How To Fix Steam Games Not Launching Mac

If your game is not launching from STEAM (and/or it is showing as ‘running’ through Windows Task Manager), please try the troubleshooting steps as referenced below. Wait 5-10 minutes If you are launching your game for the first-time; the game may require some time to configure itself in accordance with your system settings (this is normal). Troubleshooting Network Connectivity. Please exit Steam and go to the folder.

From yesterday a large number of Steam users reported that they were seeing a 'GAME is not optimized for your Mac' alert. If you've seeing the same thing, you are likely running a game that is a 32-bit app on macOS 10.13.4.

Starting

You may run into 'no sound' -problem in Steam games, and it can be easily fixed. Its possible that you haven't had any problems with any other game, but there is that one or two games that doesn't have sound at all. One game that have had this issue is Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. Before you try anything too hard, please try this easy trick!

Run Steam as administrator

1. If you have Steam -icon on your desktop right-click it. You can click straight away Run as Administrator or go to Properties and make Steam always run as administrator.

2. Click Compatibility, check Run this program as an administrator and click Ok.

3. If you didn't have Steam icon on your desktop you can open your startup menu, and write steam, right click Steam icon and select Run as administrator. Other option is to select Open file location and do steps described above to make Steam always start as administrator.

Run problematic game as administrator

1. Open up Steam Library in front of you and find your problematic game on the list. When you have found it, right click it, and select Properties.

2. Click Local Files -tab and from there Browse local files.

3. Find game executable and right click it and select Properties.

Starting

How To Fix Steam Games Not Launching Mac Os

4. Open Compatibility -tab, select Run as administrator, and click Ok.

Steam Games Not Launching Windows 10

And there you have it! Tell me in comment section if this easy trick saved you from a lot of hassle.

  • 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

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