Steam failed to authorize computer [FAST FIX]

Milan Stanojevic
by Milan Stanojevic
Windows & Software Expert
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. Read more
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Steam failed to authorize computer

A large number of users have reported seeing the error Steam failed to authorize computer. This error pops up whenever the users try to authorize another computer to get access to the game library.

This error occurs when trying to use the Steam service called Family Sharing. This feature allows you to share the games you own with up to 5 members of your family, allowing your family members to get access to the same games you own, and vice-versa.

The message can appear when one of the users that tries to share the game library has been banned by VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat). This will disable your capability to use the Family Sharing feature, and it will not allow you access to Beta versions of the software. Even though this is the most common cause for this error, users without a VAC ban have also encountered it.

For these reasons, in this article, we will explore the best troubleshooting steps to use when encountering this error message. Read on to find out more.

What to do if Steam failed to authorize the computer?

1. Run Steam with administrator privileges

  1. Navigate on your PC to the location of your Steam installation.
  2. Right-click on the Steam icon -> select Run as administrator.run steam as administrator - Steam failed to authorize computer
  3. Try to see if this method solved your issue.

2. Verify the integrity of your game files

  1. Open Steam -> navigate to the game you want to share inside your Steam Library.
  2. Right-click the game -> Properties.
  3. Inside the Local Files tab, click on the Verify integrity of game files button.Steam verify game data - Steam failed to authorize computer
  4. Wait for the process to complete and check to see if the issue persists.

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3. Modify Family settings in Steam

  1. Open Steam and go to Settings.
  2. Select the Family tab.Steam family settings - steam failed to authorize computer
  3. Click on Eligible accounts.
  4. Tick the box next to the friend that you want to share your library with and make sure they do the same.
  5. Click OK and try to authorize computer again.

4. De-authorize your PC from the other person Steam account

  1. Ask your friend or family member to go into their Steam Settings -> Account -> Manage Other Computers -> select ‘name of your PC‘ -> De-authorise.Steam family settings other accounts - steam failed to authorize computer
  2. Follow the same path from the 1st step of method no. 4, and Authorize the same PC.
  3. Log out of Steam and exit it completely (from your PC).
  4. Log back into Steam.
  5. Try to see if the issue persists.

In this article, we explored some of the reasons that can cause the error message Steam failed to authorize computer, and also some of the recommended troubleshooting methods.

Please feel free to let us know if this guide helped you solve your issue by using the comment section below.

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