Steam crashes on Startup

[Thermington]

Steam has not been working on my computer, every time I even click the icon it starts for a split second and crashes with an error message saying "Steam has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvienienve." Sometimes I don't even get the error message. I didn't do anything to the client before these errors started (installing a game, or deleting a game), it just stated happening one day when I started my computer. I did try using the steam support page and google searching this problem for hours, and I have tried cleanly reinstalling Steam (but the step about regedit did not work because I have a 32 bit OS).

Edit, Problem Solved: See my last post (p.3).

I'm having almost the same issue only steam isn't even giving an error message. Otherwise it appears to be the same. Fresh install of steam does nothing.

[AciD]

Follow this article to cleanly reinstall Steam.

Also make sure you got all service packs and updates for Windows installed.
Also make sure that you got newest C++ redistributable installed and .Net framework.

My .net framework is up to date. Having trouble figuring out if my C++ redistributable is the latest version. However, I think it is.

Here's the annoying bit. Following the Cleanly Reinstalling Steam article I ran into an issue. Step 8. I try to open regedit and windows obviously does something. What visibly happens is that the taskbar disappears and all the icons on the desktop despawn. Then the taskbar and icons come back, but Regedit never opens. I get no error messages either.

*sigh*
I wish I knew wtf was going on.

[Thermington]

Originally Posted by Not the Face!

My .net framework is up to date. Having trouble figuring out if my C++ redistributable is the latest version. However, I think it is.

Here's the annoying bit. Following the Cleanly Reinstalling Steam article I ran into an issue. Step 8. I try to open regedit and windows obviously does something. What visibly happens is that the taskbar disappears and all the icons on the desktop despawn. Then the taskbar and icons come back, but Regedit never opens. I get no error messages either.

*sigh*
I wish I knew wtf was going on.

Yea, Same Here. I did get a Steam Email with a suggestion saying how to fix it, but it didn't work, it might work for you guys.

Please exit Steam, then go to the C:\Program Files\Steam directory (this is the default with a Steam installation - if you set a different installation directory, you will need to browse to it), and delete all of the files except for:
Steam.exe
And the folder:
\SteamApps\
Restart your computer and test the issue.

[AciD]

Maybe you should try using System Restore?

Sadly System Restore was off.

I get the nasty feeling I'm fast approaching a format and reinstall of windows...

i have the same problem. just letting you know we're all in the same boat.

[shino-boy]

I'm having this exact same problem. I've been running Steam regularly to play TF2 and/or the Source SDK just about every day.

This past night Saturday I fired up Steam, played TF2 and worked on my Source mod.
Sunday morning I tried to launch Steam and the login window was immediately covered by the XP error message, saying "Steam has to close...". It's printing this weird error to steam.txt:

CsComm Session May-03-2009 16:44:45.407 [2892] ReconnectThread (2892) Starting

DebugAssert, Name: ?, Line: 2995, Expr: m_uNextIncompleteSendOrReceiveWSABUFIdx <= m_uCurrentOrFinalPreparedWSABUFIdx, File: u:\p4clients\rel_beta\Projects\Common\Network\WinS ockHelperFunctions.h

I changed nothing between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

-tried removing the clientRegistry.blob file
-tried reinstalling Steam

Nothing helped.

[shino-boy]

Well. I checked my System Restore and noticed that XP logged a restore point on May 2. That was weird, since I didn't install anything on that day and Automatic Updates was turned off. I rolled back my system to that point and Steam started up and ran like normal.

[Thermington]

Originally Posted by shino-boy

Well. I checked my System Restore and noticed that XP logged a restore point on May 2. That was weird, since I didn't install anything on that day and Automatic Updates was turned off. I rolled back my system to that point and Steam started up and ran like normal.

How do you roll back your system?

[AciD]

Originally Posted by Thermington

How do you roll back your system?

Start Menu>Programs>Accessories>System Tools

[Thermington]

Originally Posted by AciD

Start Menu>Programs>Accessories>System Tools

My system doenst have a restore point before this started happening, its only showing today's date as a possibe restore point, so I tried it ad it didnt work.

[shino-boy]

In your Steam directory is a file called steam.txt, it's a log that Steam prints to as it starts up and connects. Any errors in there?

[Thermington]

Originally Posted by shino-boy

In your Steam directory is a file called steam.txt, it's a log that Steam prints to as it starts up and connects. Any errors in there?

yea, steam.log. it says this a few times:
CsComm Session May-06-2009 00:02:14.871 [2408] ReconnectThread (2408) Starting

DebugAssert, Name: ?, Line: 2995, Expr: m_uNextIncompleteSendOrReceiveWSABUFIdx <= m_uCurrentOrFinalPreparedWSABUFIdx, File: u:\p4clients\rel_beta\Projects\Common\Network\WinS ockHelperFunctions.h