20 minutesRead the warningThe website works, a restart did not help, and the client shows e8, c-fts, c-ftac or the plain error.

Steam Support names damaged client files as a cause of connection and sign-in trouble and gives two repairs. Running the installer into the same folder replaces the client and its service files. Deleting the client's files makes Steam download all of them again.

1. Close Steam and end its processes as in Fix 5.
2. In a browser, open https://store.steampowered.com/about/ and select Install Steam.
3. Run the downloaded installer.
4. Install into the folder where Steam already is. The default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam.
5. Start Steam and sign in once.

Steam Support says of this repair that installing into the same location "will preserve all installed games". If the error is still there, do the deeper one. It is the method from Steam Support's pages on unavailable servers and on a client that will not open.

1. Close Steam and end its processes again.
2. Open the Steam folder in File Explorer: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam unless you chose another one.
3. Select everything except the steamapps folder, the userdata folder and steam.exe.
4. Delete the selected files and folders.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Start steam.exe from inside the Steam folder, not from an old shortcut. Steam downloads its files again and shows the sign-in window.

Fix 7. Let Steam through the firewall and the security software

10 to 15 minutesLow riskThe website works, the client shows Connection Problem, e20 or af, often after a Steam update or a new security program.

A browser needs only ports 80 and 443. The client also uses a range of its own, and it is a separate program for every firewall. Steam Support warns that a firewall can start blocking Steam right after a client update, even if Steam worked before.

1. Close Steam completely as in Fix 5.
2. Open Windows Security from the Start menu and select Firewall & network protection.
3. Select Allow an app through firewall, then Change settings. Windows may ask for an administrator password.
4. Find the Steam entries in the list and select the check box next to each of them.
5. If Steam is not listed, select Allow another app and enter the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe.
6. Select OK, restart the PC and start Steam.

• Another firewall program. Steam Support's method: remove every entry of steam.exe and steaminstall.exe from its permissions, start Steam and allow it when the firewall asks. Give it all TCP and UDP ports.
• Antivirus. Steam Support says such software "hooks very deep into user systems" and can affect network operations. Add an exception for the Steam folder in its settings.
• One test with protection paused. Pause real-time protection, sign in once and turn it back on at once: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment
• The router. Steam Support lists four services to turn off for a test: stateful inspection, dynamic packet filtering, QoS and UPnP. It adds that Steam does not support a network DMZ.

If Steam still says something went wrong: what to send to Steam Support

The place where the real cause is written is the screen itself: the title, the text and the Error Code line. Steam also keeps a logs folder inside its installation folder. Valve does not document which file records a failed sign-in, so send a log only when Support asks for one.

1. Take a screenshot of the error with the code visible. Steam Support asks for exactly this.
2. Note the time, your network (home, VPN, campus) and whether the website signed you in.
3. Open https://help.steampowered.com in a browser and select Help, I can't sign in.
4. Pick the line that fits: a forgotten name or password, a stolen account, no Steam Guard code, or a deleted or lost Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator.
5. For a client that will not sign in while the website does, open Steam Support's page I can't sign in to the Steam Client. It has a form for a help request with attachments.
6. Attach the screenshot and describe what you tried, with the fix numbers of this guide if you like.

• When it is the account, not the PC: e43 (disabled) or e73 (locked down) on every device. Valve describes the lock as likely due to a hijacking and pending ownership verification. Use My Steam Account was stolen and I need help recovering it.
• When it is the provider: it fails on the home network at certain hours and works on mobile data. Steam Support lists providers that were found to block Steam traffic and tells you to contact the provider.
• When it is the clock: Valve's result list has an entry for time that is "out of range or tolerance". Set the PC clock to automatic: How to fix the date and time in Windows
• When the connection itself is unstable: other sites fail too. Reset the network stack once, then test again: Reset the network and flush DNS
• When another program interferes: Steam Support names VPN clients, download managers, peer-to-peer programs and IP filters. Start Windows without them once: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

You can keep playing while you wait. On the Connection Problem screen the client offers Enter Offline Mode. Steam Support notes its limits: most games need one start while connected before they work offline, and games that need a live connection or their own launcher do not work at all.

How to avoid the Steam sign-in error next time

Most of this list comes from one fact: the sign-in is a conversation between your device and Valve's servers, and the general error appears when that conversation breaks at any point. Fewer sign-ins, a stable address and a second way to confirm leave fewer places for it to break.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in. Please try again later." mean on Steam?

It means the sign-in failed for a reason the form has no special text for. In Steam's sign-in code this sentence is the default description: a wrong password, too many retries, a lost connection and an expired request each have their own message, and every other result gets this one. The actual reason is the code printed under it, the letter e and a result number from Steam's servers. Most of the time the cause is temporary and on Steam's side, which is why the text asks you to try again later.

What do the Steam error codes e84 and e87 mean?

Both say that Steam is slowing you down on purpose. Valve's developer documentation describes result 84 as a temporary rate limit and result 87 as a failed login that is throttled as a response to a possible attacker. In today's sign-in form e84 has its own screen, Too Many Retries, which speaks of too many sign-in failures from your location in a short time. The cure for both is the same: stop trying, wait and then sign in once. If you share a network address through a VPN, switch it off first.

How long do I have to wait after too many sign-in attempts on Steam?

Valve does not publish a length. The form only says "Please wait and try again later", and Steam Support's page for people who cannot sign in to the client says you may need to wait a few hours. Our own suggestion, not Valve's: start with 15 minutes to an hour, and give it several hours if you retried many times. Every new attempt during the limit is another failure from your location, so one patient attempt is worth more than ten fast ones. Steam counts by location, so a different network, such as a phone hotspot, should not be under the same limit.

Is Steam down, or is it my PC?

The browser test answers that in three minutes. Open store.steampowered.com/login in a browser and sign in once. If the website shows the same error, or does not load, the cause is Steam's servers, your network address or the account, and nothing on the PC will change it. If the website signs you in, Steam is up and your account is fine, so the client on the PC is at fault. Steam Support also points to its stats page: when Steam's own sites time out, it is very likely a system-wide problem.

Why does the Steam app on my phone or my Steam Deck show the same message?

Because the sign-in happens on Valve's servers, whatever device asks. This guide was written for the Steam client on Windows, and we read the website's sign-in code, not the mobile app's. What carries over is everything on the server side: wait when Steam is down, stop retrying when a limit is active, and switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data to test another network address. The steps for Task Manager, the Steam folder and Windows Security apply to Windows only.

What does "Oops! Something went wrong. Please log in using the Steam web version" mean?

That is a different message from the one on this page, and we did not find its text in the sign-in code of the Steam website that we read on 14 October 2026. Users on the Steam forums report it from the Steam app, with a Login button under it. We could not confirm from Valve what triggers it. What it asks for is the same as Fix 2 here: open store.steampowered.com in a browser and sign in there. If the website works, the app or the client on that device is at fault.

Will resetting my Steam password fix the sign-in error?

Sometimes, according to user reports, but it is not a first step. In forum threads from October 2022 some people got past code e84 after a password reset. Valve has never confirmed that, and the error is not about a wrong password in the first place. A reset through the help site also has a cost: Steam blocks trading and the Community Market for 5 days afterwards, and for 30 days on an account that was inactive for more than two months. Try waiting, the browser test and another network before you reset anything.

Can a VPN cause "Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in"?

Yes, in two ways. Steam Support lists VPN software among the programs that can prevent the client from accessing the Steam network at all. And Steam counts sign-in failures by location, so an address shared by many VPN users can reach the limit without any mistake of yours. Disconnect the VPN, exit its app and sign in once on your normal connection. If you need the VPN for other things, connect it after Steam has signed in and check whether Steam stays online.

Will I lose my games if I reinstall Steam to fix this?

Not if you do it the way Steam Support describes. Run the Steam installer into the folder where Steam already is: Valve says this preserves all installed games. For the deeper repair, delete the contents of the Steam folder except the steamapps folder, the userdata folder and steam.exe. What you must not do is uninstall Steam through Windows. Steam Support warns that this deletes all game and userdata content. Your purchases are tied to the account either way, but a full download of a large library takes time.

Does this error mean that my Steam account was hacked?

Not by itself. The message is a general failure and usually comes from Steam's servers or your network. Two things would point at the account: the code e73, which Valve describes as an account locked down, likely due to a hijacking, and e-mails from Steam about sign-ins or changes you did not make. In that case do not keep trying to sign in. Open help.steampowered.com, select Help, I can't sign in and then the line about a stolen account. Steam Support handles recovery only through that site.