Steam is a popular video game digital distribution platform that makes it easier for subscribers to get their favorite games straight to their computers. It’s a faster way to get games compared to going to a physical store and getting a copy of the game. Although this is quite a solid platform there are instances when certain issues can occur which we will be addressing today. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Steam service errors when installing Steam service issue.
Here’s what to do when you get service errors when installing Steam services
Before performing the recommended troubleshooting steps for this particular problem I suggest that you try restarting your computer first. This will refresh the operating system as well as remove corrupt temporary data and is quite effective in fixing most software related issues.
There are several factors that can cause this particular problem ranging from the service not starting automatically to an outdated display driver. The exact error message you will get for this problem is “The Steam service component is not working properly on this computer. Reinstalling the Steam service requires administrator privileges.” Listed below are the recommended troubleshooting steps you need to do to fix this problem.
Run Steam as an administrator
The first thing you will need to do when experiencing this problem is to try to run Steam as an administrator. This will give it a higher level of permission to access certain files which it normally could not.
- Find the Steam shortcut or executable on your computer and open its properties by right-clicking it and choose Properties from the pop up context menu.
- Navigate to the Compatibility tab in the Properties window and check the box next to the Run this program as an Administrator option before saving the changes by clicking OK or Apply.
- Make sure you confirm any dialogs which may appear
- Open Steam by double-clicking its icon and try relaunching the game.
Check if the Steam service errors when installing Steam service issue still occurs.
Set the Steam Service to start automatically
One of the common causes of this problem is when the Steam service does not start automatically, which is why you should check this setting and correct it if necessary.
- Open the Run dialog box by tapping the Windows Key + R key combination on your keyboard.
- Type “services.msc” in the Run box without the quotation marks and click OK in order to open Services.
- Locate the Steam Client Service in the services list, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu which will appear.
- If the service is started, you should stop it by clicking the Stop button in the middle of the window. If it has already been stopped, leave it as it is (for now).
- Make sure that the option under the Startup type menu in the Steam Client Service’s properties is Set to Automatic before you proceed with the instructions. Confirm any dialogue boxes which may appear when you set the startup type. Click on the Start button at the middle of the window before exiting.
If an error occurs when you click on start “Windows could not start the Steam Client Service on Local Computer. Error 1079: The account specified for this service differs from the account specified for other services running in the same process” then you should proceed with the following steps.
- Open the Run dialog box by tapping the Windows Key + R key combination on your keyboard.
- Type “services.msc” in the Run box without the quotation marks and click OK in order to open Services.
- Locate the Cryptographic Service’s properties. Navigate to the Log On tab and click on the Browse… button.
- Under the “Enter the object name to select” box, type in your account’s name, click on the Check Names and wait for the name to become recognized.
- Click OK when you are finished and type in the password in the Password box when you are prompted with it, if you have setup a password.
Check if the Steam service error still occurs.
Repair the Steam Client
In case the above steps fails to fix the problem then you should proceed with repairing the Steam client.
- Use the Windows Logo Key + R key combination in order to bring up the Run dialog box. Type in “cmd” in the dialog box which appears and use the Ctrl + Shift + Enter key combination in order to run Command Prompt with admin privileges.
- Find out the root folder of your Steam installation which will be necessary to run the command. You can find the full path by right-clicking its shortcut on the Desktop and choosing the Open file location option from the context menu.
- Click the address bar at the top of the folder which should display the path. You can use the Ctrl + C combination to copy it to the Clipboard. The default path should be “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe”. Make sure you replace it with your own path when running the command:
- Type “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe” /repair then press the Enter key.
- Restart Steam.
Check if the Steam service component error still occurs.