A Complete Guide to Fixing the Steam Error E87

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Easy tips to fix this frustrating sign-in error so you can play again

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Check if Steam is down.

2 Restart your router.

3 Restart Steam.

4 Run Steam as an Administrator (Windows).

5 Repair your Steam installation.

6 Uninstall and reinstall Steam.

7 Change Your Password.

8 Enable or disable Steam Guard.

9 Log out of all devices

10 Set your time & date correctly.

11 Create a NoReact Login shortcut.

12 Refresh Steam core files.

13 Delete your temporary files.

14 Adjust your firewall settings.

15 Enable or Disable your VPN.

16 Contact Steam

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Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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Steam error code E87 indicates there is a problem logging into your Steam account. This could be caused by errors in the system, problems with the Steam client, errors with your account, or connection issues. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to fix this issue. This wikiHow article teaches you all the ways to fix error code E87 in Steam.

What Is Error Code E87 on Steam?

Error Code E87 indicates there was a problem signing in to Steam. To fix this error, try restarting your router, restarting Steam, signing out of all devices, resetting your password, reinstalling Steam, adjusting your firewall settings, enabling or disabling Steam Guard, and clearing your Steam cache files. Also, make sure your time and date is set correctly.

Steps

1

Check if Steam is down.

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1. See if there is a Steam outage. You can use a website like steamstat.us, issteamdown.com, or Downdetector to see if there is a Steam outage. If there is currently an outage with Steam, wait until the issue is resolved and then attempt to log in again.
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2

Restart your router.

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1. Power cycle your router. If you are using a hard-wired connection, disconnect all the cables from your router. Unplug your router and wait about 2 or 3 minutes. Plug your router back in and wait for it to fully boot back up. Reconnect your devices and try to log in to Steam again.

3

Restart Steam.

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1. Force close Steam and restart the app. Use one of the following steps to close Steam and open it again. Then try to log back in:

   • Windows: Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and click Task Manager. Select the "Steam.exe" process and click End Task. Then launch the Steam app again.
   • Mac: Press Option + Command + Esc and click the select Steam. Click Force Quit. Then relaunch Steam.
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4

Run Steam as an Administrator (Windows).

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1. Close Steam and launch it as an administrator. To launch Steam as an administrator on Windows, make sure the Steam app is closed. Click the Windows Start menu and type Steam. Right-click the Steam application and click Run as Administrator.

5

Repair your Steam installation.

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1. Repair the Steam installation (Windows Only). On Windows, you can repair the installation. To do so on Mac, you will need to uninstall and reinstall Steam. Use the following steps to repair your Steam installation:

   • Click the Windows Start menu.
   • Type Steam.
   • Right-click the Steam icon and click Open File Location.
   • Right-click the Steam icon and click Properties.
   • Highlight and copy the location next to "Target."
   • Press Windows key + R to open Run.
   • Paste the location next to "Open."
   • Type /repair after the location.
   • Click Ok.
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6

Uninstall and reinstall Steam.

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1. Reinstall Steam. If repairing the app doesn't work, you can try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. This will also ensure that you install the latest version. Use the following steps to uninstall and reinstall Steam:

   • Windows:
     • Click the Windows Start button.
     • Click Settings.
     • Click Apps.
     • Locate Steam.
     • Click the icon with three dots to the left (Windows 11 only).
     • Click Uninstall and follow the instructions.
     • Go to https://store.steampowered.com/about/ in a web browser.
     • Click Install Steam.
     • Open the installation file in your Downloads folder.
     • Follow the instructions to complete the installation.
   • Mac:
     • Open Finder.
     • Click Applications.
     • Drag the Steam app to the Trash.
     • Go to https://store.steampowered.com/about/ in a web browser.
     • Click Install Steam.
     • Open the installation file in your Downloads folder.
     • Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

7

Change Your Password.

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1. Reset your password. If you are unable to log in, try resetting your password. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Open the Steam app or go to https://store.steampowered.com/login/ in a web browser.
   • Click Help, I can't sign in.
   • Click I forgot my Steam Account name or password.
   • Enter your email address or phone number.
   • Click the checkbox next to "I am not a robot."
   • Click Search.
   • Click Email an account verification code to [email address].
   • Open the email from Steam Support.
   • Click Resume Recovery in the email.
   • Follow the instructions to reset your password.
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8

Enable or disable Steam Guard.

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1. Check your Steam Guard status and turn it on or off. Steam Guard acts as a two-factor authentication for Steam. It's possible it can interfere with the login process and cause an error. Check your Steam Guard status and turn it on or off.

   • Go to https://help.steampowered.com/en/login/ in a web browser.
   • Log in to your account. If you can't log in with your username and password, try logging in with the QR code.
   • Click your account name in the upper-right corner.
   • Click Account details.
   • Click Manage Steam Guard.
   • Click Turn Steam Guard off (if it is enabled).
   • Click one of the other two options if Steam Guard is disabled.
   • Log in to Steam again and see if this fixes the problem.

9

Log out of all devices

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1. Deauthorize all devices. You should be able to log in to as many devices as you want, but if there is a bug with your account, you may need to log out of some of your devices. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Go to https://help.steampowered.com/en/login/ in a web browser.
   • Log in to your account. If you can't log in with your username and password, try logging in with the QR code.
   • Click your account name in the upper-right corner.
   • Click Account details.
   • Click Manage Steam Guard.
   • Click Deauthorize all devices.
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10

Set your time & date correctly.

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1. Make sure your computer's time and date is right. If your computer's time and date are not set correctly, it can result in network errors. Use one of the following steps to set your computer's time and date correctly:

   • Windows.
     • Click the Windows Start menu.
     • Type date and time.
     • Click Date & time settings.
     • Ensure the correct time zone is selected.
     • Toggle "Set time automatically" off and then back on.
   • Mac:
     • Click the Apple icon.
     • Click System Settings or System Preferences.
     • Click General in the menu bar to the left.
     • Click Date & Time.
     • Ensure "Set time zone automatically using your current location" is toggled on.
     • Ensure "Set time and date automatically" is turned on.

11

Create a NoReact Login shortcut.

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1. Disable the new Steam login UI (Windows Only). Many users have reported that using the old Steam login UI fixes error E87. Use the following steps to create a shortcut that will launch the old Steam UI login on Windows:

   • Right-click the Steam desktop shortcut (if you don't have a Steam desktop shortcut, you can create one using the Steam.exe file.)
   • Click Properties.
   • Add -login -noreactlogin to the end of file location next to "Target."
   • Click Apply.
   • Launch Steam using the desktop shortcut.
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12

Refresh Steam core files.

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1. Run the "flushconfig" command. This is a command that will refresh Steam's core files and restore them to their original state. This can fix a lot of network issues with Steam. Use the following steps to refresh Steam's core files:

   • Windows.
     • Make sure the Steam client is closed.
     • Press Windows key + R to open Run.
     • Type steam://flushconfig next to "Open."
     • Click Ok.
   • Mac:
     • Make sure the Steam client is closed.
     • Open Safari.
     • Enter steam://flushconfig in the address bar.
     • Press Enter

13

Delete your temporary files.

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1. Clear your computer's cache. Sometimes temporary files can build up and cause errors with various apps. Use one of the following steps to delete your temporary files:

   • Windows.
     • Make sure the Steam client is closed.
     • Press Windows key + R to open Run.
     • Type %temp% and press Enter.
     • Press Ctrl + A to select all files.
     • Press Delete (Click skip if prompted).
     • Press Windows key + R to open Run.
     • Type temp and press Enter.
     • Press Ctrl + A to select all files.
     • Press Delete (Click skip if prompted).
   • Mac:
     • Open Finder.
     • Press Shift + Command + G to open Go.
     • Enter ~/Library/Caches/ into Go and press Enter.
     • Select any files related to Steam (i.e. "com.apple.steam") and press Delete.
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14

Adjust your firewall settings.

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1. Make sure your firewall is not blocking Steam. If you are using a third-party firewall or have a firewall on your router, you will need to add the Steam app to the list of allowed apps using that application. Use the following steps to add Steam to the allowed apps in Windows Defender Firewall:

   • Click the Windows Start button.
   • Type firewall.
   • Click Firewall & network protection.
   • Click Allow an app through firewall.
   • Ensure both "Private" and "Public" are checked next to Steam.
   • If you don't see Steam, click Change Settings.
   • Click Allow another app.
   • Click Browse.
   • Navigate to the Steam.exe file and click it.
   • Click Open.
   • Select Steam and click Add.

15

Enable or Disable your VPN.

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1. Adjust your VPN settings. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it to get a direct connection to the Steam network. If you are not using a VPN, try using a VPN to see if this bypasses the network problem.
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16

Contact Steam

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1. Contact customer support. If you are still unable to log in to Steam after you have tried everything, there could be a problem with your account. Steam customer support can open a trouble ticket. Contact Steam customer support and let them know about the issue you are having.

   • You can report a problem to Steam online at https://help.steampowered.com/. You can also call customer support at 425-889-9642

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