Many Steam users complain on the forum that they have experienced some issues with Family Library Sharing. If you are one of them, don’t worry. In this article, you will get 5 solutions to fix Steam Family Sharing not working error.
Family Library Sharing, which is a Steam feature, lets members of the same family share games without having to merge their accounts. However, many Steam users experience issues while sharing games with family members, and one of the most aggravating issues is Steam Family Sharing not working.
Because of connectivity challenges, software issues, and other circumstances, Steam Family Sharing may cease working. Here are five options for resolving this problem.
How to Fix Steam Family Sharing Not Working Error
Fix 1: Re-authorize Shared Steam Library
When the Steam Family Sharing not working error occurs, it is imperative that you disconnect the problematic computer unable to access a game from your account. When the PC asks the user for permission from the game’s original owner, the owner can check their email to authorize the device.
Let us show you the way:
Step 1: Open the Steam client and go to the upper right corner of the screen to your Profile name.
Step 2: Then, to get to the Device Management screen, click Account Details.
Step 3: Under the FAMILY SETTINGS section, scroll to the bottom and choose Manage Family Library Sharing.
Step 4: Locate the machine that can’t play Family Sharing games and click Revoke next to the term Authorized.
Step 5: Then, on the problematic machine that was previously unauthorized, click on BORROW and try to play one of the Family Library Sharing games. From this screen, you can request access. This will cause Steam to send a request for authorization from the game’s original owner.
Step 6: The original game owner should look up their email for the Steam authorization request.
Step 7: Click on the blue link to get instructions on how to authorize the PC.
Fix 2: Run SFC Scan
Steam Family Sharing may not work due to faulty or missing system files. In this instance, System File Checker can be used to replace the old system files with new data.
Step 1: To launch the Run dialog, press Windows + R.
Step 2: To run Command Prompt as administrator, type cmd and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Step 3: Press the Enter key after typing the command sfc /scannnow.
This process will take some time, so be patient and wait till it is finished.
Fix 3: Disable Antivirus and Verify Game Files Integrity
If you have antivirus software installed on your computer, Steam Family Sharing may not operate. You can turn off your antivirus for a while and check the integrity of your game files.
Step 1: After removing antivirus, reboot your computer and restart Steam.
Step 2: Select the issue game from the Steam Library.
Step 3: Select Properties from the right-click menu of the game file.
Step 4: Select VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME CACHE from the LOCAL FILES tab.
Furthermore, some antivirus software may flag SteamApps files as harmful, causing the Steam Family Sharing problem. You can avoid this by excluding the file from antivirus real-time scanning. The Steam directory is usually located at C:Program FileSteamSteamAppscommon.
Fix 4: Reset Winsock
Steam Family Sharing may not operate if the Winsock catalog is not updated on a regular basis, according to certain Steam users. To repair this error, you can also try resetting Winsock.
Simply open Command Prompt as administrator and type netsh winsock reset.
After resetting the Winsock catalog, restart your computer and see if you can now utilize Steam’s Family Library Sharing feature.
Fix 5: Change the Location of Game and Steam Installation Files
If all of the following solutions fail to resolve the Steam Family Sharing issue, you may need to attempt moving the installation files. You will delete certain items during this operation, so you should back up the whole installation folder beforehand.
Step 1: Close the Steam program.
Step 2: Go to the Steam installation folder and double-click it. The folder’s default storage path should be C:\Program\FilesSteam.
Step 3: Now, except for SteamApps, Userdata, and Steam.exe, delete all of the files and folders in this folder.
Step 4: Copy the whole Steam installation folder to a different location. After that, open Steam and log in to your account.
You can now test whether Steam Family Sharing works.
Check this video for more help:
That’s about it.
