Steam: Terribly slow on startup

[Cirque]

Not sure if this should be here, though technically not a game, but it may find better answers here.

Steam takes forever to start for me. I'm talking 6-7 minutes just to get the login screen. This is 80% of the time, the remaining 20% of the time it starts within 1-2 minutes. This also applies if Steam is set to Offline mode. Steam does not run at Windows startup.

I have Windows 7, 8 GB RAM, 8x2.8GhZ i7 cpu, and it can't be the network, since it runs properly on the other pc on the same network. Which, by the way, has Windows Vista. On my Windows 7 laptop, it is equally slow.

Unable to find a fix and Steam technical help is about as helpful as my grandmother when it comes to theorycrafting my warlock.

Thanks for any insights. I made sure no firewall is blocking it by the way.

[Mouni]

I used steam from 2004 to 2009 without any issues.

Then in 2009 to about early 2011 I had this exact problem...it's gone away now since early 2011. Steam would literally takes ages and ages to open or update.

Not sure what it was...I posted around tons of forums and I never got an answer.

My internet is the same, my PC is the same. So not sure what was wrong with it, but it was definitely fucked for almost 2 years straight...then suddenly started working again properly.

[Cirque]

I used steam from 2004 to 2009 without any issues.

Then in 2009 to about early 2011 I had this exact problem...it's gone away now since early 2011. Steam would literally takes ages and ages to open or update.

Not sure what it was...I posted around tons of forums and I never got an answer.

My internet is the same, my PC is the same. So not sure what was wrong with it, but it was definitely fucked for almost 2 years straight...then suddenly started working again properly.

Well, that's the weird thing indeed. A few months ago suddenly, Steam would boot properly. Unfortunately I had to reinstall Windows and bam, ever since the problem's returned. I have no idea what's up, but it just sounds like terrible software to me. Clearly google tells us we're not alone, yet no answer.

This problem has been occurring for over a year for me and no amount of updates, reinstalls and contact with Steam support solved it. Unfortunately I'm kinda stuck with Steam for many reasons though, so I can't just get it done and over with. Not to mention I already have games on it and really, I don't suppose I can acquire these games in a legal way without paying again for them without using Steam.

[Holyshnikies]

Uninstall steam. Clean out the registrys of it ( ccleaner ), then restart ur pc. Redownload Steam from their website and fresh install.

[scoobe]

Try deleting the "clientregistry.blob" file in your steam folder.

[Cirque]

Uninstall steam. Clean out the registrys of it ( ccleaner ), then restart ur pc. Redownload Steam from their website and fresh install.

I've done this so often, that I don't really see the point in trying again. Thanks anyway.


Deleting clientregistry.blob forced an update of sorts, but this was 5 minutes ago and still no sign of the steam login screen.. =_=

[Jodah]

Yeah, the clientregistry.blob thing will help in the long run. Basically it makes it so you have to completely update Steam so the first start up is going to take forever and a day. After that it should be quicker than what it was before, though how much is dependent on your system.

[Mouni]

@Cirque

I tried everything to fix mine...the register stuff...the .blob thing. I even formatted SEVERAL times. Nothing ever fixed it. It just went away itself one day. I have a feeling it had something to do with my ISP, but then again...my ISP didn't change at all during the entire time this was an issue and when it fixed itself. But maybe my ISP + my IP at an issue with steam for a while? I even asked on my ISP forums and no one else was having the issue...so it was just me that had the issue.

Honestly I have no idea...I gave up trying to fix it after trying a hundred different things for a few months. I just logged in one time and was surprised it loaded straight away, from then onwards it never had any issues - hopefully the problem never comes back.