Disconnected by VAC




What does this error mean?

This error is caused by third-party software interfering with your game or Steam. There are a number of common software conflicts that can cause this error. Please disable the following while playing:

  • CCleaner
  • Powershell
  • Sandboxie
  • Cheat Engine
  • IObit Start Menu 8
  • Process Hacker
  • DLL Injectors
  • Hypervisors
  • Steam Idlers

If you've disabled these programs and the error persists, it may be resolved by exiting Steam and restarting your computer. If that doesn't resolve the error, please attempt the following:


Repair the Steam Service

This error may also indicate a Steam service failure. Please try repairing the Steam service:

  1. Exit Steam.
  2. Click Start > Run (Windows Key + R)
  3. Type of following command: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe" /repair
  4. Launch Steam and test the issue again.

Note: This command requires administrator privileges and may take a few minutes. If you have installed Steam to another path, please replace C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam with the correct path.


Repair system files

There may be corrupted files that are causing this issue. The following instructions will run a critical system file check on your Windows installation, replacing any missing or damages files:

  1. Exit Steam
  2. Click the Start button, All Programs, and Accessories.
  3. Right-click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator...
  4. In the command prompt, type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow
  5. Once the operation has completed, please restart your computer, launch Steam, and test the issue again.

Note: If you are running Windows 8, you will need to press Windows Key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).


Additional information can be found on the official Steam knowledge-base article.

Still have questions? We'd love to help.