Steam is a well-known video game platform, used on a daily basis by many of the users. However, if you are stuck with the failed to load steamui.dll error, then you can proceed to this article further. This article is written, after long research on the Steam error. So, check it out till the end to get every detail for which you might be searching.
“Steamui.dll” or, SteamUI dynamic link library is the official file, programmed by the Valve Corporation. It enhances the functionality of the programs and services, which are required to play a video game. Anyhow if this file gets vanished or is corrupted, then this will lead to such an error code window. It usually happens while you are trying to launch a game application on the Steam client. If this is the situation that you are in, then left worrying and proceed with the methods given below.
Probable Reasons for the Failed To Load Steamui.dll Error:
Below is the list of factors that are possibly the culprits and responds in such an error. If you are interested to know, then check these out.
- A virus attack
- Steam present version
- Corrupt or missing libswscale-3.dll and Steamui.dll files
- Another Program conflict issue
No matter whatever be the reason results in the failed to load Steamui.dll error, there must be a solution to this. Here, in this below section, we are trying to let you know such methods which are identified by the experts to solve the error. So, check them out for the learning purpose at first, and then proceed to try them one by one.
Methods to Solve Steam Failed To Load Steamui.dll Error:
Now, finally, you have scrolled down to the most important section, that is “how to solve Steamui.dll” error. These below are the pre-checked methods, by the application of which many of the users were able to fix the problem efficiently. So, let’s begin.
Run a Virus Scan
Firstly, scan your computer using an antivirus tool to ensure the absence of viruses on your computer. By doing this, many of the users get an effective result in solving the failed to load Steamui.dll error. You can utilize the Windows Defender, the default tool to perform a full scan. The steps which you need to follow for this purpose are listed below. After scanning the computer for viruses, check if the error gets resolved or not. And if not, then you need to proceed with the core methods below.
- First, navigate the mouse pointer onto the Windows logo that is present at the extreme below the left-hand corner. Then, right-click on it.
- After that, among the options on the Menu window, select “Settings”.
- Then, from the available options under the Settings window, click on “Update & Security”.
- Next, select the “Windows Defender” option from the left-hand side panel.
- After that, click on the “Open Windows Defender Security Center” button, from the right-hand side panel of the window.
- Now, at the left-hand side panel of the next window, you will find a Shield symboled icon, click on it. Then, from the right-hand side of the window, select the “Advanced scan” link located below the “Scan now” button.
- After that, enable the “Full” option by activating the checkbox beside it.
- Next, click on the “Scan now” button.
These are the overall steps to start the full scan utilizing the Windows Defender security tool. When the scan is over, now try to launch the Steam application to check if the error gets resolved.
Method 1: Remove the Beta File
The first thing which you can try to solve the Steam failed to load Stemui.dll error is by deleting the Beta file from the Steam Package folder. The steps you need to follow to perform this method is quite simple and are mentioned below.
- First of all, point the mouse pointer on to the Steam shortcut from the desktop screen, and then right-click on it.
- After that, from the menu window, select the “Properties” option.
- Then, under the Shortcut tab of the Steam Properties window, highlight the path described beside the “Target:” option for further step to proceed with.
- Next, click on the “Open File Location” button, which you will get at the below left-hand corner of this Steam Properties window.
- Further, from the next window, locate the folder named as “Package”, click twice on it to open.
- After that, right-click on the “Beta” file, which is present under the “Package” folder. Then, select the “Delete” option from the menu window, this will get stored under the Trash folder.
- Next, restart your computer and after which launch the Steam application, to check if the error gets sorted.
Method 2: Reset libswscale-3.dll and Steamui.dll File
This is another effective trick to solve this error. However, the steps which you need to perform to try this method are explained below.
At first, you need to launch the Steam Properties window. And to do this, right-click on the Steam short-cut which is displayed on the Windows screen. Then, among the options under the menu window, select “Properties”. That is the overall process to get the Steam Properties window open. Now, follow the further steps to solve this error.
Click on the “Open File Location” button, after highlighting the Target section path as shown.
Then, from the next window, locate the files named libswscale-3.dll and SteamUI.dll.
After that, pressing down the Shift button, select both of the files (libswscale-3.dll and SteamUI.dll) from this window.
Next, press both the “Shift” and the “Del/ Delete” keys together, this will help you to remove the files from the computer without moving it into the Trash folder. Then you will get the confirmation window open, click on the “Yes” button.
Then, restart your computer, so that both the libswscale-3.dll and SteamUI.dll files get reset automatically. After that, try to launch the Steam client. Hopefully, this time you will not get stuck with the error.
Method 3: Re-register Steamui.dll
All the Dynamic Link Library or DLL files have to be pre-registered before any application invokes a call to it. Anyhow, if the files get unregistered, then this can lead to the failed to load Steamui.dll error. In this situation, the best way to solve the matter is to re-register the file manually. For this, the steps you need to follow to do this process is very simple and you will learn it from these below lines. So, let’s check.
- At first, press down the Windows button from the keyboard.
- Then, on the search bar which gets open, enter “cmd” without using the quotation as shown here. The use of the quotation here is to make you differentiate the text which you need to type over the search bar.
- After that, from the search result, navigate to the cmd or Command Prompt option and then right-click on it.
- Further, from the Menu window, select the “Run as administrator” option. This will open the UAC window, click on the “Yes” button to continue. These are the overall steps which will open the Administrator: Command Prompt window on the screen.
- Now, on the Administrator: Command Prompt, enter the command as written below. After that, press the Enter button to execute it.
- CD C: Program Files (x86)Steam
- The above command is to alter to the directory to Steam folder directory on Command Prompt.
- Further, on the same Administrator: Command Prompt enter “regsvr32 steamui.dll”, without giving quotations. Then, click on the Enter button.
These are the overall procedure to re-register the Steallui.dll file. After performing this method, check if the error gets resolved or not. Hopefully, your answer to this is Yes. However, if not, then try further methods without getting upset.
Method 4: Delete or Remove Bin and Package Folders
Many users who get failed to load Steamui.dll error message was able to fix the issue by deleting or removing the Bin and Package folders from their location. Furthermore, the steps you need to follow for doing this method are described below.
Stop the Steam Application
First of all, ensure that the Steam client is not running. For that, press down both the Windows and the letter R key at a time at first, to get the Run bar open. After that, on the Run bar, type “taskmgr.exe” and click on the OK button to open the Task Manager window. Further, click on the “Show processes from users” button which is at the bottom left-hand corner of the window.
Next, under the Task Manager window, check if you found any entries related to the Steam application. If you get any, then you need to close that. Moreover, the process to stop the Steam running application on the Task Manager is described below. But you need to follow these steps individually for the Steam entries on the Task Manager window.
At first, select the Steam application-related entry and click on the “End Process” button. You will get this button at the bottom right-hand side corner of the Task Manager window.
Navigate to the Steam Location to Delete/ Remove Bin and Package Folders
Once you have closed the Steam application completely, follow the further steps.
- Open the Search bar by pressing down the Windows button. Then, on the search bar, type “steam”. Next, from the search result, take the mouse pointer onto the Steam application and then right-click on it.
- After that, from the Menu window, select the “Open file location” option.
- Now, from the open window, you need to search for the folders named as Bin and Package. Once you locate the folders, you can either delete them or remove them to a different location on your computer. As you removed these (Bin and Package) folders under the Steam section, restart your computer. Now, check if you are able to open the Steam client or not.
Method 5: Copy the Steamui.dll File from Another PC
If after trying all these above methods, still you are stuck with the error message while trying to play a game using the Steam client, then you can try this method. To do this method, you need to have another computer whose Windows version is similar to the version of Windows loaded on the error message generated device. So, check these below lines to get the overall steps by which you can perform this method.
Know your OS Name and System Type to Match with Another Computer
First of all, you need to check your Windows system type, to relate to the working Steam application device. Here’s how you can perform it.
- Press down the Windows button to activate the Search bar.
- After that, on the search bar, type “system information”. Please do not use the quotation on the search bar, as it is here. The quotation is given here to help you to identify the total text that you need to type.
- Then, from the search result, click on “System Information”, the top-most option.
- Now, from this next open window, you can collect the information of the Windows version (OS Name and System Type), which is installed on your device. Then, get the same configuration device, to perform the further steps to fix this error.
Navigate to the Steamui.dll File Location on the Steam Application Working Computer
Secondly, you need to navigate to the “Steamui.dll” file from the other device in which the Steam application works errorlessly. Then, copy it (Steamui.dll file), to load into a USB device with the help of which you can transfer the file to the error-generated computer.
Here’s how to navigate to the “Steamui.dll” file on the Steam running computer.
Press the Windows and the letter E key both at a time to open the File Explorer window at first.
After that, on the search bar of the File Explorer window, type “C:\Windows\System32” and then press the Enter button. If it brings no result, then type “C:\Windows\SysWOW64” on the search bar and press the Enter button.
Copy Steamui.dll file from the Steam Application Runs Computer>> Paste Steamui.dll file to the Error Generating Computer
Once you locate the Steamui.dll file on the open window, copy it. For that, you need to select the file first. After that, press down the Ctrl and the letter C key both at a time. As you have copied the file from the Steam application OK computer, paste the file to a USB device, so that you can transfer it to the Steam application problem device. Once you have pasted (Ctrl+V) the “Steamui.dll” file to the proper location of the error-generated device, restart your computer. Next, try to launch the Steam application to check if the problem gets sorted.
Method 6: Flush Steam Configuration
This is another trick which you can try to solve the failed to load Steamui.dll” error. So, check out the steps below to begin this method.
- Press both the Windows and the letter R key at a time. (Win+R= Run bar)
- Then, on the Run bar, enter the text as given below.
- steam://flushconfig
- Then click on OK or hit the Enter button. This will pop up the “Steam- Clear Download Cache” window with a message written on it.
“This will clear your local download cache and you will need to login to Steam again.
Do you wish to continue?”
- Click on the OK button to continue.
- Once the process gets completed, restart your PC. Then try to launch the Steam application to check if this method works in solving the glitch.
Method 7: Uninstall and Reinstall Steam
If the case is that the Steam application is corrupted or damaged and it couldn’t be repaired by any means, then this can pop up the error message while you are trying to open it. If this is the case, then try the steps listed below.
Uninstall Steam Client
Follow these below instructions to uninstall the Steam client.
- At first, open the Search bar by tapping down the Windows button.
- Next, on the Search bar, type “control”.
- After that, click on the Control Panel option from the search result.
- Now, check the top right-hand side portion of the Control Panel window, that is the “View by” section is it set as Category or not. If not, then drop-down menu for “View by” and then select Category from the available options.
- Next, from the Control Panel window, select Programs> Programs and Features. This will open up all the installed programs listed on the screen.
- Further, from the installed programs list, search for the Steam client and then right-click on it.
- After that, click on Uninstall option.
- From the next window, again click on the Uninstall button to confirm.
- Once the Steam client successfully gets uninstalled, restart your computer.
Download and Reinstall Steam
Launch a browser on your computer and with the help of it, navigate to the Steam download page.
After that, from the Steam download page, get the latest Steam version which is compatible with your system requirements. Then, download it. Remember, during the downloading process, no problem should arise.
Once the Steam client gets downloaded on your computer, navigate to its location. Then, click on the Steam setup file under the downloaded folder and follow the onscreen instructions to install the Steam client successfully.
After reinstalling the Steam client, now check if the problem gets resolved.
Conditional Methods to Solve the Failed To Load Steamui.dll Error:
Below are the methods that are even effective to solve the matter causing the failure to load Steamui.dll error. But these methods are applicable depending upon the conditions when you first get the error message while opening the Steam application.
Condition 1: After Installing a New Application on your PC
If you first visit the error message after you install a new application on your computer, then probably the case is because of the conflict issue. If this is the case, then you need to uninstall the recently installed application from your computer to get the problem solved. The steps which you need to follow to uninstall an application are stated below.
- At first, open the Search bar by tapping down the Windows button once.
- On the search bar type “control”, without quotation.
- Then from the search result, click on the “Control Panel” option.
- Next, check the “View by” portion of the Control Panel window is it set as Category or not. If not, then you need to drop-down menu for “View by” and then select “Category”, among the available options.
- After that, from the Control Panel window, click on Programs> Programs and Features. Now, you will get a window on the screen which contains all the installed programs list on your PC.
- Then, from this installed programs list, navigate to the recently installed application which is the culprit behind the error. Then right-click on the application and select Uninstall> Uninstall to confirm. Once you have successfully uninstalled the application, restart your computer.
- Now, launch the Steam application to check if the error gets resolved.
Condition 2: When the Internet Connection is Slow
Sometimes due to a slow internet status, the Steam application fails to load and pop-up failed to load Streamui.dll error message. If this is the case, then you can contact your ISP regarding the matter. But before that, you can try these steps which may be helpful to solve the error.
- Close all the programs which are running on your computer.
- After that, Shut down your PC.
- Next, stop the Power supply for both the network device and the computer.
- Then, detach all the removable cables which are related to the network device that you are using for the internet purpose. During the removal of the cables, remember its ports for further steps.
- Next, wait for a few seconds. After that, rejoin all the cables to their appropriate locations.
- Now, activate the Power supply for both the devices (Computer and network device).
- After that, turn on your PC and then connect it to the internet.
- Then, try to launch the Steam client to check if the issue gets resolved.
All these above are effective workarounds to solve the failed to load Steamui.dll error. Hopefully, like the other users, you will also get a positive result in solving the error by applying the above-said methods of this article. However, if there is any doubt left in your mind regarding the error, then you can share it with us by writing it in the comment section given below.