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All players know how frustrating it is when Steam says the game is on when you try to start a new game. There are no minimized windows visible in the taskbar, and you are blocked by an error message: The game cannot be started (the application is already active).
Steam is the most popular gaming platform with more than 19 million daily users. It gained popularity because it offered many games on the same platform. You can easily buy games through your steam wallet instead of creating a new account for each game.
In this article we will see why Steam says the game works and how you can fix it. To avoid this error, apply each correction gradually to find what works for you.
Why does Steam say the game works?
If you’re wondering why Steam says the game is going on, there’s no clear answer for you. The problem and thus the solutions are different for different users.
Two common reasons for Par’s error in not being able to start the game are:
- The game runs in the background: The error is displayed when a game you previously played did not end correctly or when a game file is running in the background.
- Game data : If your game files are incomplete or corrupted, you may receive this error.
Corrigendum 1: Stopping playback via Task Manager
When Steam reports that the game is running, the first thing you need to do is open the Windows Task Manager.
Especially if you can’t open a new game because another game is already running in the background. To start a new game, you have to close the one already running.
Finish the game via the task manager :
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL or CTRL + SHFT + ESC simultaneously to enter the Task Manager function.
- Check the list of running processes to find the game you are playing.
Pay attention: The file format may be different, but you need to look for an abbreviation or something similar to the name of the game. - If you find a similar process, click the right mouse button and select End of process.
It’s important: Don’t forget to refer to the Task Management Core Process section for steam related records.
This allows you to exit the program immediately and start another game or close the steam application. In most cases the problem is caused by another game in the background.
Corrigendum 2: Close the launcher in the system tray
Some games exist alongside the steam client as a launcher. If the game creates a separate introductory menu, it is likely to be a launcher and will often (in a system attempt) minimize rather than close.
Navigate to the computer’s system tray in the lower right corner of the page. Now click on the arrow icon and find the launcher.
If you see a launcher, right-click the launcher and click Close. Restart Steam and try to reopen the game.
Corrigendum 3: Reboot the computer to
If closing the game via Steam’s task manager and taskbar did not help, try restarting your system. Rebooting Steam also ensures that the application and all other associated temporary files and data are closed properly.
Corrigendum 4: Checking the Set Data
If Steam claims that the game is running somewhere, even after restarting and closing the game, you should check the data integrity of the game. Steam provides a built-in utility to check and restore game data. It scans all your game files, corrects errors and downloads missing files.
How to check the data of the game on Steam :
- Start Steam and click on the library in the top navigation bar.
- In the library, right-click on the game displaying the error and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- Under Properties, click on the Local Files tab and then click Check the integrity of the game file.
This will open a new window where Steam will analyze your game data and download and repair the defective parts. This process may take a few minutes. When you’re done, you can reopen Steam and start the game again.
Corrigendum 5: Reset with
If restarting the computer did not work, there is no problem with temporary files. You can try to reinstall Steam to correct the error. Steam says the game doesn’t work.
To reinstall by :
- Press Windows + R, type control and press Enter.
- Select Programs and functions from the control panel.
- Find steam in the list of applications, right-click and select Delete.
Once you have removed Steam, go to the official Steam website and download it. Insert the executable file Steam (SteamSetup.exe), double-click it and complete the installation process. Now start the Steam client, reinstall the game and start again.
Corrigendum 6: Reinstalling the game
If none of the above fixes worked for you, you can reinstall the game to see if it works. This solution takes time because you have to download all game files again. So make sure you have tried all the other solutions mentioned above.
To reinstall the game:
- Click on the Library button on the website of Steam client / Steam.
- Find the game in your library, right click on it and select Delete.
- Confirm the deletion of the files in the Delete Game Files pop-up window.
After deleting the game and deleting the game files, the next step is to reinstall the game and reload the game files.
- Restart steam. Find the game in the library and click Install.
- Click on Play on Steam, and nothing else will happen. Now click on Next and Finish in the installation window.
- Ask Steam to download all game files and restart the game.
If the problem is not resolved, make sure your system is equipped for gaming. Most games are very heavy and require a lot of computing power. The problem may be related to the device.
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