By William Gallagher
Tuesday, September 03, 2019, 12:33 pm PT (03:33 pm ET)

Yes, the Steam client itself is 64-bits, and most of your games probably are too, but if you've had an install for a while, your client is probably only 32-bit. Here's how to make sure you've got a Steam client compatible with macOS Catalina.

For Mac: drivers cannot be updated separately; only the operating system can be updated. Investigate Firewalls. Certain firewalls may prevent Steam from talking to its servers. You'll want to work with a tech support specialist to ensure that the Firewall is not interfering. You may even need to temporarily disable it for testing purposes.

1. Fixed Steam client crash when errors are encountered in audio encoding or decoding when running a game using Steam Voice; Fixed achievement notification images for some games; Fixed the achievement section of library game pages not updating when a user gains an achievement; Fixed intermittent failures in broadcast, YouTube and other web video.
2. Mar 01, 2020  On another note, many games on steam for mac are actually built with Unity Engine, which means developers has little to do to update game to 64bit – in most cases just recompile to 64-bit and that will automatically ship 64bit libraries together with game.

You'll have to ask Valve why they can't always update your 32-bit Steam client app to the 64-bit version that will run under macOS Catalina. But, AppleInsider is repeatedly being asked by users why their install is yelling at them that it needs an update.

Steam Mac Game Not Updating Windows 10

The update from Valve is ready, and the Steam client will work just fine under macOS Catalina —you just may have to prepare the ground a little.
Specifically, the problem is with the Steam client on your Mac. Even if you have shortcuts to your favorite games, they all launch through that Mac app, and it's possible that your copy of that is still a 32-bit app.
If you're stuck with that 32-bit version, you have to manually get rid of it and then reinstall a new copy.

Trash talk

One quick tip: do be certain to have your Steam account name and password to hand. You clicked that Remember Me button years ago, but this is going to appear to Steam as if you're setting up a new computer.
You'll have to be able to log in again, and you'll have to have access to email to get the verification codes that you'll be sent.
When you're sure you have the account details, start with this:

• Quit Steam


• Go to your Applications folder


• Drag Steam out to the Trash

If you have Hazel installed on your Mac, it will spot that you've removed an application and will offer to also delete all of that app's supporting files. As good as that is, as so much handier it is than going through the whole process of deleting them manually, don't let Hazel do it.
That's because Hazel will do too good a job and it'll remove everything. We want rid of a lot of Steam, but not the bit that includes your games.

Steam Mac Game Not Updating Windows 7

So next, you find all of Steam's supporting files from the Finder.
Hold Shift, Command and press G. In the Go to Folder dialog that appears, enter this: ~/Library/Application Support/ and click Go.

In the folder that opens, scroll to find the Steam folder, and delete everything in there except /steamapps. That directory is where your games live, and keeping that folder preserves the installs.
Next, repeat that Go to Folder with each of the following. In every one, look for Steam or Valve files.

• ~/Library/Caches/


• ~/Library/Logs/


• ~/Library/Preferences/


• ~/Library/Cookies/


• ~/Library/Saved Application State/


• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

Do be careful to solely select Steam or Valve folders, but then drag them to the Trash and empty it.

Almost done

Now go to store.steampowered.com where you'll see an Install Steam button at the top right of the site.
Work through the steps it tells you. Then log back in to your Steam account, and you're done.
There is, seriously, nothing you can do about games developers who haven't moved to 64-bit binaries. Barring a virtual machine or something else drastic, those games won't work under Catalina. But at least taking these steps now will save you having that awful moment when you've updated to Catalina, the Steam client won't load at all, and it appears as if you've lost all your Steam games.
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• 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 4,811 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 25,048 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 25,048 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 25,048 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 53,174 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 2,361 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 00:45:52 496 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 25,048 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 25,048 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 10:45:39 496 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 25,048 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 80,668 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 25,048 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 17:26:58 496 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 91,300 posts
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• Fake_Blood 24 Feb 2017 12:42:47 10,116 posts
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• Phattso 24 Feb 2017 12:52:54 25,048 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 91,300 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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