FOUND A SOLUTION

1. Delete the appcache folder from your steam directory
2. Delete the appcache folder from your recycle bin
3. Restart your computer
4. Launch steam

This works for me every time 100% when my steam does that

what is the meaning of life?

I changed the firewall setting of my wireless router and it worked for me

Am I the only one who still can't play online xD?

its good to see more people other than myself have managed to fix it :)

i dont want to reinstall windows, i just go offline and go back online, and I just do it over and over until it works.

So the reinstalling worked for me on the second time. So here is what you need to.
If you have legit windows, reinstall it with the same windows.
if you have a cracked one try reinstalling with a different windows (could be the same windows just another version or language)

REINSTALLED WINDOWS JUST NOW
FULLY WORKING
MUST OF BEEN MALWARE!

Finally got 2 weeks holiday break from work,
steam network stops working first day of holiday,
2 weeks passed no reply from steam support,
♥♥♥♥ steam.

Ive checked it and seems like its a problem with the WINDOWS itself. I mean i have another pc that has the same windows 7 from the same disk. and apperantly it has the same issue. the only thing i can do is to download a different version of the windows since that problematic one is a old Versioned one and i cant update him. I still dont know what realy caused this issue to other users

ITS VERY IMPORTANT. I reinstalled my windows but i left some files on it. steam is not working either. The people who say reinstalling works. Have you deleted everything from the windows?

I reinstall my windows and its working..

I am realy dissapointed about steam. guess what, an update. wow they probably fixed this issue after full 5 weeks. well i guess no. no change. i tried the update still not working. reinstalled steam on different disks same error again. i guess there is still no solution by steam.

know that feel bro. it takes more than a month to fix it. im probably will reinstall windows in the next days. i will tell you if it works. most of the people say it does.

More than 1 month and still with the same problem... ¬¬

sorry if i've been gone for a while, school-
go to your task manager and stop all the steam stuff from working, they'll run again in the future but won't effect gameplay

http://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=1376-WTZN-9132

oh ok sorry i couldn't help more :(

ive tried that. but i have alredy knew it wouldnt work because my laptop is running steam normaly and also my other windows on the pc with the issue

@R man power you have probably tried this already but if you haven't try resetting your router/ modem to factory settings that worked for me but unfortunately i don't know why it worked :/

If thats true. i hope it will help steam fix it↓

Well if you are not bullshiting me, tell me what is the cure↓

i found another cure without reinstalling windows :3

I have finnaly managed to use my other windows on the pc (windows xp)
and steam worked good for me as there was no problem. so if anyone of you have another available windows on the pc you can use for steam.

SIR ANY WAYS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT REINSTALL WINDOWS?.... I HATE THIS I CANT PLAY

Thats a good a solution too. ↓

Okay, after months of troubleshooting i've found a solution: Just uninstall Steam and never use it again, this solves the problem.

Somebody has solved the problem? I still cant open steam, and support solutions are not good solutions

ok so after loads of stressing out and uninstalling and re installing i rebooted my router and reset the settings back to the factory standard and now i am able to log in i suggest you guys try this too if you haven't already.

After two weeks without steam, i got tired of it and decided to reinstall windows today. It worked. It sucks but at least there is a way to make it work.

dont worry you can still connect on the internet.... because oh boy is that useful...

this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sucks a whole week and no reply from steam support this is literally the only help there is you would think with how much money they make from us they would care a little too. i guess not though.

No i have the same problem but i can get the client online i see people playing games but i cant connect to any game sever its like im online but offline if that makes any sense i feel ur pain i wanna play with everyone else but the -tcp thingy lets me aleast play even if its solo like in pd2 and l4d2 and csgo i can play alone but yes this is crazy i played Friday night and Saturday it was broke i feel ur pain thats why i joined this group i even call my internet provider and blamed them but i know its steam at least they can do is say we know we're working

After waiting for I don't even remember how much time I once again uninstalled steam, downloaded new installer and installed steam again to see if they fixed anything.
It downloaded latest update on start as it always does and HEY WHERE'D YOUR INTERNET GO?

Well, let's wait some more, maybe someone will finally find a solution.
Completely reinstalling Windows just because Steam decided to update is absurd.

FormerClinet6.
you are probably new to the group and you probably dont have the issue we have here.
you probably think we are stupid for not trying it for the last 2 weeks this issue has been so popular. we tried everything, this solution and much more. the only solution that was found is to reinstall windows or download another one on a different disk or steam will find a solution and will fix it

One space then type -tcp then run the shortcut

Well i can get in and i see people online but i cant join any games its like im playing offline but im online how did i get in Got to ur steam program file create a shortcut of the steam application go to properties of the shortcut where it says target "C:\program Files (x86)\steam.exe" (1space )-tcp then run as admin that will get u online

Finally formated the computer. It Worked... but it's not a solution...

This is the third week I've been waiting for support.

"Just re-install the OS or buy a new PC, haha!" yeah... WTH, this isn't the Apple-support hotline, isn't it? re-installining of my handcrafted OS is not an option. i don't have an open ticket at steam-support, because i'm aware that i'm not the only one. not yet.

I re-installed windows and it works for me first try so whatever reason that works but it sucks that steam couldn't just fix the problem since there is so many of us with 100's of dollars worth of games that we can't play unless we reinstall.

Did you guys try the windows re-install?

I still occasionally get a login problem, even on my second windows dedicated to steam (see my previous posts), but usually it allows me to login after a few tries. On my original windows it still wont work. No reply from support still, pathetic. Maybe its time to start suing valve :D

Steam runs on my Android and i can login with any browser, but the client doesn't work on my PC. I try'd everything, it is a Steam problem, not me. I think it has something to do with the steam-guard which blocks the Hardware-ID.
I can't play games since January!

Still the same... more than a week later. Too many € wasted for nothing...

So yeah, I have no idea what to do at this point. Tried every fix they gave us, none of them worked. So I'm sitting here on top of 1,200 dollars worth of games and items that I cannot use or access. Good job Steam.

Sooooo i was thinking if some of us can get the client to go online iwth tcp ... is there any way to do that for games ? o.O so in the mean time in can play online games ?

sry guys i dont what your problem is i hope it gets fixed soon

"sigh", I suspected they would give a idiot reply like that.. at least you got a reply lol im still waiting!

Anyway I decided to try the windows re-install option today, and it worked :D
What I did was install windows onto my D: drive, and left my original windows on my C: drive (I could'nt face re-installing all my programmes on C: drive). I now get the option to select which windows I want to start when I boot the PC. So my original windows stays at it was, and my second windows is now dedicated to steam lol. At least I can play my games again, but I will keep pestering support and lookout for a fix to the original issue. Perhaps the next steam update will fix it.

For now I guess I will need to live with starting up the secondary windows for steam.
Will let you guys know if I hear anything better from steam support or some other fix comes up, but I suspect we will have to wait for the next steam release, and if that doesnt work, go the windows route

Response from helpdesk today:

Delete all filles except steam.exe...

Something I've done several times...

I reinstalled steam alot....