How to Fix AppHangB1 Error on Steam

Wondering how you can fix AppHangB1 error on Steam?

Arguably the world’s most famous video game distributor platform, Steam has its fair share of bugs and glitches. In this case, your AppHangB1 error is a nasty problem that can happen for all sorts of reasons.

The AppHangB1 error on Steam could be caused by system folders, Steam’s files, Steam’s launch configuration, and so much more. Furthermore, the problem can even specifically branch out to specific games and completely disallow you from playing them.

Thankfully, there are a lot of methods and solutions that you can do to try and fix this problem. We’ll be attacking this issue from all sides, so this thorough and in-depth guide should help you fix AppHangB1 error on Steam.

Let’s dive in!

 

1. Whitelist Steam To Your Firewall.

Starting with the basic ones, adding Steam to your firewall’s whitelist has a big chance of fixing this problem. While your antivirus might mainly be monitoring software processes on your computer for malicious activity, your firewall keeps an eye on network connections.

Steam and its games have a lot of network-reliant features that it needs to access in order to function properly. In this case, perhaps Steam has been restricted by your firewall from making online connections which results in this error.

You’ll need an administrative account for your system to proceed with this step.

Here’s how you can whitelist Steam to your firewall:

  1. Start by opening up the Start menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
  2. Now, search for ‘firewall’ and select ‘Firewall & Network Protection’.
  3. Once you’re redirected to a new window, look for and click on Allow an app through firewall.
  4. A window full of all the installed apps on your computer should appear on your screen. To access and change these settings, click on Change settings at the top-right corner of your screen.

  1. Finally, look for Steam and Steam Web Helper and check the boxes for both the Private and Public options.

This will add Steam to your firewall’s whitelist, which is a list of programs that are not fully restricted by your firewall. Doing this should give Steam the necessary permissions to run and connect to any necessary networks. Here’s how you can whitelist Steam for Macs.

 

2. Disable Any Antivirus Programs.

On a similar note, third-party antivirus programs can also monitor and prohibit certain apps from accessing the internet freely. Just like the method above, your antivirus may be restricting Steam from accessing or making connections.

You can try to either disable your antivirus program or add Steam to your antivirus’ whitelist. Doing either will allow Steam to act unrestricted on your system, which enables it to access and create any necessary network connections.

Unfortunately, third-party antivirus programs are all coded and interfaced differently. Due to this, we won’t be able to provide you with a general list of steps to assist you in disabling your antivirus.

A quick Google search should easily help you fix this problem and guide you to the right steps.

 

3. Verify Integrity of Game Files.

Moving on to more Steam related methods, verifying the integrity of your game files is a great way to iron out any problems specific to your game. If you’ve ever installed a mod or simply have a compromised file in one of your game’s folders, then this is the method for you.

Verifying the integrity of your game’s files will directly compare your locally stored game to the online version in Steam’s servers. Any inconsistencies will either be deleted and taken note of, then replaced by authentic files from Steam’s servers.

This will automatically download new files to your Steam if certain files are missing from your library.

Here’s how you can verify integrity of Steam game files:

  1. First, open up the Steam app on your computer.
  2. Next, click on the Library tab at the top portion of your screen.
  3. After being redirected to your library of games, right-click the game you’re having a problem with and select Properties.
  4. Finally, go to Local Files and click on the Verify Integrity Of Game Files option.

The process from here on out is pretty automatic. Steam will compare your local files to their authentic versions in the Steam server and automatically download any missing files that you might need.

 

4. Repair Steam’s Library Folder.

If the above method didn’t work, we’re going to have to try a method with a much larger scope. Steam’s library files are usually found in your C:\ drive, which is where most or all of your games are stored.

These library folders can sometimes mess up, be compromised, or just go into certain software issues that need fixing. Luckily, Steam gave us an easy way to repair and fix these issues.

Here’s how you can repair Steam’s library folders:

  1. With the Steam app already open, navigate to the top-left corner of your screen and click on Steam.
  2. From there, click on Settings and go to the Downloads tab.
  3. Under Content Libraries, select Steam Library Folders.
  4. You should see a list of folders that store all your Steam games. Right-click on the folder with the problematic game and select Repair Library Folder.

This will automatically fix and repair any problems with your folder which should alleviate the issue if a problem was found. Hopefully, this helped you fix AppHangB1 error on Steam.

 

5. Configure Steam’s Launch Options.

There are a lot of ways that Steam and its games can launch. For example, you can run Steam in different DirectX versions which can help, change, and even fix certain interface problems on your computer.

DirectX is a collection of interfaces that help run tasks and programs, which is a core feature that Steam needs. Depending on the age of your computer, Steam might be running on either an older DirectX version or a manual one that’s completely unnecessary.

Here’s how you can configure Steam’s launch options.

  1. For this one, you’re gonna have to open up the Start menu and search for ‘Steam’.
  2. From there, right-click on the Steam app and select Open file location.
  3. You should automatically be redirected to a different folder with the Steam shortcut highlighted. Identify if it’s a shortcut by the presence of an arrow at the bottom-left corner of the icon.
  4. Now, right-click the Steam shortcut and select Properties.
  5. On the Target text field, add either -dx9 or -dx11. You can experiment with other DirectX versions but alternatively, feel free to try and remove any ‘-dx’ configurations that were made if one was already implemented.

apphangb1 error on steam

  1. Lastly, click on Apply and OK to save your changes.

Exit Steam’s process from your Task Manager and reboot your Steam application to see if that fixed the problem. This step will require a bit of trial and error before you can find the right launch configurations to run Steam seamlessly.

 

6. Perform A Full System Scan.

If you’ve exhausted all the methods above, we’re going to have to assume that there’s some type of malware involved with this issue. Performing a full system scan should rid and clear any viruses that are corrupting your files.

This step can take minutes to even hours depending on the speed of your computer and the size of your files. Be ready to leave your computer alone for a couple of minutes to do a quick shower or watch videos on YouTube.

Now, unfortunately, we will be unable to provide a list of steps to perform a full system scan for third-party antivirus programs. For that, you’ll have to look up and search for these steps yourself.

But, here’s how you can perform a full system scan with Windows Defender:

  1. First, open up the Start menu by clicking on the Windows icon at the bottom-left corner of your screen.
  2. Next, search for ‘Defender’ and open up Windows Security.
  3. From here, click on Virus & threat protection then navigate to Scan options.

apphangb1 error on steam

  1. Finally, select Full scan and click on Scan now to begin the full system scan.
 

7. SFC And DISM Scans.

After that, instead of looking for malicious programs on your computer, we’ll be directly fixing any issues with your operating system. SFC and DISM scans are scans that compare your version of Windows to an authentic and compressed version stored somewhere on your computer.

Doing this will assure that your operating system has not been compromised since any damages will be replaced with working Windows files. Thankfully, these scans are also pretty easy to do and don’t take as much time as full system scans.

Here’s how you can do an SFC and DISM scan. Additionally, it’s also a healthy habit to perform these scans once in a while to make sure that your computer is working optimally.

apphangb1 error on steam

 

8. Force Update Your Steam App.

Finally, bordering the line of almost reinstalling Steam, force updating your Steam program is a manual trick that works better than Steam’s regular updates. By deleting a lot of Steam’s files, Steam will have to redownload authentic versions of those files before launching.

The good thing about this method is that it’s a thorough way to fix Steam without having to uninstall or backup your games. Here’s how you can force update your Steam app.

apphangb1 error on steam

Now, if even that doesn’t work then perhaps you really have to reinstall Steam on your computer. Though this is generally a complicated and delicate process, we’ve published a thorough guide to help you reinstall Steam on your computer.

Furthermore, learning how to backup and restore your games is something that you should definitely put the time and effort into doing. This way, you’ll never have to redownload all your games from scratch after reinstalling Steam.

That about wraps up this article, hopefully we helped you fix AppHangB1 error on Steam. If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to leave us a comment down below.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Mako is a staff writer at Saint. He's been writing about tech for more than a decade. When he isn't reading about the latest news on Apple, he's busy studying cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, cloud computing, and other IT-related sectors. His exceptional work graces technology and Apple-related blogs like How-To Geek, VEED.io, Macgasm, onMac, PhotoWorkout, GameRant, and many more. He also has a Bachelors in Computer Science and has been writing since 2018, with over 400 posts published. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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