The Steam Library tab shows all the games you’ve installed with Valve’s gaming client. However, some players can’t access their games in that tab because it doesn’t load for them. One user’s forum post says this: “My Steam client seems to be fine except for the fact that my Library won’t load.” Many players report that the Library tab shows a black screen when they try to access it. These are some ways to fix the Steam Library not loading on a Windows PC.
Fully Restart Steam
First, try restarting the Steam client. To do so, click the Steam menu and select Restart from there. Then, restart Valve’s gaming client to see if the Steam Library loads.
The Exit option in Steam
Set Steam to Run as an Administrator
Running Steam with elevated admin rights is a troubleshooting method some players confirm can fix the Library tab not loading. Steam will have full system privileges when you apply this possible resolution. This is how you can set your Steam gaming client to run with admin rights.
- Click the Steam shortcut with the right mouse button and select Properties > Compatibility.
- Next, select Run this program as an administrator.
The Run this program as an administrator option
- Select Apply > OK to set the settings.
Select Steam’s Big Picture Mode
Users have confirmed that selecting the Big Picture Mode option in Valve’s gaming client can sometimes fix the Steam Library tab not loading. Steam Big Picture Mode is an alternative user interface for the gaming client software. You can select that interface setting by clicking the Big Picture Mode option at the top-right corner of Steam’s window.
The Big Picture Mode option
Clear the Download Cache for Steam
Clearing the download cache for Valve’s gaming client is another confirmed fix for the Steam Library not loading. Steam includes an option for clearing its cache, which is primarily for troubleshooting games that don’t download or start. To select the option, read through the steps on this Steam page for clearing the download cache.
The Clear Cache option
Temporarily Disable Third-Party Antivirus Tools
If you have installed a third-party antivirus tool, it may be causing Steam Library tab loading issues. To address this possible cause, try temporarily turning off your antivirus program for about an hour before starting Steam. You can usually apply this possible fix by right-clicking an antivirus tool’s system tray icon and selecting a pause, or disable, option for it.
Apply a Graphical Driver Update
If your Steam Library tab goes black, a faulty or outmoded graphics driver might be causing a display issue. To remedy this, apply the graphics driver update troubleshooting method. Install the latest driver for your GPU (graphics card) with one method in this KeenGamer article.
The NVIDIA driver download page
Reinstall Your Steam Games Client
If none of the potential resolutions above fix the Library tab, try reinstalling Steam as a last resort. However, applying this resolution will also uninstall games installed with Valve’s client software. Go through the steps on this Valve help page to back up game content and remove Steam.
The Uninstall option in Programs and features
You can download the installer file by clicking the Install Steam button on this Valve page. Open the folder that includes the Steam installer file. Double-click that setup file and select the option for installing Steam.
Applying the potential resolutions here will fix the Steam Library tab not loading for the majority of users. Then, you can access your Steam games library. Those users who need further potential fixes can ask Valve’s help service for more by clicking Contact Steam Support on this page.
