Steam game closed but still running – How to fix

Stream is a popular PC platform for buying video games. The platform is host to a large range of games, and also offers various additional features for its users.

One such feature includes the ability to detect whether a game is currently running on an account, though it doesn’t always work as it should.

Steam game closed but still running – The fix

Steam possesses its own game launcher, which allows users to launch their purchased Steam games from within the platform.

When users launch their games using Steam, the platform will be able to detect the game as running. The statement ‘running’ should be visible beside the game’s name in the Steam library.

However, Steam can sometimes incorrectly detect whether a game is running – this can happen both when you’re online and when you appear offline. Even when a Steam game has been closed, Steam may still detect it as running.

Alternatively, the game may seem to still be running despite your attempts to close it – games can struggle to properly close at times. Maybe the game icon is still visible on your task bar, or clicking the exit options achieve no results.

We’ll go through some methods for stopping a closed Steam game from continuing to run.

Restart Steam

The first method is simply to restart your Steam client. Steam may be experiencing some slight bugs or glitches, which can prevent it from detecting the game’s closing.

In order to restart Steam, go to the Steam app. Click on the ‘Steam’ option in the top left. Then, click the ‘exit’ option to close the Steam app.

Or, you can simply click the ‘x’ in the top right corner to close the Steam app window.

Alternatively, you could also click the upwards-facing arrow on your taskbar. It should be located on the far right. Find the Steam icon and right-click on it. Then, click ‘exit’ to close the Steam client.

Finally, relaunch Steam by double-clicking the Steam shortcut on your desktop.

If you don’t have a shortcut for Steam on your desktop, find the Steam app in File Explorer. The app should be located in This PC > Windows (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam. Once you’ve located the app, double-click it to open Steam.

Alternatively, you could open the Start Menu and search for ‘Steam’. The Steam app should appear as the first result. Click the ‘run’ option to launch the client.

Now, navigate to your Steam library to see if Steam still says the game is running.

Force Close The Game

If the game is struggling to close down despite your attempts at exiting the application, there are ways to force close it.

Task Manager

The first method for force closing a game is through the Task Manager.

Open the Task Manager by pressing Windows-key + ‘x’ and clicking the ‘task manager’ option.

Check to see if the game is listed in the Task Manager. If it is, it means the game is currently detected as running by the Task Manager. Click on the game, and click ‘end task’ to close the application.

Notification Area

The second method for force closing a game is by using the notification area. Click the arrow in your taskbar. It should showcase a set of icons.

These icons are the applications that are either currently running on your device, or programs you’re currently signed in on. Find the game’s icon and right-click on it. Click the ‘exit’ option to close the game.

Restart Device

The third method for force closing a game is by shutting down your device. This will force all currently active programs to close.

You can shut down your device using the Start Menu. Click on the Start menu>Power Button>Shut Down. After your device has finished shutting down, start it by pressing the power button.

Alternatively, you can choose to restart your device instead. This way, you won’t have to manually start up your device again.

To restart your device, click on the Start menu > Power Button > Restart.

If your device is frozen or you’re unable to access the Start Menu, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Then, click on the power icon in the bottom right corner. Click ‘shut down’ or ‘restart’ to close your device.

If the Ctrl + Alt + Delete shortcut doesn’t seem to be working either, you can force shut your device by long-pressing the power button.

Log out

If the Steam game is struggling to close, or Steam is incorrectly stating the game as running – try logging out of your account. In order to launch your Steam games, you must first be logged in.

If you log out, it may disrupt the game’s performance and cause it to stop running. Steam may also be able to refresh its detection of the game, and stop stating the game as running.

Related: Steam Service Error – Fixed

In order to log out of your Steam account, first click your profile name in the top left corner. A list of options should then appear. Click ‘log out of account’ to log out. Afterwards, try opening the Steam game. You should no longer be able to access the game unless you log in.

Finally, log into your account again. Now, go to your Steam library to check if the game is still stated as running.

Restart Game

If Steam is stating the game as running after you’ve closed it, try restarting the game. After closing the game, relaunch it using either the Steam app or the game shortcut.

The shortcut should be located on your desktop.

Reinstall Game

If the game is struggling to close, try uninstalling it.

To uninstall the Steam game, go to the Steam client. Click on the ‘library’ tab to open your Steam library. Locate the Steam game and right-click it. Hover over ‘manage’ and click the ‘uninstall’ option that appears. The game should now start uninstalling.

Once the uninstallation has finished, the game should have now closed. You can now try reinstalling the game by going to your Steam library and locating the game.

Once you’ve found it, right-click on it. Then, click ‘install’ to download the game again.

Alternatively, you can find the ‘install’ option on the game’s page. In your Steam library, click on the game from the left side tab. This should open the game’s page. Click the ‘install’ option to download the game.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if a Steam game is struggling to close, the game may be experiencing some issues. Try restarting the game, or force shutting your device if the screen is frozen.

Also: Steam Game Missing File Privileges

Alternatively, Steam may be incorrectly detecting the game as running. This means the issue probably lies with your Steam client. Try restarting the program, or contacting Steam Support if you’re unable to find a solution.