Launcher Error: Trouble Communicating with Steam

[deanocide]

Hi I have this issue with the launcher. I've tried reinstalling and deleting the launcher files but to no avail. I've uninstalled it through the programs menu in windows and reinstalling with no luck either.

The 'more details' message is: {"messageId":"game.steamInitilizationFailed"}

 

[grotaclas]

Do you start the launcher through steam or in another way?
Do you have a firewall that might block the communication between the launcher and steam which happens over the loopback/localhost network interface?

Disclaimer: I'm not working for Paradox. I'm just trying to help people.

 

[AndrewT]

If those don't help, Please try this:

- exit the Steam app completely
- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run EU4 from the Steam PLAY button

I hope that works for you!

If not though, try running EU4.exe directly. Does that at least get you into the game itself?

 

[deanocide]

My current workaround has been by running EU4 in the files. I'm going to try deleting all those folders.

 

[deanocide]

That worked thank you!

 

[habahaba]

If those don't help, Please try this:

- exit the Steam app completely
- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run EU4 from the Steam PLAY button

I hope that works for you!

If not though, try running EU4.exe directly. Does that at least get you into the game itself?

Well, I have the exact same problem as the OP, except that I'm on Linux. What do you recommend that I do?

 

[grotaclas]

Well, I have the exact same problem as the OP, except that I'm on Linux. What do you recommend that I do?

Did you already try to restart steam and to restart your computer? That sometimes helps.
To uninstall the launcher in Linux, you can delete the directories ~/.paradoxlauncher and "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/" and the file "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcherpath". Afterwards you can start eu4 from steam again to reinstall the launcher.

Disclaimer: I'm not working for Paradox. I'm just trying to help people.

 

[habahaba]

Did you already try to restart steam and to restart your computer? That sometimes helps.
To uninstall the launcher in Linux, you can delete the directories ~/.paradoxlauncher and "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/" and the file "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcherpath". Afterwards you can start eu4 from steam again to reinstall the launcher.

Disclaimer: I'm not working for Paradox. I'm just trying to help people.

I tried doing this, but the problem persists.

After exiting steam, deleting the folders, restarting steam, and starting the game from steam, I get the same window with an error message as mentioned in the OP.

To add: I can run the game directly from the files without issues, my problem is just with the launcher itself.

 

[grotaclas]

Did you activate any firewall setting? The launcher communicates with steam via the loopback network interface (lo). Maybe that is blocked in your case.
How did you install steam in Linux? Did you do it via flatpak? That sometimes causes problems.

 

[habahaba]

Did you activate any firewall setting? The launcher communicates with steam via the loopback network interface (lo). Maybe that is blocked in your case.
How did you install steam in Linux? Did you do it via flatpak? That sometimes causes problems.

The computer is managed by my company, so it's possible there is some firewall in place. How can I detect that though?

I installed steam via the .deb file.

 

[grotaclas]

You can use the commands "iptables -n -L" and "iptables -t nat -n -L"(But I think rules in the "nat" table wouldn't affect the communication with steam). You must run this commands as root or with sudo. If there are no firewall rules the output of the first command would be:

Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination

But it is possible that there are other ways to have a firewall that is not visible with these iptables commands. My knowledge about that is probably outdated.

 

[Gamernick42]

Hello, I think I am having a similar issue on Linux. I deleted the folders and checked the iptables -n -L output (it is what was previously described). Launcher still gives same error.

 

[grotaclas]

Hello, I think I am having a similar issue on Linux. I deleted the folders and checked the iptables -n -L output (it is what was previously described). Launcher still gives same error.

Which Linux distribution are you using and how did you install steam? Maybe something on your system restricts steam or restricts the launcher in a way that it doesn't find steam.
If you start eu4 directly from a terminal, can it communicate with steam or does it output a message that steam can't be reached?

 

[Gamernick42]

I do not think that Arch does that (I use the steam package from the official Arch repositories).

If I run eu4 without steam, the following prints out in the console:

[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; unable to locate a running instance of Steam, or a local steamclient.so.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; unable to locate a running instance of Steam, or a local steamclient.so.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; unable to locate a running instance of Steam, or a local steamclient.so.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; unable to locate a running instance of Steam, or a local steamclient.so.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; unable to locate a running instance of Steam, or a local steamclient.so.
Steam is not running.
Steam not detected. Due to the fact that the game utilizes Steamworks code, some features may not function correctly if Steam is not running on your machine.

However, with steam running in the background, the message does not occur.

Now the dowser ("launcher") does not work with or without steam running and gives no console output about it.

 

[grotaclas]

However, with steam running in the background, the message does not occur.

That is interesting.
Just for confirmation, you get a "Steam runtime communication error" when running the game/launcher from steam with the following message:

We had trouble communicating with Steam. Verify that Steam is running, doesn't have administrator privileges and try opening this game directly through Steam. If the issue persists, contact support. You can also ignore the error and proceed to the game, but certain functionalities may not work.

Or do you get the exact error which is shown in the first post? Or do you get another error message, if so which is it?

 

[Gamernick42]

It is the error you described.

We had trouble communicating with Steam. Verify that Steam is running, doesn't have administrator privileges and try opening this game directly through Steam. If the issue persists, contact support. You can also ignore the error and proceed to the game, but certain functionalities may not work.

with buttons at the bottom to either "ignore" or "exit".

Other symptoms include both:
A. the game failing to start with the error

Launching the game failed

B. DLC verifying/loading for a long time

 

[grotaclas]

A. the game failing to start with the error

Launching the game failed

B. DLC verifying/loading for a long time

I get these symptoms as well when I start dowser while steam is not running, so it is probably caused in some way by the inability to communicate with steam.

I don't really know why the game can communicate with steam, but the launcher can't even when it is started from outside of steam. Maybe the log files in "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/" and "~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/logs" contain some information. Or do you have something that interferes with chromium in some way? AFAIK the launcher is based on that.

 

[Gamernick42]

Attached are all the log files in the launcher-v2 and launcher-v2/logs directories.

I use chromium as a daily browser, so the only things that could be interfering with it are particular to the launcher.

 

[grotaclas]

There are no obvious problems in the log files.

I use chromium as a daily browser, so the only things that could be interfering with it are particular to the launcher.

Maybe your extensions carry over to that special chromium version in the launcher(I don't know if that is possible or not) and an extension for privacy protection or adblocking blocks the launcher from talking to the local steam installation( to the extension this could look like some website that tries to portscan your system). You could try to create a new user account and install the game there and see if the launcher works then.

 

[Gamernick42]

I disabled what I think could be the possible extensions all at once (HTTPS Everywhere, Adblock Plus, Gauge). No change in the launcher behavior.