Users of many devices do not like technical support. Mainly because, instead of answering the question, we are often transferred from section to section or from one specialist to another. But sometimes it happens that you still need to go there. For example, if purchased games disappeared on Steam, or the money was withdrawn from the account on its own. In such cases, it is simply necessary to write to support.
Steam support work
Let's look at this section on Steam in detail.
Thus, it is not always necessary to contact technical support. It is worth understanding that there are millions of users on Steam. Due to this, the response to your request may take much longer than if you simply tried to look for a solution to the problem in the sections. The service is constantly being improved and automated, it is quite possible that you will find either detailed instructions to fix problems, or an automatic method. In a word - take your time.
If you still need to write
However, there will always be problems that require you to write an email to Steam Support.
- Material losses. Money is withdrawn from your account or an account linked to it. Purchased games have disappeared from the library and are not being returned there. An error occurred while trading with players and your inventory is empty.
- Account problems. Even if you change your password or take other actions, you cannot regain access to your account or the content on it.
Let's figure out what questions a player may have when contacting the service, and how the writing process goes.
- From the list of problems in the technical support window, select the one that worries us.
- We go through clarifying questions or sections until we find the “Contact support” or “Write a letter” button.
- Then we will be transferred to a window where we will be asked to log into a technical support account or create one. This account is different from the standard one, so you will have to create one if you have never registered with support. Everything is done quickly and easily: enter your name, password, e-mail and captcha. Then we confirm the data via mailbox.
- After authorization, a form for sending a letter appears. We select the category of our question, then a subcategory, all this is set when answering additional questions.
- In the “Subject” field we briefly describe the reason for the request. In the “Your question” field we describe in full what is wrong with your account. You can also attach files, for example, screenshots, which will display Steam errors. We type the text in Russian - support services are also available in Russia.
- Click the “Submit” button.
As you can see, contacting Steam support is quite simple. All that remains is to wait for the answer. It usually arrives within a few hours.
What is Steam. What you need to know before buying the game.
An Internet connection is required to operate the Steam environment - to install it, register your copy of the game in it, and update it. The update is required - without it the game will not start. For all games except Counter Strike: Source, its size is negligible. The size of updates for Counter Strike: Source is this moment is about 130 Mb. If the size downloaded from the Internet is much larger than this figure, install the game from disk.
Steam is a system for delivering content to a user's computer via the Internet, created by Valve Software. Subscribers of this online service can download games from the Half-Life series, the entire line of the popular online shooter Counter-Strike and many others to their computer, as well as timely downloads Latest updates and modifications.
Steam provides:
- free access to already purchased and activated games, as well as demo versions and free games such as Codename Gordon,
- free updates for games immediately after their release,
- news about upcoming game updates, new releases and other important events,
- the ability to search for servers that interest you with certain games, settings, rules, etc. using appropriate filters,
- the ability to download game modifications for free, as well as write them yourself using the Source SDK, also distributed free of charge via Steam, etc.
The key, pasted into the disc box, is proof of purchase of the game for Steam. Be sure to check directly in the store for the availability of the key!
You can download the Steam client from here - http://steampowered.com/download/SteamInstall.msi. Those who buy the game disc do not need to download anything. The client installation file is located on the game disc.
All games from Valve, including collections published by Buka:
Audiosurf()
Counter-Strike: Source()
Half-Life 1 Anthology ()
Counter-Strike 1 Anthology ()
Half-Life 2 New Year's Edition ()
Half-Life 2. Best game of the year. Collector's Edition ()
Half-Life 2: Episode One ()
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box ()
Half-Life 2: Episode Two()
Portal()
Portal 2 ()
Team Fortress 2 ()
Saints Row 2 ()
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II ()
R.U.S.E. ()
Darksiders()
Red Faction: Armageddon ()
Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War II® - Retribution™ ()
Sniper Elite V2 ( )%0A
Warhammer%C2%AE%2040,000%C2%AE:%20%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%86%D0%B8%D0 %BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5%20%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%20 (%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%20Warhammer%C2%AE%2040,000%C2%AE:%20Dawn%20of%20War%20II%C2 %AE,Warhammer%C2%AE%2040,000%C2%AE:%20Dawn%20of%20War%20II%C2%AE%20-%20Chaos%20Rising%E2%84%A2%20%D0%B8%20Warhammer %C2%AE%2040,000%C2%AE:%20Dawn%20of%20War%20II%C2%AE%20-%20Retribution%E2%84%A2%20( http://site/cgi-bin/show.pl?id=539)
require activation via Steam. Without Steam, these games are not distributed and do not work. This is Valve's policy, which the company strictly adheres to.
Make sure Steam will work on your computer before purchasing. Through a regular dial-up connection (i.e. via modem), Steam works without problems, but you may have to spend a lot of time downloading updates. In addition, it is useless to try to play online via a modem - the network latency will be too high.
Also, connecting via ADSL and a dedicated line with a dedicated external IP address should not cause problems. Connection via GPRS modem, via wireless network or using shared access or proxies (which is typical for corporate networks, i.e. "from work") may cause errors.
Steam usually works fine over a VPN, but steampowered.com warns that a VPN is not suitable for Steam.
We noticed some problems with displaying the list of servers, but that’s probably all. In any case, it is very easy to check whether Steam will work for you (http://steampowered.com/download/SteamInstall.msi) - - download the Steam client (1.6 Mb). If you can install it, run it and register, you're good to go. You can play one of free games or demo versions.
How to start playing.
2. Insert a disc. The Steam installation will start. If the installation does not start, open “My Computer”, then find the drive in which the game disc is installed, click on it right click and click "Autorun".
3. Click next, next, next until Steam is installed. Along the way, you can choose a location for installation (Games will be installed in the same place where steam itself is installed), etc. To agree to the license agreement, you need to scroll to the end, then the “I agree...” checkbox will become active.
4. After installation, Steam will either launch itself or you will launch it. It will update its files for a while. If the update hangs for a long time, it is better to contact your network administrator or Internet provider, because this is specifically related to your connection (see point 1).
5. After the update, Steam will launch and prompt you to either create an account (account) or use an existing one. Answer the questions of the account creation wizard, everything is extremely simple. Attention - you need to come up with a “password” yourself, and the key pasted on the box of your disc has nothing to do with it. You will need it next. It is strongly recommended that you provide the correct answer to your security question because if you forget your password, you will not be able to recover your password and play the games you purchased without remembering the answer to your security question.
6. Then log into the Steam system using your account (enter your username and password).
7. Run Autorun disk again, click Install again.
8. Steam will prompt you to enter the key. The key is written on a piece of paper pasted into the box. A disc must be inserted during key activation. When the key is activated, all games associated with it will appear in the "my games" list on Steam.
9. Wait until the installation is complete and do not disconnect your computer from the Internet, otherwise steam will try to download the entire game.
10. To start the game, you need to update it to 100%. This will take some time, especially if you have a slow connection. For more details, see the relevant section of this FAQ.
Insert the disc, click install from autorun of the disc, wait for the installation to complete, wait for the update to complete.
The following may also help:
1. Log in to Steam using your account and delete the game files that you downloaded from the Internet (right-click on the game name in the “Library” tab and select “Delete Content”).
2. Insert the first installation disk into the drive.
3. Close Steam (Steam > Exit).
4. Click Windows keys+ R to bring up the Start window
5. In the window, enter the line:
for 32-bit systems:
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -install E:
for 64-bit systems:
"C:\Program Files (86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -install E:
Replace E: with the letter of your DVD drive
Replace the path C:\Program Files\Steam with another one if you installed Steam in a different folder.
6.Click OK. Steam will launch and immediately begin installing from the disc.
Disconnecting Steam from the Internet or switching it to offline mode can also help.
Try using the "Activate via Steam" button in the "Games" menu
Accounts (accounts) and Steam keys. Restoring account information.
To run the Steam client, you need to create an account. Steam identifies you by this as a user and owner of a licensed copy of the game. If you don't have an account, you will be prompted to create one. Your account information, along with all the keys you have activated for it, lies on the Valve server - so you cannot damage it or destroy it in any way.
When registering, be careful and write down all the information somewhere - login, password, e-mail and the answer to the security question. Once you enter the key, it will be permanently associated with that account. After this, you no longer need the key - it is already activated. You only need to remember the login and password for your account.
No, just the first time. Once you enter the key, it will be associated with your current Steam account. Theoretically, you don't even need a disk, because... if you have a fast and cheap Internet, you can download the Steam client (http://steampowered.com/download/SteamInstall.msi) and then download games through it, logging into Steam under the account for which you entered the key.
Attention- the key can be activated only for one account and only once! In addition, carefully check whether you entered the key correctly - if you enter it incorrectly, sometimes you will also receive the same error. Please note that some numbers and letters, such as 0 and O, are similar and can be easily confused.
If this is not your case, then you must contact Valve within 90 days to reset the key. To do this you will need a photo of the key and receipt. Read how to write to Valve support here:
http://supportwiki.steampowered.com/ru/Contacting_VALVe_Billing_and_Support
Unfortunately, we cannot do this procedure, because... We do not have the right to take personal data from you (login, password), and we also do not have access to the database of accounts and keys
Unfortunately, almost all discs with Valve games in Ukraine are defective. Therefore, we can recommend returning the disc back to the store.
The game can also be purchased in Russia or directly through Steam from Valve at www.steampowered.com
As you know, our versions of Valve games are not intended for sale outside the CIS. Steam operates a regional control system that will not allow you to launch a game registered with our key outside of Russia and the CIS.
Steam has a mechanism called Regional Protection, which prevents the activation of our Russian games outside our country. This is necessary to make it impossible to use our cheap games abroad.
Sometimes, when the provider changes IP address ranges to former foreign ones, Steam may mistake you for a resident of the country to which they belonged. If this happens, you will see a message in the "My Games" menu stating that the games are not installed, and when you try to launch, an error window will appear:
"This game was redeemed using a product code that is only valid for a specific geographic region."
IN in this case you need to send the following information:
- Your Steam login.
- The name of the collection with which there were problems.
- Your IP address as shown on http://www.whatismyip.com.
- The country and city in which you live, the name and website of your provider.
- A screenshot of the error (click PrintScreen, open any image editor, for example, Paint: Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Paint; click “paste”, save in jpg/jpeg format) or its exact text.
Updates and play without the Internet. Backups.
No way. The game will not start until it is updated. Wait for the update to complete. Also check what language is displayed in the game properties, on the Language tab.
This means that from the moment the disc was printed, updates for the game were released. Connect to the internet and wait for the game to update completely. This procedure is mandatory; in order to launch the game, its status on Steam must be “100% - Ready”.
To install games from Valve, you need an Internet connection (see above). In the future, you can play without a connection.
In the "file" menu, click on the "Go to offline mode..." button, Steam will ask whether to go to offline mode, click "Restart in offline mode", then disconnect your internet connection.
Most likely, the last time the game ended incorrectly. Steam now checks the integrity of the cache before launching the game. To do this, it requires a connection. Connect to the Internet, restart Steam, find in the list the game you want, open its properties and check the integrity of the cache. Or just launch the game - Steam will check automatically. After this, you can launch Steam offline and play again.
Can. To do this you need to use the function " backup" V context menu(right click) of any Steam application. Backups are executable files To restore from them, you just need to launch them (Steam must be turned off). The files turn out to be quite large, because... the entire contents of the game are copied, but Steam can cut them into pieces corresponding to a CD (670 MB) and a single-layer DVD (4.7 GB)
Each game has its own set of updates that required for installation, game developers release updates to ensure that users get the best quality of the product. Popular online games receive updates more frequently. Moreover, the user himself pays for the Internet traffic spent on downloading the update. These are mandatory terms of use for Steam. Approximate number of updates in megabytes for the following games:
Team Fortress 2 - over 500 megabytes
Portal - 90 megabytes
Half-Life: Episode 2 - 30 megabytes
Counter-Strike: Source - 270 megabytes
It is possible to force installation from disk via steam:
In the shortcut properties, enter the value "-install" E:" (Separated by a space, without quotes. E:- the letter of your DVD-rom).
Example: D:\Games\steam.exe -install E:
First, expand the Steam client to full mode. To do this, click on the yellow arrow on the right top corner, below the window title. Now you can see the status of all updates as a percentage. To pause/resume updating a game or perform any other operations with it (delete, backup copy etc.), right-click on the game name and select the appropriate item in the context menu.
Connect to the Internet. Launch steam. Select the required game. Click on it with the right mouse button. Select properties, go to the local files tab. Check the integrity of the cache.
FAQ.
It’s possible that Steam is in your startup and was unable to connect to the server while the OS was loading due to a lack of Internet connection. Open Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL, go to the Processes tab and end the steam.exe process. Connect to the Internet and restart Steam.
To disable Steam launch at Windows startup, uncheck the corresponding box in Steam -> File -> Settings -> Interface
This technique helps many:
During the game, press Alt+Tab to switch to the desktop, then bring up the task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), right-click on the name running game, select "go to processes". For the selected process (for example, hl2.exe), set the minimum priority ("low" or "low").
You can also configure Steam to always run at low priority.
To do this, you need to turn off Steam, open the shortcut properties, ERASE everything written in the “object” field, and write there:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\cmd.exe /c start "Steam" /low "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\Steam.exe"
Of course, if you have Windows installed in a folder other than C:\WINDOWS, or Steam is not installed in C:\Program Files\Vlve\Steam\ you need to write the correct paths to Windows folder and the Steam folder.
Quite a lot - several megabytes per hour, depending on your settings. If you have paid traffic, keep this in mind.
You need to launch the game with the -console parameter. Launch parameters are set in the game properties in Steam client. Another way: in the game, click “settings”, then “keyboard”, “advanced” and turn on “developer console”.
This can be done during game creation by checking the "Add computer opponents" option.
To change the number and behavior of bots during the game, use the console commands:
bot_add - add a bot to an arbitrary command
bot_add_t - add a terrorist bot
bot_add_ct - add a special forces bot
bot_difficulty 0 - bot difficulty level (from 0 to 3)
mp_limitteams 20 - limiting the difference in team sizes (0 - no restrictions, default 2)
mp_autoteambalance 0 - auto-balancing of teams (1 - enabled, 0 - disabled)
Launch Steam. Go to the "My Games" tab. Choose the game you are interested in.
Right-click on it - properties and go to the "Language" tab. Select a language from the list.
Most often, there is only Russian voice acting on the disk; another will have to be downloaded from the Internet (~300-700 MB).
In the folder \Steam\SteamApps\your login\counter-strike source\cstrike\maps
Try to diagnose the problem yourself using the instructions from steampowered.com
Check your connection
First of all, make sure your microphone is plugged into the correct port. Typically the color of the microphone plug and the desired port on the audio device is pink.Try changing ports. If you are using USB port on the front panel system unit, switch to one of those at the back. If you are using a USB hub, try bypassing the hub and see if there is any difference.
Update your drivers
Drivers for your microphone can be found on the headset manufacturer's website. You also need to update the drivers for your sound card.Select from menu Start(1) (on Windows Vista/7 by pressing ) item Run(2) and write the name of the program in the window that opens: dxdiag(3) -> Ok.
On the Sound tab you can find out sound card name(1) and driver release date (2).
Links to drivers for the most popular sound card manufacturers:
Creative: http://ru.europe.creative.com/support/downloads/
Realtek: http://www.realtek.com.tw/default.aspx
Microphone Configuration on Windows
- Click the button Start and then select Control Panel. In Control Panel, select Sounds and audio devices
- Click tab Speech
- In the Voice Recording section, make sure your sound card is selected as the default device
- Click Volume
- Check the microphone volume (the slider should be set at least mid-range).
- Use the hardware test feature to make sure the microphone is working correctly
Sound card software conflicts
Many audio driver packages include programs that are designed to make managing your audio systems easier. Sometimes these programs conflict with software built into Windows. For example, Creative Mix Console and RealTek HD Audio Manager programs. Typically, these applications are displayed in the tray (in the lower right corner, next to the clock).Check the settings in these programs, disable all unnecessary improvements
If you suspect that the problem is in the additional software, check on the website of your sound card manufacturer for the availability of a “clean” driver, without any additional software. Then you will need to uninstall the current audio device driver via Add/Remove Programs and install a new driver.
Checking your microphone settings in game
So, you've made sure that your microphone is properly connected and configured properly in Windows. The next thing to pay attention to is the microphone settings in the game. Below is an example configuration menu:You can also check the functionality by clicking "Test Microphone". If it's working, you'll hear your voice (and also an echo if you're not using headphones!)
If the microphone is not working, then the problem may be that the microphone switches when you start the game. To resolve this issue, please review the separate article and use the launch options provided there.
Applications such as CD recording programs can change the Wave-In source from the microphone to the CD player, so when a player tries to use their microphone in a game, it does not work.
For this reason, the Half-life engine tries to determine if the mixer settings are correct when started, but not all sound cards support these actions, especially for modern audio cards like Audigy 2ZS Pro.
To prevent the HL engine from trying to set the Mic Input itself, you need to set these console variables in your userconfig.cfg file or in the game launch parameters:
Add the following line to userconfig.cfg:
voice_forcemicrecord 0
or in the launch options for each of your games:
Voice_forcemicrecord 0
(one of them is enough)
This will prevent the engine from adjusting the mixer itself.
Just in case, check the presence of the following parameters:
- voice_enable "1"
- sv_voiceenable "1"
- voice_scale "0.75"
- voice_enable "1"
- voice_modenable "1"
- voice_dsound "1"
- voice_modenable "1"
Please note that the server settings may not allow the use of a microphone.
It is also necessary to update the codecs: http://li.ru/go?www.3dnews.ru/files/pub/soft/multimedia/codec/klcodec520m.exe
Conflicting Applications
Programs such as TeamSpeak, Skype, Ventrilo and others can sometimes interfere with the operation of microon. Try disabling these applications before launching Steam.We cannot guarantee that your microphone will work correctly if you use third party programs for sound control
Feedback/Echo
This type of interference often occurs when the speakers are turned on while the microphone is being used. We recommend that you use a headset with headphones. Some low-grade microphones are omnidirectional, meaning they will pick up sounds from all directions - including your speakers. Turn down your audio devices and see if your voice quality improves.
Low volume
Some microphones require amplification. This can be configured by checking the settings Windows microphone. Follow these steps:
- Click the button Start and then select Control Panel. In Control Panel, select Sounds and audio devices;
- Click tab Volume;
- Click the button additionally
- In the "General Volume" window that opens, top menu choose "options", Further "properties". Find the microphone (Mic Volume) in the list that opens and put a tick in front of it. Close the list window. Let's go back to "options" and choose "Extra options" . As a result, we have a microphone volume setting, as shown in picture No. 1
- Click on the button "setting" in the microphone column and check the box next to it microphone gain(picture no. 2)
Crackling/distortion
Most often, such interference is caused by a cable fault or poor connection.
Also make sure the microphone is not too close to your mouth. If it touches your face or lips when you use it, move it so that it is about an inch away from your mouth. If there is no visor on the microphone itself, try moving it further away.
Instructions from steampowered.com:
If the sound quality of your microphone is poor and crackling is heard, check and adjust the volume, sensitivity, speed setting of your Internet connection (responsible for how quickly data is sent from the server to the client and vice versa, and can affect the quality of the transmitted speech) and the cl_cmdrate parameter .
Users of 56K modems always experience quality problems voice communication.
The cl_cmdrate variable controls how often the client sends updated data to the server, including speech from the microphone.
The standard value for this parameter is 20. All values less than 13 negatively affect the quality of the game and, of course, speech. Values above 40 are suitable, for the most part, only when playing on a local network.
Adjust the volume and activate increased microphone sensitivity in the game settings menu, on the “Voice” tab.
Another way to improve sound quality is to set the cl_cmdrate parameter to the average FPS value (Frames per Second) that you observe in the game (cl_showfps 1 enables FPS display, cl_showfps 0 disables it. Do not leave this parameter enabled, as this may increase delays).
Unfortunately, most servers running AdminMod will change your speed and cl_cmdrate to balance the load. For this reason, it may happen that your microphone works fine for a while, and then the sound quality suddenly drops.
Most players have speeds set to 2500, but DSL/Cable connections can support 7500 or even 9999.
The speed value also affects how quickly maps and other resources will be downloaded, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to set the value corresponding to the real one. bandwidth your channel!
You can set the connection speed in two ways - via Steam settings, or through the game console.
While in Steam, go to the "File" menu, select "Settings", then go to the "Internet" tab and select the appropriate setting for your connection.
When choosing a speed, be guided not by what is the highest in the list, but by what your connection is actually capable of. Setting it too fast can lead to other problems.
Another way is to call the console and type "rate 7500" (for example). Knowing how to use the console is very important because it allows you to quickly and easily set up your microphone (bypassing the Steam menu).
To change cl_cmdrate you need to use the console.
Console: If you cannot open the console (the "~" key by default), add the line "-console" to the launch options of your game or mod.
Steam > My games > right click on game > Properties > Set launch options
Most servers set an upper limit of 5000 to 7500, no matter what speed you are listed with, and 9999 as maximum value(standard value, T1) for Internet connection (20000 is the maximum permissible value speed).
Test your channel: It also doesn't hurt to check the bandwidth of your connection to make sure that the actual speed is not lower than what was promised by the provider. To do this, visit http://speedtest.dslreports.com
Now check your microphone.
To get started, enter "voice_loopback 1" in the console so you can hear your voice.
When the test is complete, enter "voice_loopback 0".
Then, while you are talking to the microphone, enter:
- rate 2500
- rate 3500
- rate 4500 and so on up to 9999
Note: Some servers still use the "Miles" audio system. Although its sound quality is a bit raspy, unlike new system"Speex", however, problems often arise with Speex and the sound noticeably deteriorates when heavy load to the server subnet.
Test your microphone on several servers to make sure the problem is with your hardware and not the server.
Server Settings: Servers have quite a lot of settings, including for voice communication. Here short review some of them:
The codec that will be used by the client is determined by the server. Use the following command on your server to migrate to the new system:
sv_voicecodec voice_speex
Then these commands to switch between at different levels quality of the audio stream (also on the server):
- sv_voicequality 1: 2400 bps (bits per second), lowest quality
- sv_voicequality 2: 6000 bps
- sv_voicequality 3: 8000 bps
- sv_voicequality 4: 11200 bps
- sv_voicequality 5: 15200 bps, highest quality
sv_voicecodec voice_miles
This information, supplemented by more detailed information about the Speex codec and its optimization, was taken from this topic:
Here is an article from the archived mailing list dedicated to the Speex audio compression codec, which describes in detail how to enable this new and much improved method of speech compression in Half-life. It will soon completely replace the current audio compression. But until this happens, this codec is not the default compression method, but it is available to all Steam servers. In general, when the bandwidth allocated for speech is reduced to 6000 bps (quality level 2), the sound quality is better than with the current codec, while when using the high level compression (2400 bps), the quality is as low as that of the current compression, but different in its manifestation.
As a quick comparison, Speex consumes between 7.5% and 47.5% of the channel bandwidth of the current codec, and when using less than 25% of the channel share, speech quality is generally better than the current codec. This does consume more server CPU resources, but in most of my tests it is only 1-2%.
And one more note: 56K modems typically have a free channel width of approximately 20,000 bps for outgoing traffic and approximately 40,000 bps for incoming traffic, taking into account TCP/IP and PPP headers and everything else. Thus, this new codec is MUCH more tolerant of modem users.
Unfortunately, this codec is only available on Steam-compatible servers. Anyway, for those who don't want to read the newsletter, the basic information is below:
First, switch your server to Speex mode:
sv_voicecodec voice_speex
So, you have launched Speex mode. The next step is to select the channel resources allocated for Speex, which directly affects the quality of voice communication.
- sv_voicequality 1 = 2,400 bps, 7.5% of total bandwidth
- sv_voicequality 2 = 6,000 bps, 18.75% of total bandwidth
- sv_voicequality 3 = 8,000 bps, 25% of total bandwidth
- sv_voicequality 4 = 11,200 bps, 35% of total bandwidth Incorrect example: D:\Games\Steam
Correct example: D:\Games\Steam
4) Make sure that HDD, on which you installed Steam, uses file system NTFS.
Answer: Disable antiviruses, firewalls, and windows firewall.
Move Steam to a folder without Russian characters.
Incorrect example: D:\Games\Steam
Correct example: D:\Games\Steam
And wait until the game update finishes.
If you have Nod32 antivirus installed, install latest version, or delete it altogether.
Check the integrity of the cache.
Online game. Servers. Connection. Problems with Steam.
This error is related to your internet connection. First of all, make sure you are connected. Steam can work without a connection, but if this particular error occurs, it means a connection is needed. If you connected but the problem persists, see the next question. If you access the Internet via a dial-up modem, try reinstalling Steam in ANOTHER folder, without Russian characters.
Incorrect example: D:\Games\Steam
Correct example: D:\Games\Steam
1. Virus or Trojan. You need to check the system with an antivirus and some program to combat Trojans.
2. Firewall. If you have a firewall, you need to teach it to let Steam through. ZoneAlarm does not work correctly with Steam, setting it will not help, it, or any other firewall/antivirus, must be disabled.
3. Please note that Steam executable files change frequently due to updates, and some firewalls may interpret this as an attempt by a virus or trojan to impersonate Steam - this behavior can usually also be configured and/or disabled in the firewall.
4. Built-in Windows firewall or antivirus. Both should be disabled. An antivirus can usually be disabled by right-clicking on its tray icon (next to the clock) and selecting something like “disable real-time protection.” Windows Firewall It is turned off in the connection properties, on the "advanced" tab. Network programs running on your computer such as: P2P clients, various types of servers (Web, ftp, and so on), “Internet accelerators,” “anonymizers,” separation programs (i.e. ICS) and restrictions (for example , NetLimiter) access.
5. Connection through a proxy server or topology with double NAT translation (everything works fine with one NAT).
6. Blocking of ports on the provider's side.
No. Everyone needs their own Account, and, accordingly, your key.
Most likely, you simply do not have all the necessary ports open (see the list in the relevant part of this FAQ. But using the list of servers is not necessary: all you need is to know the IP address and port of the server. After that, you can add the servers to " Favorites" or connect using console command connect. For example, like this: connect 217.199.212.12:27016
The last case, by the way, is the most reliable - if you can’t connect to the server, the first thing you should try is to connect through the console.
Where can I get server addresses?
Many fan sites run their own servers for various games. In addition, the addresses of many “fast” servers, i.e. those with minimal ping for Russian residents, are in a special thread on our forum:
You can also try the following method:
1. Turn off Steam completely, through the file menu - exit.
2. Download the file:
3. Unpack the archive. Place the resulting file "MasterServers.vdf" in the folder...\Steam\Config (see where you have Steam installed). Replace the existing file there with a new one.
4. Right-click on the “MasterServers.vdf” file, select “properties”, check the “read only” box. Click "apply".
5. Launch Steam.
The Steam service is a popular online gaming platform that contains a large number of popular computer and console games. Here you can play both completely free and for money. In the majority free products There are built-in stores that sell things for characters, interface decorations, sound theme changes, and similar items.
Many players are faced with the need to contact technical support for the Steam service. This happens for various reasons: someone had things stolen from their account due to the owner’s negligence, someone cannot figure out how to correctly perform certain actions, someone else’s account was hacked and they lost access to it. By contacting the steam support department, you can quickly fix such problems and restore justice.
Do I need to register to get help on Steam?
If a person is an active player of the service in question, then by default he can use the support service and no special registration is required for this. As soon as a person has created an account on Steam, he automatically gets the opportunity contact the technical department and ask for help with its difficulties.
Registration on this site is carried out completely standardly and without problems - the first thing you need to do is download launcher Steam, which takes up literally a couple of megabytes. Next, it starts downloading and installing the entire application, which ultimately needs to be launched. The next step is to select the registration point and enter the required data. After confirming your account by email, you can safely use it.
Steam technical support section
To contact technical support representatives in order to get any help or clarification from them, just search in running program Steam button called“Contact support”, or follow the links https://support.steampowered.com or https://help.steampowered.com/ru/. 
The system will immediately prompt the user to select the topic of his request, as well as clarify information about the product with problems. Here it is important to accurately indicate the data so that it is adequately processed by the appropriate specialists.
In a special field you need to describe your problem in detail and in clear language, it is advisable to confirm it additional information– screenshots, receipts for completed purchases, etc. 
FAQ
Since the number of users on Steam amounts to tens of millions, it is quite natural that the administration is often asked very similar template questions. In order not to answer the same thing every time, I created special section called "Frequently Asked Questions". Here are the most important answers to problems that players often encounter. 
You can find this section on the Steam website quite simply - you just need to go to the community website, find the section “ Management", then select the sub-item regarding support and find there the sub-item with the most frequently asked questions. You can also find a search bar on the site and enter a request for frequently asked questions there. This way you can find not only the official one, but also many useful user manuals.
Where to write to support service
In order to safely receive answers to your questions in Steam Help, you need to log in to the service’s website, select “ Support» and fill out the form provided. It must indicate topic of the appeal, select the product and category, the question you are interested in, and also enter in the special field “Your question” detailed information about what happened and ask for specific measures of assistance. 
Everything is quite simple, but many beginners will not be able to take advantage of this opportunity - for starters need to spend have at least $5 in your account.
Can I contact you by phone or Skype?
Upon closer examination of the Steam website, no mobile number or Skype addresses for asking for help cannot be found. Most likely, at the moment there is simply no such opportunity, although it is possible that there are some American numbers where you can call, but you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to speak English there.
Using communities and groups
With the current development of social networks, almost every major service strives to be present in them, create its own large community and try to maintain an active life in it. In the case of Steam, this is completely true - there is an official group of the site even in Russian In contact with. It is available at https://vk.com/steam.
To contact us here with your question, you just need to correctly compose your message and send it to one of the administrators listed on the page. You can also write a question in one of the existing discussions and user conversations that admins often view.
How long will it take to wait for an answer?
If you have successfully sent your message to the moderators for consideration, then a logical question arises - how long will you have to wait until they deign to respond to you. Russian steam support service – complete unpredictability and it is impossible to answer exactly how long it takes for them to respond. The answer can come in 20 minutes, in a day or in 3 days - it all depends on how it ended up in the queue for consideration, whether it was compiled correctly and whether the problem is relevant.
When can Steam return things?
If a player falls victim to trouble and loses items on his game account, he can expect them to be returned. But only in some cases.
If there was a deception
If a person was blatantly deceived and his items were stolen, you need to immediately contact Steam support and tell about what happened, confirming your story with some facts (screenshots, etc.). If the administration considers the story to be true, then the player will have his things returned, and the deceiver will be blocked.
Cases of non-payment
If the player was required to certain payment, after which he gained access to enhanced content, then after he falls behind on the required payment, his capabilities will also be reduced. Fixing the problem in this case is extremely simple - you just need to pay for the selected game.
Account hacking
If a player’s account has been hacked, then when contacting support it will be definitely restored and all the things that were stored on it will also be returned. This is a typical procedure that many people encounter.
Can they not return it?
Quite a few scammers try to defraud the administration of items for free, posing as victims of theft and deception. Naturally, they are calculated very quickly and do not get what they want. If you want to join them, then rest assured that you won’t get much from Steam this way.
Also stolen or otherwise lost items may not be returned, if a person has not provided enough evidence in his favor and the administration simply cannot verify the veracity of his words.
What is VAC protection
VAC stands for Valve Anti-Cheat and is the company’s own development, created to combat dishonest gamers. This protection appeared back in 2002 and has been constantly improved since then. If a man trying to cheat in a VAC-protected game, he will most likely be identified and his account blocked forever. Valve is very critical of cheaters. And if even a suspicion arises, the account is blocked without the possibility of recovery: 
This is the information you should know about Steam and how, if necessary, to defend your rights here. Usually, contacting the support service gives the desired result, and administrators restore the violated justice.
Steam (“Steam”) is the most popular all over the world. It has hundreds of thousands of games and millions of players. It is not surprising that problems often arise in such a large gaming service, which also works online and provides the opportunity to play with other people.
In this article we will look at how to write to Steam technical support and get a solution to your problem there. We immediately recommend that you first refer to the rules for using technical support, and also read other rules of the platform, because there may be cases when a support request will be left unanswered, when the problem can be solved without contacting, and finally, what cases are not considered at all Steam. Be sure to read all the rules before applying, because violating them may entail certain sanctions against you.
Technical support
Regardless of what problem you have (with the game itself, purchased on this platform, or with the platform in general), it is best to immediately contact technical user support. At the moment, there are 4 main and most popular methods of contact that Steam technical support accepts.
You can write a letter to them through a special contact menu on the platform’s website or through the platform itself, as well as using Email, Gmail. Remember that the main language you should use when contacting is English, so if you wrote in Russian, you may be asked to state your problem in English language. Try to highlight the problem as specifically as possible, attach photographs, pictures, screenshots and other evidence that will help to most accurately describe the situation. Do not neglect the help of your comrades, who can also contact you for support. Especially if your comrades know how to write to Steam technical support.
CS GO, Dota 2, Call of Duty - only part popular games, with which various kinds of problems often arise, which may be the reason for contacting user support.
By phone or Skype
If you don’t want to write to them or don’t know how to write to Steam technical support, then there are other options, for example, you can call them by regular phone or using Skype. Phone numbers for calling are available on the official website of the platform. Again, don’t be surprised if they start talking to you in English, although the platform has long established many offices in Russia, so you may have Russian-language support. Try to formulate your problem as briefly as possible.
Groups
On the platform itself or in in social networks you may come across official groups and Steam Community, in which they will answer many questions, help you solve a specific problem, or indicate what needs to be done and how. It is possible and even necessary to write to Steam technical support through such groups, because this method is the simplest, but there are certain nuances, for example, it is not a fact that they will be able to solve your problem. In this case, you will be sent to write an official request to the technical support center or given a telephone number to contact.
Sometimes there is a need write a letter to Steam Support, the reasons can be very different, ranging from the fact that your things were stolen in Steam and ending with technical problems. However, not everyone knows how to do this.
That’s why I just want to break everything down and answer the most popular questions.
How to write a letter?
In order to write to Steam Support, you need to create a separate account for this. This is understandable; it would be stupid to use a hacked account to contact support. (hacked - this is in case of account theft).
- To register follow this link
- After confirming your registration and logging into your account, you will find yourself on home page, where everything is divided into categories. You can find your problem and see its solution.
But if you haven’t found it (let’s say your things were stolen), then you need to write a letter, that is, open a ticket. There is a button on the left for this. "contact support" (you can see it if you go to one of the categories). If you haven't found it, just follow this link.
How to properly submit an application?
I’ll show you an example of filling out an application using the example of things being stolen from your account, as this is the most common problem lately.
Step 1:
In the "product" field you must enter Steam and select the corresponding picture. Select the category as in my screenshot.
Step 2:
Now we need to fill in the subject of the letter and fill in the field of the question itself. If there are no problems with English, then write in English (you can also use Google translator, they are used to it), if there is, then write in Russian, they will answer you anyway, but there are legends that it will take a little longer. Although from my experience I can say that even bourgeois support sometimes takes weeks to respond.
It is very important to prove that the account belongs to you, so you can immediately attach in the letter either a photo of the game key from the account, where the technical support contact number is written right next to it. You will recognize him immediately as soon as you send the messages, then you just immediately send him a second one with a photo.
Or, if you bought something on steam for Webmoney, then send a unique payment code, below I will show a couple of examples for the methods described above.
Of course, it’s better to have a receipt like the one I have in the last screenshot, but if not, then the one like the one in the penultimate one will work.
How long should I wait for an answer?
If he doesn't answer you Steam Support, don’t worry, because they usually answer from 3 days to 2 weeks. Most often, of course, they respond within a week. Very rarely they will answer you quickly.
Will my account be returned if I do not have proof of ownership?
No, they won't give it back to you. Sometimes they even dig into the evidence, and if there is absolutely nothing, then immediately say goodbye to the account.
If you write in English, will they respond faster?
As I wrote above, this is not a fact. You can try your luck, but even tickets in English often take weeks to respond to.
Will things be returned if my account was hacked and transferred to another account?
If you are dealing with this problem for the first time, then yes. If it’s the second time, then no, it’s very doubtful.
But if you have disabled confirmation of exchange by mail, then in any case you have no chance.
If I have a red tag on my account, can it be removed from me?
Yes, they can, but you need to know the tricks here if you deservedly received it and want to remove it. If it is not deserved, then write as it is and you have a chance to get rid of it.
How many times can I restore my account?
Steam Support for the 4th time he wrote to me that the next request may be the last. So it’s clear here, it’s better not to abuse this if you are restoring your account especially not out of necessity, but to try to deceive them or something else.