6 Ways to Fix the Steam “Failed to Load SteamUI.dll” Error on Windows PCs

Many Windows PC gaming fanatics are familiar with Steam, the foremost games client software. However, some players can’t access Steam because of the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error message. This is what one user’s Reddit post said about that error: “Recently I’ve been unable to run the Steam client and therefore CS:GO. When I try to run the program I am met with this error message ‘Failed to load SteamUI.dll.’” This is how you can fix the “Failed to Load SteamUI.dll” error on Windows PCs.

Read also: 6 Ways You Can Fix the “Steam Must be Running to Play This Game” Error

Run Steam in Compatibility Mode

First, try running Steam in compatibility mode, which some players confirm can fix the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll.” Applying this possible resolution sets a program to run as it would on an older Windows platform. These are the steps for running Steam in compatibility mode:

1. Click the File Explorer shortcut on the taskbar and open the Program (x86) > Steam folder.
2. Right-click the steam.exe file to select Properties.
3. Click Compatibility to access the settings in that tab.
4. Select Run this program in compatibility mode for the Windows 8 platform setting.
   
   

   The Run this program in compatibility mode for option

5. Press Apply to save selected settings and OK to exit.

Delete the Libswscale-3 and the SteamUI Files

This Steam error can arise because the SteamUI file referenced is corrupted or missing. Deleting the SteamUI and Libswscale-3 files is a player-confirmed way to fix the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error. This is how you can delete those files:

1. Open the Steam installation folder.
2. Right-click the SteamUI.dll file to select Delete.
   
   

   The SteamUI.dll file

3. Next, right-click the libswscale-8.dll file and select Delete.
4. Try starting Steam to see if the error persists.

Delete the Steam Data Folder

A corrupted Steam data folder might also be causing the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error on your PC. Deleting the Steam data folder will address this potential cause. You can erase the Steam data (not the installation) folder like this:

1. Go into File Explorer and bring up the C:\Users\<user folder>\AppData\Local folder.
2. Next, select the Steam data folder by clicking on it once.
3. Click on Delete within File Explorer’s command bar or Home tab.
   
   

   The Steam data folder

4. Restart Windows and try starting Steam.

Execute Steam Repair Command

You can try repairing Steam issues by executing a repair command for that software. Some users who’ve needed to fix the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error say executing that command has worked for them. This is how you can execute that command:

1. Press the Windows logo + S key combination that opens the search box.
2. Type in cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. Input “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe” /repair and press Enter.

The Steam repair command

Note that the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe is the default installation path for Steam. If you’ve installed the software in a different location, you will need to modify that command to include the correct directory path for Steam on your PC.

Upgrade to Windows 11

Some users say they resolved the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error by upgrading to Windows 11. Now might not be a bad time to upgrade to 11 because Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 later this year. If you’re a Windows 10 user, you can select to upgrade to 11 via Settings like this:

1. Open the search tool in Windows.
2. Type in Windows Update, and select Check for updates.
3. Click Download and install for Windows 11.

The Download and install option

Reinstall Steam

Finally, try reinstalling Steam if none of the resolutions above work for you. However, uninstalling Steam will remove games installed with that gaming client. So, you’ll have to reinstall games afterward. You can reinstall Steam as instructed on this Valve help page.

The Programs and Features Control Panel applet

Applying the potential resolutions will probably resolve the “Failed to load SteamUI.dll” error on most users’ PCs. Nothing is necessarily guaranteed, but the troubleshooting methods above have worked for many users. You can also send a support ticket to Steam about this gaming issue from this support page for more potential fixes.