Need to fix Steam Captcha not working (appears to be invalid)?
Steam is a popular gaming software that allows users to play, create, and discuss games with other community members. However, to access the app, you must first create a Steam account. Many users have reported facing an issue during the Captcha verification process.
Even after filling in Captcha correctly, the app shows an error and hence prevents you from creating a Steam account. The main reasons behind this issue can be Proxy or VPN interference or Chromium-based glitches. With the several troubleshooting methods mentioned in this guide, you can solve this problem easily.
So, let’s begin!
1. Make Sure You Have an Active Internet Connection.
An active internet connection is one of the most important things required while making a Steam account, and Captcha verification. If the connectivity is poor, there may be problems filling out the Captcha and creating your account on Steam.
Therefore, ensure you have a stable internet connection before trying out any other troubleshooting methods. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Speedtest by Ookla and select Go from the center of the screen.
- Next, wait for the process to finish, then check your internet speed.
- If the internet connection is unstable, consider changing your Wi-Fi network or using another device.
After connecting to a stable network, see if the Steam Captcha not working (appears to be invalid) issue is resolved or not.
2. Disable VPN and Proxy.
It may be possible that the VPN or Proxy you’re using is causing interference with the Captcha verification process. In such a case, temporarily switch off VPN and proxy on your computer to fix the issue.
Follow the steps mentioned below to disable VPN on your PC:
- Head over to Settings by pressing Win + i keys from your keyboard.
- Next, select Network & Internet and click on VPN.
- From the right side of the screen, select the VPN you want to disable and click on Disconnect.
To disable Proxy on Windows 11, here’s what you must do:
- Press Win + i keys to access Settings.
- Choose Network & Internet from the left sidebar.
- From the right side, scroll down and click on Proxy.
- Now, turn off the toggle for Automatically detect settings under the Automatic proxy setup section.
- Also, click on Set up next to Use a proxy server.
- From the popup that appears, switch off the toggle for Use a proxy server and click on Save to confirm these changes.
If disabling VPN and Proxy still didn’t fix the Steam Captcha not working issue, the next method from this guide will surely help.
3. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies.
Steam Captcha errors may also occur due to various hindrances with the browser’s data and cookies. The steps for clearing browser cache and cookies are different depending on the browser you’re using.
Below are the steps you must follow if you want to clear cache data and cookies from the Microsoft Edge browser:
- Open Microsoft Edge on your PC.
- From the top bar, click on the three horizontal dots located in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Choose Settings. This will open browser settings in a new tab.
- From the left sidebar, click on Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll down to the Clear browsing data section and click on Choose what to clear.
- A Clear browsing data pop-up will appear. From there, click on the drop-down icon under Time Range and choose your preferred time range.
- Next, ensure all the boxes are checked, then click on Clear now to remove browsing data and cache.
Once the browser data is cleared from the browser, head back to Steam and see if the Captcha is now working or not.
4. Flush DNS Cache.
Sometimes, outdated and corrupted network data may be the cause behind an invalid Steam Captcha. Therefore, flushing DNS can delete the IP addresses and DNS data from the cache and allow you to create a Steam account in no time.
Perform the following steps to do so:
- Go to the Start menu and type in ‘cmd’ in the search bar.
- From the search results, select Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator to access Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
- Now, type or copy and paste the following commands and hit the Enter key:
ipconfig /flushdns
If flushing the DNS didn’t resolve the problem, the next method surely will.
5. Reset Winsock.
Having a damaged or corrupt Winsock can lead to no internet connection. So, if you’re facing trouble further proceeding on Steam due to an invalid Captcha, it’s likely because of a malicious script blocking Winsock. To get rid of this error, you need to reset Winsock.
Follow the instructions below to do so:
- Press Win + R keys to open the Run command box.
- Enter ‘cmd’ in the search bar and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys to open an elevated Command Prompt.
- Now, run the following command to reset Winsock:
netsh winsock reset
- Once done, restart your PC, and the Captcha not working problem should be solved.
6. Change the Internet Protocol Version.
Various users have reported that disabling IPv6 on their PC helped them get rid of the Steam Captcha not working issue. Once the internet protocol version was changed, the users were able to successfully create a Steam account.
- Head over to Windows Search and type in ‘network connections’ in the search bar.
- Choose View network connections from the search results.
- From there, right-click on the network connection and choose Properties.
- A Properties pop-up will appear. Now, uncheck the box next to Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
- Finally, click on OK to confirm these changes.
Once done, reboot your PC and head to Steam to see if this method has been successful.
7. Change Your Browser.
If you’re still encountering the Steam Captcha not working (appears to be invalid) issue, consider changing your internet browser. This way, any browser extension causing interference would be eliminated. So, if you were using Microsoft Edge, switch to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera GX, etc.
8. Login From the Steam App.
If you’re facing the same Steam Captcha issue regardless of the browser you’re using, we suggest you download and install the Steam app on your PC. Once downloaded, log in to your Steam account without worrying about Captcha verification.
9. Contact Steam Support.
If the Steam Captcha not working (appears to be invalid) error continues, your last resort is to contact Steam Support. The support team will help you in fixing the issue in no time.
This brings us to the end of our guide on how to fix the Steam Captcha not working (appears to be invalid). If you have any other questions, feel free to use the comments section below. We’ll be happy to assist further.
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