How To Fix Steam Error 29 In 2023

Steam error 29 is possibly the platform’s most confusing and inconsistent error. Many players have been encountering it when launching their Steam games. You might also notice it appear when adding funds to your account or making a purchase at the Steam store. Error 29 can even prevent players from changing their account information and resetting passwords. Because of this, Steam error 29 is not associated with one single issue and can indicate entirely different things.

What Causes Steam Error 29?

As previously mentioned, Steam Error 29 does not refer to one thing. This also means that the culprits causing this error are all entirely different. Here’s a brief overview of the causes behind error 29:

• If you run into the error every time you try to launch a Steam game, it likely means there is a conflict between the easy anti-cheat and Steam.
• Similarly, games not launching can also mean issues with Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. 
• Your internet connection might be the issue if you cannot make any purchases or reset your account’s password.
• Essential network ports for Steam might be blocked on your internet router.
• Some games require a 3rd-party account to play, which might not be linked to your Steam account.
• Your antivirus software can also cause the Steam error 29.

How To Fix Steam Error 29

The solution to your error 29 will depend on when it is occurring. However, there is still not one single method that will fix the error for you. Several different things can be responsible for error 29. Hence, it is recommended to follow all the methods outlined in this guide for a permanent resolution to Steam error 29.

Furthermore, make sure to try some basic troubleshooting steps. These include restarting your internet connection and updating essential components such as Steam, Windows, and drivers.

Install Microsoft Visual C ++

Microsoft Visual C ++ is an essential Windows compiler that most major games need to run properly. Without this essential component, many games will encounter various errors, extending beyond just error 29. You might have Visual C ++ downloaded, but it can be an older or corrupted version. It is a good idea to update or reinstall Visual C ++ to eliminate any possible issues.

Here’s how you can download Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable:

1. Go to the Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributables web page. 
2. Scroll down a bit to find the download links. They are titled under the heading “Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022.“
3. Click on the architecture that applies to you. The majority of the players use the X64 version.
4. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. 

You do not have to do anything other than complete the download process. After it’s done downloading, restart your PC and relaunch Steam to see if error 29 has been fixed. If the issue persists, explore more methods mentioned below.

Open Network Ports

If you are encountering Steam error 29 when making purchases at the Steam store or editing account information, the issue likely stems from closed ports on your network. Network ports represent distinct numerical designations assigned to individual networks or servers. These numerical identifiers play a massive role in directing network traffic and data packets to their intended destinations.

If these ports are blocked, it will naturally disrupt the flow of traffic directed toward the network endpoint to which these ports belong. The solution here is to open these ports on your network router manually. However, Exercise caution and ensure that you refrain from opening ports that are unnecessary. Opening unnecessary ports can expose your internet connection to foreign threats. 

Here is the list of ports you need to open for Steam:

• TCP: 27015, 27036, 443, and 80.
• UDP: 27015, 27031, 27032, 273033, 27034, 27035, 27036, 4380, 3478, 4370, and 4380.

Follow these steps to open Steam’s network ports on your router:

1. Find your router’s IP address, username, and password. You can note this information down by looking at the back of your router.
2. Now, launch a browser and enter your router’s IP address in its search bar. Press enter, and it will then take you to the router’s login portal.
3. Now, input your router’s username and password to log in. 
4. Once inside the configuration, locate the settings that let you open Steam’s network ports.
5. Most major brands of routers call this setting Virtual Servers, NAT, or Port Forwarding. Your router will likely refer to the setting similarly. 
6. You can look under the advanced section of your router’s configuration to find the network port settings.
7. Once located, enter the designated port numbers for Steam and save them. 
8. Restart your router.

Disable Your Antivirus Software

Are you specifically encountering Steam error 29 when launching your games? This is likely your culprit. However, if you are getting error 29 anywhere else and can launch Steam/Games normally, then you should skip this solution. Your antivirus software can cause error 29 by preventing Steam or your Steam games from starting. This happens when the antivirus mistakes your applications for potential threats and stops them from running.

You must first see if this is the cause behind error 29. You can do this by first temporarily disabling your antivirus software. Here are the steps to disable Windows Firewall Defender:

1. Open the start menu by clicking on the Windows button on your keyboard.
2. See the small gear icon and click on it to open Windows system settings.
3. In the system settings, navigate to Update & Security. From here, access Windows Security.
4. Now, click on Firewall & Network Protection.
5. This will take you to a new Window where you can find all three security options. These are Domain Network, Private Network, and Public Network.
6. To disable Windows Firewall Defender, turn off all three of these security options.

In case you use an antivirus software besides the default Windows Defender Firewall, disable that too. Now, try to launch your games from Steam and see if you encounter error 29. The players who are still seeing this error despite disabling their antivirus software must skip this step and re-enable their antivirus. On the other hand, players that prevented error 29 from popping up should now whitelist Steam and their games in the antivirus software.

This step is extremely important because you should never keep your antivirus software disabled indefinitely. It’s never worth the risk of exposing your system to a virus that could infiltrate and compromise your personal information or worse. Follow these steps to whitelist applications in Windows Defender Firewall:

1. Reach Windows Security as explained in the previous steps.
2. Click Virus & Threat Protection. This will open an entirely new window.
3. Here, you must find Virus & Threat Protection again.
4. Once located, click on Manage Settings located right under Virus & Threat Protection.
5. Now, you must keep scrolling until you can find the Exclusions portion.
6. You will need admin privileges to make changes here.
7. Click Add an Exclusion. You must add Steam and any other game that gives you error 29 as an exclusion.

Do the same in any other 3rd-party antivirus software that you might be using. The options will, of course, differ depending on the software. Once done, restart your PC to resolve Steam error 29 permanently.

Link 3rd-Party Account With Steam

Some games on Steam require a completely separate account for you to play. If this account is not directly linked to your Steam client, then error 29 can occur. A few examples of 3rd-party gaming accounts include Rockstar, Epic Games, Origin, and Uplay.

Steam does not officially offer a way to link 3rd-party accounts manually. This means that you have to examine the game that makes error 29 pop up and confirm whether it requires a separate account. If it does, you should open the corresponding game’s official website or client and establish a connection with your Steam account.

Contact Steam’s Customer Support

Finally, if nothing seems to be fixing error 29, then you have to contact Steam’s official customer support. The problem could be something from the backend that only a professional from Steam’s support team can fix. Here’s how you can contact Steam’s customer support:

1. Launch Steam and navigate to the options displayed at the top left side of the screen.
2. From the options, click on Help and then click Steam support. This will load the support page.
3. Select Steam Client.
4. The next page will display the list of issues you can pick from. Make your choice according to where your error 29 is showing up.
5. Now click on Contact Steam Support. This will load the page that allows you to explain your issue and send the message to Steam’s support team.
6. Make sure to write about your issue with as much detail as possible. Additionally, attach the screenshots of the error message you see.

Did You Fix Steam Error 29?

Steam error 29 can be especially frustrating if you are unable to change your Steam account’s password. It can even lead to many players potentially losing access to their accounts due to malicious attacks. This can make error 29 not only frustrating but also highly dangerous. However, after thoroughly exploring all the methods mentioned in this guide, Steam error 29 will be solved permanently.

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