FIX: Steam disconnected by VAC on Windows 10

by Milan Stanojevic

Deputy Editor

Milan has been enthusiastic about PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer.

Posted at: May 4 2021

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Steam disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers error occurs if the game files have been modified or have become corrupted for any reason.

Usually this happens because a third-party software tried to modify the files associated with Steam.

It is worth mentioning that there are some software options that can alter the way Steam runs, and can even cause the error we mentioned above. In order to avoid any further issues, it is recommended that you close those applications while using Steam. Here are a few examples:

• CCleaner
• Powershell
• Sandboxie
• Cheat Engine
• IObit Start Menu 8
• Process Hacker
• DLL Injectors
• Hypervisors
• Steam Idlers

Fortunately for you, there are a few methods that have helped other users deal with this issue. Our team at WindowsReport chose the best and most efficient ways to do this. Read on to find out more.

What to do if you’re disconnected by VAC for no reason

1. Close all Steam processes and restart
2. Repair the Steam Service
3. Repair system files

1. Close all Steam processes and restart

Steam disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers message can appear if there’s a glitch with Steam. To fix it, do the following:

1. Right-click on your Taskbar, and choose Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager’s Processes tab, search for any Steam running processes, select them one by one and hit End Task for each of them.
3. Click on Startup tab, and remove Steam from the list of applications that run at startup.
4. Now restart your computer.
5. After the process is completed, you can try to open up Steam again and see if the problem persists.

2. Repair the Steam Service

Another way to fix Steam disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers is to repair the Steam Service. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Exit Steam.
2. Hold the Windows key on your keyboard and press R at the same time (or click on Start > Run).
3. Type the following command: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe/repair
   
   
4. Retry opening up Steam and connecting again

Note: Replace the directory provided above with the location of your Steam installation.

3. Repair system files

In some instances, you can fix Steam disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers by repairing your system files. Do that by following these steps:

1. Exit Steam.
2. Click on the Start button.
3. Locate Command Prompt and right-click it > choose Run as administrator.
4. In the command prompt, type sfc / scannow and press Enter.
5. After the process is completed, restart your computer, and then try to run Steam again.

In this article, we explored 3 solutions that can help you fix the Steam disconnected by VAC: You cannot play on secure servers error.

Please feel free to let us know if these solutions solved your issue by using the comment section below.