Steam Error Code E20 [FIXED]

Countless players have run into the Steam error code E20 and reported it in various online forums, including the official Steam community. You might encounter the error code when you try to log into your Steam account or even while browsing the Steam store. Sometimes, you might get kicked from a multiplayer game because this error will log you out of the Steam client. You might even encounter the error when logging into your Steam account from a browser.

Error code E20 can present itself in a lot of different ways, but the most common error message reads, “Something went wrong while attempting to sign you in. Please try again later.”

What Causes Steam Error Code E20?

It can be extremely difficult to exactly troubleshoot the cause behind error code E20 because many different things can lead to this error. The most common reason is your Internet connection or your PC’s firewall protection. In some rare cases, the Steam servers can go down, leading to error code E20. Assuming this is the cause, your only option is to be patient and stay updated on the status of Steam’s servers until they are back online.

Steam Error Code E20 Fixes

How you fix this error code depends on what causes it. As mentioned earlier, since it can be very difficult to know why this error might occur, you have no choice but to try out the various solutions mentioned below and see if one of them does the job for you.

Restart Your Internet Router

A slow internet connection is one of the most common reasons you might encounter Steam error code E20. The easiest solution is restarting your Internet Router, which can greatly increase your internet connection’s overall speed and performance. Especially if you keep your router running for long periods and use a dynamic IP address, restarting the router will reset your internet traffic, potentially increasing your Network’s performance. Additionally, If you are on a dynamic IP range, you might get assigned an IP address with significantly better routing than your previous IP address.

While you restart your router, restarting your PC is also a good idea. Although this solution may not appear to be very promising, it is worth doing because not only can you quickly get it out of the way, but it is also surprisingly effective. Once done, try to log back into the Steam client and see if you encounter error code E20 again. If you do, try more of these methods until you fix the error.

Disable Antivirus Software And Windows Firewall

It is only natural to question how an antivirus software that protects your PC from harmful malware and viruses could cause Steam error code E20. This is because your antivirus software can accidentally identify Steam as a potential threat and prevent network traffic from reaching the Steam client. First, you should confirm if this is the cause behind your error. You can do this by disabling your antivirus program and Windows Defender Firewall.

To disable Windows Firewall, follow these steps:

1. Open the start menu by clicking the start button on your keyboard or the Windows Icon on the screen.
2. From here, go to your Windows 10 Settings and click on Update and Security.
3. Once in, go to Windows Security and then click on the Firewall & Network Protection option.
4. When you are in, turn off “Domain Network,” “Private Network,” and “Public Network.“

Similarly, disable any other 3rd party antivirus software that might be running on your PC. Once done, try logging into Steam again and see if you encounter error code E20. If you do, you should move on to the next steps because antivirus is not the cause of your error. But if you have managed to fix the error, you should add Steam and any other games you might have downloaded to the exceptions list of your Antivirus software.

This step is important because you need your antivirus software to keep your PC safe, so keeping the software disabled forever is not a very good option.

Add Steam To The Exceptions List Of Windows Firewall

These steps are for Windows Firewall, but you can similarly do this for any other 3rd party antivirus software you might have.

1. Complete the previous steps to Step 3 and then proceed to Windows Security.
2. Once there, click on Virus & Threat Protection. This will open a separate settings Window.
3. Locate Virus & Threat Protection Settings in this new Window, then click on Manage Settings under it.
4. Scroll down until you find Exclusions, then click Add or Remove Exclusions. You can add Steam and any other games you have downloaded here.

Check For Packet Loss

Another potential thing that can cause Steam error E20 is packet loss. Packets are small bundles of data you exchange with the server you are trying to communicate with. The communication itself happens in the form of packets. So when there is packet loss, the data trying to reach its destination is lost, resulting in errors such as E20.

Various online services allow you to check the quality of your internet connection and diagnose packet loss. But the most reliable and readily available method of checking packet loss is the Windows command prompt:

1. Press the Windows Button + R on your keyboard simultaneously to open the run menu.
2. Type CMD in the run menu and click run. This will open Windows Command Prompt.
3. Once in, type the following command: ping exputer.com -n 50
4. Press enter on your keyboard to start the process.

This will send packets to the Exputer website 50 times. If any packet drops during this time, it will be indicated as “Request Timed Out.” If this happens, then your internet likely faces a packet loss problem. You can also scroll down to the bottom after the process finishes, where the command prompt summarizes the ping statistics and indicates the percentage of packet loss you are experiencing. This percentage should always be at 0%.

How To Fix Packet Loss

If you are experiencing packet loss, switch from WiFi to an Ethernet Connection. A wired connection will provide you with much stability and make data transfers more consistent. On the contrary, if you are already using a wired connection and still experiencing packet loss, the problem could be the wire itself. You should try replacing the wire with a new one and check to see if Steam error code E20 is fixed.

Ultimately, the packet loss problem might be from your internet service provider. In this case, you can do nothing but contact your ISP and try to resolve the problem.

Use A VPN Connection

Do take note that using a VPN with Steam is against Valve’s terms and services. But if you still cannot log into Steam because of error code E20, then a VPN is not a bad solution. A VPN will mask your IP address and replace it with a completely different one in another world. This is usually an effective way of fixing the error if you have NAT or Port block issues.

A VPN will bypass any NAT or Port restriction, as you will use a different IP address to tunnel all your network traffic. This has great potential to fix your login error, especially if you suffer from NAT issues. There are countless VPN services available online, some are paid, and some are free. You can get any free VPN you trust and see if it fixes your issue. 

Contact Steam’s Customer Support

Ultimately, if nothing works for you, you should contact Steam’s official customer support. There are several ways to do this: create a support ticket or contact the Steam Support Twitter account. 

To create a support ticket, follow these steps:

1. In the help section of your Steam client, click on Steam Support.
2. Now click on the Steam Community option. This will take you to a new page.
3. Here, click on “I need help with something not listed here.”
4. Now, click on Contact Steam Support at the bottom and create your support ticket. Make sure to explain your issue thoroughly.

You should check that this issue is not caused by the Steam servers going under maintenance. There is a chance that you might run into this error if the Steam servers are down. As such, it is a good idea to double-check the status of the Steam servers.

Final Words

While Steam is one of the most reliable and consistent gaming services for PCs, it also has its fair share of issues. Despite this, we hope you can resolve the E20 error code and log into your Steam account without any further issues. We have thoroughly researched and picked some of the most effective methods to resolve this error, and we are confident they helped resolve the issue for you. 

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