5 Ways to Fix the “Steam Needs to be Online to Update” Error on Windows PCs

Many players report that the “Steam needs to be online to update” error occurs when they try to update games, install them, or start Valve’s gaming client. One user said this, “So every time I try to open Steam, it gives me the updating screen, then shortly after, I get an error, ‘Steam – Fatal Error Steam needs to be online to update.‘” This is how you can fix the “Steam needs to be online to update” error on a Windows PC.

Set the Google DNS Server

Setting a Google DNS server has fixed the “Steam needs to be online to update” error for some users. Google is often a more reliable alternative to the many default DNS servers set. These are the steps for setting a Google DNS server in Windows:

1. Open Run (press the Windows logo key + R hotkey), enter ncpa.cpl, and select OK.
2. Click on your PC’s network adapter with the mouse’s right button to select the Properties option on the context menu.
3. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 within the Networking tab.
4. Next, select Use the following DNS server addresses by clicking its radio button.
5. Enter 8.8.8.8 inside the Preferred DNS box.
   
   

   The Use the following DNS server addresses

6. Type in the 8.8.4.4 value within the Alternative DNS box.
7. Click OK in the properties window to exit.

Reset the Winsock Catalog

Resetting the Winsock catalog can resolve network configuration issues that can cause the “Steam needs to be online to update” error to occur. This is a straightforward troubleshooting method you can apply by executing a command. You can reset the Winsock catalog like this:

1. Click on the file finder box (or search button) on your Windows taskbar.
2. To search for Command Prompt, enter a cmd keyword.
3. Click Run this program as an administrator in the search tool to launch the Command Prompt with elevated privileges.
4. Then, input the netsch winsock reset and hit Enter.

The netsch winsock reset command 

Sync Windows Time

An incorrectly configured Windows PC system time is another potential cause for the “Steam needs to be online to update” error. Users also confirm that selecting the time sync option in Windows has resolved this Steam gaming issue. This is how you can sync Windows time:

1. First, activate the Windows search tool and enter the date & time inside it.
2. Set the Set time zone automatically option to on by clicking its toggle switch button.
3. Then, click the Sync now button.

The sync now option

Disable Proxy

If proxy is enabled on your PC, try disabling it to fix the “Steam needs to be online to update” error. Users also confirm that selecting an automatic configuration setting, just above the Use a proxy server option, has resolved this issue. So, try disabling the proxy and selecting the automatic configuration option like this:

1. Activate the Run dialog, enter inetcpl.cpl into the Open box, and click on OK.
2. Next, click LAN settings on the Connections tab.
3. Unselect the Use a proxy server checkbox if selected.
4. Select the Use automatic configuration script option.
   
   

   The Verify integrity of game files button

5. Click OK on the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window.

Set Steam to Run With Admin Rights

Finally, try setting Steam to run with elevated privileges (admin rights). Applying this possible fix may give Steam the permission it needs to perform updates. You can configure Steam to run with administrator rights like this:

1. Right-click the shortcut for Steam on your desktop to select Properties and Compatibility.
2. Click on Run this program as an administrator to add a tick for that setting’s checkbox.
   
   

   The Run this program as administrator checkbox

3. Select Apply for saving selected settings and OK to exit.

Other Possible Ways to Fix the “Steam Needs to be Online to Update” Error

There may be other ways to resolve the “Steam needs to be online to update” error beyond those troubleshooting methods above. These are some further potential fixes for that error:

• Set up and utilize a VPN on your PC, and then try starting Steam.
• Temporarily turn off firewalls and try starting Steam. If that works, add Steam to your firewall’s allowed list.
• Reinstall your Steam software, as outlined on this Valve help page.

The potential remedies above will probably fix the “Steam needs to be online to update” error for the majority of users. Nothing is guaranteed to work, but many players have fixed that error by applying the troubleshooting methods above. If you need more potential fixes, consider sending a support ticket to Steam’s help service from this page.