Omgcanadian

• TAJB 21 Feb 2017 10:38:43 1,221 posts
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  I've trawled the internet and found no fix for my issue with steam on my Mac. Anyone got any ideas? Get a PC is not a fix unfortunately. Whenever I try to open steam all that happens is the steam icon bounces on the bottom of the screen indefinitely. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Steam but for some reason I get the same issue every time. Any ideas?

• neems 21 Feb 2017 10:53:55 5,177 posts
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• TAJB 21 Feb 2017 10:59:49 1,221 posts
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  Searched and searched and I can't find a solution.

• Phattso 21 Feb 2017 11:00:41 26,356 posts
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  When this happened to me I found a forum post somewhere that listed which files in the Steam install location to delete. It forces it to rebuild them which then often cures the issue. The Mac client is a shonky abomination sadly.

• Phattso 21 Feb 2017 11:06:00 26,356 posts
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  Try this: 'Go to Finder. Then Library. Then App Support. Then Steam. Mov registry.vdf to trash. Reopen steam.' Another thing: when you reinstalled did you restart your Mac between uninstalling and reinstalling? I've had issues with some Steam service not getting terminated which causes problems. It's rare. Maybe three times in six years. I've had Steam refuse to start on my Windows machine twice in the last year mind. Might have too many games.

• funkstar 21 Feb 2017 11:41:12 3,280 posts
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  quick way to get to library if you didnt know - open finder window, click the 'go' menu, hold the alt/options key and library will pop up in the list of locations

• Phattso 21 Feb 2017 11:42:41 26,356 posts
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  Yes, sorry. My Macs are permanently in dev mode so no hidden folders

• THFourteen 21 Feb 2017 11:43:04 53,846 posts
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• TAJB 21 Feb 2017 12:05:08 1,221 posts
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  Phattso wrote: Try this: 'Go to Finder. Then Library. Then App Support. Then Steam. Mov registry.vdf to trash. Reopen steam.' I did try this but I couldn't find the folder. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

• y2rich 21 Feb 2017 14:07:03 3,501 posts
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  Didn't Steam drop support for older versions of the MacOS a while ago? If you're not on the latest that may be the issue

• TAJB 21 Feb 2017 16:56:07 1,221 posts
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  I'm still on OSX Mavericks I think but can't be certain. All I know is that they want me to install the latest update and make all of my current apps incompatible with the new OS Edited by TAJB at 16:56:17 21-02-2017

• Zerobob 21 Feb 2017 17:46:42 2,730 posts
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  TAJB wrote: I'm still on OSX Mavericks I think but can't be certain. All I know is that they want me to install the latest update and make all of my current apps incompatible with the new OS Click on the Apple icon (top menu) > ' About This Mac' and it'll tell you your OS version. An old version of macOS could definitely be causing your Steam issue.

• TAJB 23 Feb 2017 00:14:13 1,221 posts
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  I'm running OSX 10.9.5 It doesn't seem too old. Should I update? Would this be causing the issue?

• Beetroot_Bertie 23 Feb 2017 00:45:52 527 posts
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  @TAJB The folder should be in the Library folder within your user directory: Macintosh HD > Users > Your Username ƒ > Library > Application Support > Steam If you were using the 'Go to Folder' command in the finder menu it would be: ~YourUsername/Library/Application Support/Steam

• TAJB 23 Feb 2017 08:51:15 1,221 posts
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  So I just searched my steam folder and found no Registry.vdf file to delete. Any suggestions?

• Phattso 23 Feb 2017 08:53:18 26,356 posts
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  Deleting the /appcache directory has been known to work for some (on Windows as well as Mac). Or just move it if you don't want to risk deleting it outright.

• Phattso 23 Feb 2017 08:54:01 26,356 posts
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  The 'registry.vdf' file will be in the root of the Steam directory, so if you can't see it it ain't there (most likely because you have a fresh install).

• Beetroot_Bertie 23 Feb 2017 10:45:39 527 posts
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  @TAJB It might be a permissions issue. Open up Disk Utility (in the Utilities folder which is in the main Applications folder), select your hard drive on the left and click the 'Repair Disk Permissions'. It might pay to reboot after that but I'm not sure. You could also try resetting the PRAM by restarting/starting up whilst holding down the CMD, ALT, P, R keys. Keep them pressed until the Mac does the start up 'bong' another time.

• TAJB 23 Feb 2017 11:18:12 1,221 posts
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  So i deleted App Cache and Registry.vdf after fixing permissions with Disk utility and I'm still having exactly the same issue. Nothing seems to be working and now when I check finder the folder directory can't be found even though I was just there?

• Phattso 23 Feb 2017 11:44:21 26,356 posts
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  Just to confirm - this is only happening with Steam, right? All your other usual apps are working as expected?

• nickthegun 23 Feb 2017 11:46:11 84,088 posts
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  Download an uninstaller from the app store (one that gets rid of *everything*) and then reinstall it.

• Phattso 23 Feb 2017 11:47:22 26,356 posts
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  Oh, here's a silly question: it hasn't opened in another desktop space has it? It should switch to the space when you click on the icon, but I'm in clutching at straws territory now. Another question: you said you'd reinstalled steam, but as you didn't have permission to see the files mentioned above I'm assuming you didn't try deleting the directory first? Kill the WHOLE directory. Restart. Then install Steam. We're sort of into head scratch territory now.

• Beetroot_Bertie 23 Feb 2017 17:26:58 527 posts
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  Dunno if it will help but maybe delete the 'com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist' from the Launch Agents folder in your user Library. Another thing to try might be to create another user account (on your Mac) and see if the problem still occurs when logged in with that one. Edited by Beetroot_Bertie at 13:06:19 24-02-2017

• TAJB 24 Feb 2017 12:16:15 1,221 posts
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  So I deleted the entire registry and reinstalled and I'm still having exactly the same issue. It hasn't opened anywhere else and when I right click and select show all windows it shows that there are no open windows for Steam. Completely dumbfounded.

• Dirtbox 24 Feb 2017 12:40:45 91,673 posts
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• Fake_Blood 24 Feb 2017 12:42:47 10,719 posts
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• Phattso 24 Feb 2017 12:52:54 26,356 posts
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  Yeah I saw that when I googled but the dude isn't getting any message, just no startup.

• Dirtbox 24 Feb 2017 12:54:36 91,673 posts
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• Quickonemate 30 Jul 2017 09:26:36 2 posts
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  Hey man i was having the same issue, i had to update to sierra. ill run you through how to download keep in mind it will take awhile (couple of hours) so go to Appstore on computer, search up macOS sierra then click download. then after the download has complete you should be able to run steam again. hope this helped.

• Quickonemate 30 Jul 2017 09:28:48 2 posts
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  if your have trouble finding the link her it is https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/macos-sierra/id1127487414?mt=12 Edited by Quickonemate at 09:29:22 30-07-2017

Question: Q: Steam games on my Mac have stopped working Only recently, and I'm not sure why (could possibly be Steam updated) my computer can no longer run any Steam games. My computer is an old Mac Pro running on Yosemite, but even being so old it should be okay to run this stuff.

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One of the first things a lot of people look for, once they get over the ‘newness’ of unboxing a new MacBook and switching on OS X for the first time, is how they can play their favorite games on Mac. We’ll help you figure out how to do it.

Traditionally, Macs were not known for their gaming prowess. It wasn’t uncommon for Mac owners to own a Windows-powered PC explicitly for gaming – you’d use your MacBook (or PowerBook!) for work and relaxation, then boot up your Windows PC when you wanted to sit down and shoot things. For the most part, it worked really well. A few games were ported over, but never very many. That all began to change when Apple switched the processors found inside of Mac computers. Not only could Windows be installed, but major game studios brought some of their titles over. World of Warcraft became a huge seller on the Mac.

The Best Way to Get Games for Mac? Steam.

A few years ago, Valve sent waves through the Mac world when they announced that they were planning to port their Steam video game store / distribution channel / social network to OS X. Valve pushed devs to port titles over to the Apple platform, and now there are hundred or even thousands of games running in the Mac version of Steam (of the 315 games in my Steam account, 176 of them are Mac compatible).

The easiest way to get started with a few games for Mac is to use Steam. If you’re a PC gamer, chances are you’ve bought more than a few Steam titles – and it’s likely some of those support the Mac at the same time; Valve doesn’t charge extra for non-Windows versions of their games.

But for Mac gamers, Steam is more than just a way to find Mac-compatible games. It’s also a way to play any game in your entire library, even if it’s Windows-only. It’s thanks to a newer technology from Valve known as In-Home Streaming.

Here’s the bad news, upfront: you still need a Windows PC for this to work. Preferably a good one, but any recent computer will do. In-Home Streaming works by actually running the game on your Windows PC, then routing the video over the network to your Mac.

Setting it up is actually pretty simple. Make sure your gaming desktop is attached to your network via an Ethernet cable. You want it to be plugged directly in rather than relying on wireless access. Next, download and install Steam on your Windows computer, and make sure the games you want to play are installed, configured, and have been launched at least once. Sometimes running a game for the first time causes issues when you’re trying to stream it elsewhere in the house.

Next, go to your Mac and download and install a copy of Steam there, too, if you haven’t already. Like with the gaming PC, your Mac will stream games better if it’s hardwired into your network. If that’s not possible, you can use your wireless network – but you should be running an 802.11ac network, and you should make sure you have a strong signal (even then, you might find some issues with playing really fast twitch shooters).

Log in with your Steam account credentials on both computers, and you should be good to go – if you don’t see all of your Windows games (at least, the ones that are installed on your gaming PC) available on your Mac, check the Steam settings on both computers and make sure that the ‘Enable streaming’ box is checked.

Steam’s implementation of game streaming works extremely well on most titles. First person shooters, especially if you’re into multiplayer, may prove problematic thanks to increases in latency.

Not every Mac game is available on Steam.

A number of high-profile publishers have gotten uncomfortable with the amount of power Steam was building up and decided to roll with their own game distribution services. Fortunately, many of them have their own Mac ports.

Games you won’t find on Steam, but can run on your Mac include Blizzard titles like World of Warcraft, Starcraft II, and Diablo III. Games you won’t find on Steam and are also Windows-only include most of the EA stable, with Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda (likely), Mirror’s Edge, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and more.

For this latter category, Steam may yet be able to help you out. For any games distributed via EA’s Origin service, you’ll need to download and have the Origin client installed and running – but you can still add them to your Steam library. Steam lets gamers add these non-Steam titles to their library for a couple of reasons: it gives them access to the Steam overlay and web browser in full-screen mode, and it lets your friends see what games you’re playing.

In-Home Streaming isn’t officially supported on non-Steam titles that you add to your library, but some games will work fine; you’ll need to experiment and see. To add some of these non-Steam, non-Mac titles, go up to the ‘Games’ menu on your gaming PC, and select ‘Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library’. A window will pop up listing a bunch of programs from your computer; scroll through to find the one you want, click on it to highlight, then click OK.

Depending on which Apple computer you’re using, you might wish to add non-Steam games to your Steam library and try to stream them even if they have native Mac clients; your gaming PC is likely going to play them at a much higher quality.

Don’t forget: Your Mac is an excellent Windows PC.

A common refrain you’ll find among tech sites is that an Apple MacBook or iMac will often be one of the best Windows computers you can buy. Thanks to Apple’s Boot Camp assistant, it’s actually pretty easy to install Windows on your Mac, and use either Windows or OS X, depending on what it is you want to do.

It’s a great way to run software that is Windows-only and can’t be virtualized, which is an apt way to describe many modern games. It might be a good idea to try even if you want to play an app that has a Mac client: some tests have shown a substantial frame rate increase by running the Windows version of a game over the Mac version – even on the exact same computer.

The company has a great support page (here) detailing how to go about installing Windows 10 on your MacBook or iMac. It boils down to updating your Mac software, installing Windows, and then updating drivers – pretty simple, in all.

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