VAC, Valve’s anti-cheat system was originally not used to prevent players from hacking, nor to catch hacks. This software many times missed hackers, but once detected VAC almost never banned anyone. That is why some of you panic when you see the “VAC Authentication Error” error appearing on the screen.
The good news is that VAC Authentication Error occurs even if you are a player of integrity. There are several reasons for this error to appear, but it does not mean the player is banned. Here are instructions to fix this error:
Instructions to fix VAC Authentication Error
Make sure you’re not running the Steam beta client, which can cause the VAC error.
Fix 1: Turn off Steam Beta
It is recommended to disable Steam Beta before trying other steps. It’s simple and saves you time if this is the culprit.
Since Vavle uses the Steam Beta as a testbed for new features, it’s normal for it to cause bugs from time to time. As recently, Valve accidentally rewarded the wrong player in CSGO $1,000 per death because they forgot the old code in the game config file. If Steam Beta accidentally has a .dll file with the wrong name, a VAC authentication error can also occur even though the error belongs to Valve.
Next are three things you’ve probably tried at least once before. If not, now let’s learn:
The basic fixes can solve the VAC Authentication Error.
- Method 1.1: Turn off and on again (boot the machine)
- Method 1.2: Turn on Steam in administrator mode (“as Admin”)
- Method 1.3: Verify the game file is faulty VAC Error (instructions below)
The above are the basic ways to fix on any computer and it usually takes one, two or three steps above to fix the VAC authentication error. However, if the error is still there despite performing the above steps, let’s proceed to the second fix.
What causes VAC Error? Maybe Windows 10
Problem: Windows Search can cause problems with Steam’s VAC. Sometimes, the VAC authentication error is caused by Windows 10. Besides shutting down the player’s computer in the middle of a game, the operating system has a bad habit of running background software while the VAC is trying to do its job. If the VAC is checking the game file while Microsoft is recording the filename in Windows Search, the player may be kicked out of the menu due to this error.
Method 2: Turn off the entire computer, including unplugging the power cord.
Turn off the computer, turn off the switch at the power supply unit (PSU), and remove the computer. Users need to make sure the computer is completely disconnected from the wall or from the battery, and then wait 10 minutes before turning it back on. That’s enough time for Windows not to go into hibernation or anything. Due to Windows’ default power feature, “Shut Down” is actually just hibernation. If the power is not cut off completely, the operating system will continue the job that was running before.
Can you prevent the error before it happens?
If the problem is caused by Windows then the answer is yes. Users can avoid the VAC authentication error by adding a Steam folder or a specific game folder to the Windows exceptions list (see image below).
Eliminate VAC errors with the following network command
One of the top reasons why you get kicked off a secured map by VAC is often due to a connection failure. If the server cannot communicate with the VAC on your computer, the server will choose to safely kick you out. This is usually caused by the firewall built into your modem. Players can fix it by fixing Steam and asking for a modem/router for a new IP address. Here are the troubleshooting instructions.
Problem: VAC Authentication cannot run Steam cache and original IP.
- Fix: Clear the Steam cache and start with a new IP for Valve’s VAC to check.
Exit Steam, go to the search bar (Search). You need to find the command prompt – which can be opened with the “cmd” syntax. Once opened, you can type the following three lines in order, remember to press enter before starting a new line. Note, this will log you out of Steam.
- start steam://flushconfig
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig/renew
Problem: Network problems may be the reason why the Valve server and the VAC cannot communicate with each other. If so, you need to open the port (port forwarding).
- Edit 3: Forward port of Steam on the computer.
Opening a port (Port forwarding) sounds complicated, but it simply opens the bandwidth between the router and the computer. The user opens a port, or port “range,” from the router to the computer’s IP address. It allows Steam to communicate directly to the Valve server without any loss of information, at least in your home.
Different parts of Steam use different ports to communicate with Valve’s network. You can port forward depending on your needs. For example, Steam’s Remote Play uses a range of ports, but unless you’re actively using the Remote Play feature, we don’t really need to complicate this issue. If the connection is not lost, you can try opening the following specific ports related to the game:
- Games
- UDP remote port 27000–27100
- UDP local port 27015
- Follow live matches, like Dota’s DPC or CSGO Major
- Peer-to-Peer Networki and Steam Voice
- UDP remote port 3478
- UDP remote port 4379
- UDP remote port 4380
Because the process of opening ports is slightly different for each router, you should read the router’s instructions to know how to open the port yourself.
One more thing: If you’re having trouble connecting to a dedicated server or experiencing other network issues, Valve has made a full port list available by Steam on support.steampowered.com for you to try.
The final tip to fix the VAC authentication error is to temporarily leave it untouched. VAC and Steam are famous for ‘it didn’t work a second ago, now it’s working fine’. Sometimes, unplugging the network and then plugging it back in will fix the error itself. If you have any other tips, please share with the article by commenting below.
You can read more CSGO-themed articles:
Source link: Instructions to fix VAC authentication error in CSGO
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