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Steam Error Code -118 and Error Code -138 usually mean that Steam’s desktop client cannot reach or display some of its web-connected content, such as the Store or Community. They do not necessarily mean your internet is down, and Valve does not publish a definitive code-by-code explanation for either error. Check Steam’s status first, then restart the client and compare your usual network with a phone hotspot before changing settings or reinstalling Steam.
What do Steam Error -118 and -138 mean?
Both errors commonly appear when Steam cannot load pages or other web-connected content inside its desktop client. Your browser, games, or other internet services may still work. The underlying cause could be a Steam outage, a stuck steamwebhelper process, firewall or security software, a proxy or VPN, DNS, router filtering, or a restriction on the network.
Valve’s support guidance covers Steam connectivity problems broadly; it does not define Error -118 as a specific DNS failure or Error -138 as a specific network-access denial. Treat those explanations as possibilities, not official diagnoses. Valve’s network troubleshooting guidance is a useful starting point.
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- Check Steam’s status. Look at Steam’s server-status information or a reputable outage tracker. Also try the Store or Community in a regular browser. If several Steam services are failing for many people, wait and try again later; local changes will not fix an outage. Valve recommends checking for wider Steam-site problems before deeper troubleshooting (Steam connectivity guidance).
- Restart Steam completely. Exit Steam. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then end any remaining
steam.exeorsteamwebhelper.exeprocesses. Open Steam again and test the Store and Community. Valve also recommends restarting Steam for web-helper problems (steamwebhelper troubleshooting). - Restart your modem or router. Close Steam, restart the networking equipment using its restart control or by unplugging it for about 30–60 seconds, then wait for the connection to return and reopen Steam.
- Compare networks. If possible, connect the PC by Ethernet or test using a phone hotspot. If Steam works on the hotspot but not home Wi-Fi, focus on your router, DNS, filtering, or ISP rather than reinstalling Steam. If another device on the same Wi-Fi has the same Steam problem, that also points toward the network.
Use the symptoms to choose the next step
| What you observe | What it suggests | What to try next |
|---|---|---|
| Several Steam services fail for other users too | A Steam-side outage or maintenance | Wait, then check Steam status again. |
| Steam works in a browser but not in the desktop client | A client, steamwebhelper, firewall, proxy, or rendering issue |
Fully restart Steam; check security software and proxy settings. If the page is blank or frozen, follow the web-helper steps below. |
| Steam works on a hotspot but not home Wi-Fi | Router filtering, DNS, ISP routing, or a home-network restriction | Check router controls and DNS; contact your ISP if the issue persists. |
| Only downloads or updates fail | A content-server, download-region, storage, or download-specific issue | Try another download region; consider clearing Steam’s download cache only if the problem is limited to downloads. |
| Only one game has a connection problem | A game server, game-specific firewall rule, launcher, or anti-cheat issue | Check that game’s server status and support guidance instead of treating it as a general Steam client error. |
Check Windows Firewall and other security software
A Steam update or changed firewall rule can block the client or its web helper even if Steam worked before. In Windows, search for Windows Defender Firewall, open Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall, and select Change settings. Check that the legitimate Steam entries are allowed on the network types you use. If Steam is missing, add its executable from your Steam installation folder. Common locations include:
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C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteam.exe
C:Program Files (x86)Steambinsteamwebhelper.exeWindows menu names can vary slightly by version. Valve’s firewall guidance explains why firewall configuration can prevent Steam from connecting.
Third-party antivirus, endpoint security, VPN clients, proxies, DNS filters, ad blockers, traffic-inspection tools, IP filters, peer-to-peer applications, and download managers can also interfere. To test, pause or close one suspected program at a time, reopen Steam, and then restore protection. If that identifies the cause, use the program’s Steam allowlist or exception rather than leaving security disabled. Valve lists several categories of potentially interfering software in its connectivity guidance.
Do not permanently disable Windows Firewall or antivirus as a fix. If you test by temporarily turning protection off, keep the test brief, re-enable it immediately afterward, and add a targeted exception only if the test confirms it is responsible. On a work- or school-managed PC, contact the administrator rather than bypassing security controls.
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A stale proxy can prevent Steam from connecting even when other apps appear to work. In Windows 10 or 11, open Settings → Network & internet → Proxy. Turn off a manually configured proxy only if you do not intentionally need it, then restart Steam. On a managed device or a school or workplace network, proxy settings may be required; ask the administrator before changing them.
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If a proxy was configured accidentally or by software you no longer use, an elevated Command Prompt can reset the WinHTTP proxy setting:
netsh winhttp reset proxyThis command resets WinHTTP configuration; it does not clear every proxy setting used by every application and is not a universal Steam fix. It may also be overridden on managed devices.
Flush DNS, then consider another DNS resolver
Flush Windows’ DNS cache first. Search for Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator, and run:
ipconfig /flushdnsWindows should report that it successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache. Restart Steam and test again. If needed, restart the PC. Releasing and renewing the network address is a more disruptive additional diagnostic, not a first step:
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ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renewIf the issue is specific to DNS resolution, changing the resolver may help. On current Windows versions, open Settings → Network & internet, choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet, open the connected network’s properties, and find DNS server assignment → Edit. Select Manual, enable IPv4, enter the addresses for one provider, and save.
| DNS provider | Preferred | Alternate |
|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 |
8.8.4.4 |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 |
1.0.0.1 |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 |
149.112.112.112 |
Record your original DNS settings before changing them so you can restore automatic DNS if the test makes no difference. A different resolver can help with a resolver-specific problem, but it will not fix a Steam outage, a firewall block, a damaged client, or a network that blocks Steam traffic. DNS providers can also differ in filtering, privacy practices, reliability, and regional routing, so no one option is guaranteed to be best.
Check restricted or managed networks
On school, work, hotel, library, or public Wi-Fi, Steam may be blocked by policy or by the network’s filtering. On a hotel or public connection, open a normal browser and complete any captive-portal sign-in before launching Steam. If the network is managed, ask its administrator whether Steam is permitted instead of trying to bypass restrictions.
At home, check the router for parental controls, security or threat filtering, access-control lists, DNS filtering, or a router-level VPN. If Steam fails only on your home connection and these checks do not resolve it, contact your ISP and describe when the problem occurs and whether Steam works on a hotspot.
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Valve lists TCP remote ports 80 and 443 for HTTP/HTTPS, and TCP and UDP remote ports 27015–27050 for Steam login and content downloads, among other ports for specific features. See Valve’s official port requirements. Most users should not need to forward ports on a home router just to load the Store. Do not expose broad inbound port ranges without a specific reason; on a restrictive network, the administrator is the right person to assess the rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If only downloads fail, change the download region
Changing regions is most relevant when downloads or content servers fail—not when Store or Community pages alone are broken. In Steam, open Steam → Settings → Downloads → Download Region, choose a nearby alternative, and restart Steam. Valve recommends choosing the nearest region and trying the next closest if the nearest one is already selected (download-region instructions).
Clearing the download cache is a secondary option for download or update problems, not a general remedy for every -118 or -138 error. It can remove cached download data and may require a restart or sign-in again, so do not use it as a first response to Store or Community connection failures.
If the Store is blank or steamwebhelper is failing
A blank, frozen, or crashing embedded page can point to a rendering or process problem rather than DNS. First fully restart Steam and its remaining web-helper processes as described above. Then open Steam → Settings → Interface and, if the option is available in your client, test with GPU acceleration disabled. Restart Steam after changing it. Update your graphics driver and temporarily test whether security software or an overlay is interfering. Re-enable anything you paused for the test. Valve’s steamwebhelper troubleshooting discusses restarting Steam and GPU acceleration.
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Reinstall Steam only after isolating the cause
Reinstalling may help if the Steam client itself is damaged, but it cannot resolve a Steam outage, ISP or router filtering, a DNS problem outside the client, or a school or workplace block. Before reinstalling, confirm that the problem is limited to the desktop client, test another network, check firewall and security exceptions, and try the web version of Steam.
Confirm where your installed games are stored and back up anything important before changing the installation. Do not delete the steamapps folder unless you understand that doing so can remove installed game files. If you do reinstall, get the installer from the official Steam site; avoid third-party “repair” utilities.
When to contact someone
- Steam services fail broadly: wait for Steam to recover, then retest.
- Steam works on a hotspot but not your home network: investigate router filtering and DNS, then contact your ISP if needed.
- You are on a managed network: ask its administrator whether Steam connections are allowed.
- Only the desktop client fails after network checks: contact Steam Support and describe the affected pages, whether the browser version works, and which networks you tested.
Change one thing at a time and retest. That makes it easier to identify the actual cause and avoids unnecessary firewall changes, port forwarding, or reinstallation.
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