How to Fix Steam Error Code 101

Wondering how you can fix Steam error code 101?

Coming up into the Steam store ready to lose your hard-earned cash to the Steam sale is an experience that all of us are too familiar with. Your favorite game may be on sale, or perhaps you’re stressed and just need to buy a quick game to splurge.

Either way, it’s a huge bummer to open up the Steam store only to be greeted by an error code 101. So what is this, and why does this happen? Most likely the problem here lies in your internet connection to Steam.

This can be affected by many things, your firewall, antivirus, internet router, and so on. In this article, we’ll go over several methods that we compiled to help you fix your problem and get back to the store. Here’s how to fix Steam error code 101.

Let’s dive in!

 

1. Check Steam’s Server Status.

Before we start fiddling and changing some of your network settings, it’s important to check up on Steam’s server status first. This step is often forgotten and disregarded by most people, which is unfortunate as this can save you a lot of time and effort.

By checking for Steam’s server status, you’ll be to avoid configuring your settings if Steam’s servers are indeed down. If the problem lies with Steam, you won’t be able to fix the error code no matter what you do to your computer.

You can check Steam’s server status through unofficial Steam Twitter accounts. Another preferred website is Steamstat which has a catalog of servers across different regions around the world.

However, our favorite place to check is through Downdetector. You’ll be able to modify the server to fit your geographical location as well. Downdetector is a community-based website where users report any problems they have with a certain service.

Those reports are then displayed numerically on their website. By seeing the number of recent reports, you’ll be able to distinguish if other users are having trouble with Steam’s servers too.

 

2. Restart Your Router.

Another quick way to fix your issue is by restarting your router or modem. If you live in the unfortunate part of the world where your internet randomly cuts off or disconnects, this method might do wonders for you.

Most families like to keep their router on all the time. While it isn’t strictly necessary to restart your modem from time to time, it can be healthy for your router if you give it a break. Additionally, by restarting your modem, your connections to other servers will also be refreshed.

This can be especially useful since modems can have trouble connecting to servers every so often, especially after power surges. Unfortunately, we’ll be unable to provide a general list of steps that you can do to restart your modem.

Since all modems are modeled differently, there is no specific set of steps that we can provide to help you with this. However, we do have a general guide and you can read more about it here. Other than that, we recommend searching for the steps for your specific model or asking for assistance from a more knowledgeable family member.

 

3. Allow Steam Through Firewall.

This misunderstood feature is often given a ton of flack by memes and jokes all over the internet. However, what most people don’t know is that your firewall is actually a pretty useful protection service.

The general assumption that people get wrong is that your firewall monitors viruses that enter and threaten your computer. While this isn’t completely wrong, it’s still misinformative. Windows Firewall acts as a middle-man for your computer against other foreign network connections.

Malicious activities, which in this case is mistakenly the Steam Store, are restricted from connecting to your computer. In this method, we’ll be whitelisting Steam to your firewall to relieve the restrictions.

Here’s how you can allow Steam through the firewall:

  1. Start by opening up the Start menu and search for ‘firewall’.
  2. Now, open up Firewall & network protection to proceed.
  3. From there, look for and click on Allow an app through firewall.

  1. You should be redirected to a window containing a list of all currently installed applications on your computer. Click on the Change settings button at the top-right corner of your screen to begin whitelisting Steam.
  2. Now that you have access to the settings, look for Steam by left-clicking on any app and typing in ‘Steam’.
  3. Finally, check both Private and Public boxes and click OK to exit.

A whitelist is basically a list of programs that are allowed to operate without the full restriction of Windows Firewall constantly monitoring the program. This way, Steam will be allowed to access and make connections that were possibly restricted by your firewall.

 

4. Disable Any Third-Party Antivirus.

On the same thought process as the previous method, your third-party antivirus could be what’s causing the problem. It’s not an uncommon mistake for a third-party antivirus to mark Steam’s servers are malicious.

By disabling your antivirus, any restrictions similar to the firewall should be lifted and allow you to connect to the Steam Store. Unfortunately, every third-party antivirus is unique and different. Due to this, we won’t be able to provide a general list of steps to disable your antivirus.

fix steam error code 101

Don’t worry, as most credible third-party antivirus should have the steps to disable their program somewhere on their website. A quick google search for ‘how to disable antivirusname’ should get you on the right track.

 

5. Delete Steam Browser Cache Files.

Cache files can be a pretty useful asset to elevate a user’s experience. However, it’s not uncommon for cache files to be the source of many errors, especially for network-reliant services like this.

Quite unknown to most people, but Steam actually comes with a built-in browser. In this method, we’ll be clearing your browser’s Steam cache files that might be interacting and hindering the steam application.

Here’s how you delete Steam’s browser cache files:

  1. First, open up the Steam app on your computer and go to the Steam button at the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Next, click on and open up Settings.

fix steam error code 101

  1. From there, go to the Web Browser tab and select Delete Web Browser Cache. Simply confirm and click OK.
  2. Additionally, also select Delete All Browser Cookies for good measure.

Once you’re done with that, go and navigate to the store to see if the problem is still there.

 

6. Flush Out Steam Config Files.

Finally, this last method will flush out any settings and files that could be compromising your network connection. In this method, we’ll be flushing out Steam’s config files through the Command Prompt.

You can always refer to this method to fix other problems that you might have with steam. Flushing out your files is another word for ‘deleting’. This will not clear any personal files, so there’s no need to worry about losing personal data.

Here’s how you can flush out Steam’s config files:

  1. We’ll need the Run dialog box for this method, so bring that out by pressing the Windows key + R.
  2. Now, simply type in or copy-paste the text below into the text field and click OK.

steam://flushconfig

fix steam error code 101

Feel free to use this for future problems related to Steam. Flushing out your files can do a lot to get rid of any annoying files that are messing with your experience.

These methods should be all you need to fix this issue. However, if you’re part of the tiny percentage of people who’ve exhausted these solutions yet still have the problem, you may want to visit Steam’s official support board.

That about wraps up this article. We hope to have helped you fix Steam error code 101. If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a question down below.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Mako Young

    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)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *