How to Fix Steam No Licenses Error

Are you getting a “Failure no licenses” error on Steam when you try to launch or install a game?

Here’s a variation of the error, “An error occurred while installing the game”.

And another, “An error occurred while launching the game: no licenses”.

This can happen if you’re using Steam on a PC or Steam Deck, the gaming handheld device.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the failure no licenses error on Steam for PC or Steam Deck (error occurred while launching or installing).

How to fix no licenses on Steam

Here’s how to fix licenses on Steam if you’re using family sharing:

1. Launch Steam and select the Steam logo on the top left.
2. Select “Settings” and select “Interface”.
3. Click on the “Client Beta Participation” dropdown box.
4. Select the “Steam Families Beta” option and restart Steam.
5. Click on “Friends & Chat” and select “Sign in” to switch to online mode (if you’re offline).
6. Try launching or installing the game again.

How to fix no licenses on Steam Deck

Here’s how to fix licenses on Steam Deck:

1. Go to mr_goldberg.gitlab.io/goldberg_emulator.
2. Select “Latest Build” and download it.
3. Open the File Explorer and open the Downloads folder.
4. Right-click the Goldberg folder, select “Extract All…”, and “Extract”.
5. Copy the “steam_api64.dll” file.
6. Open the game’s folder that is having issues.
7. Paste the “steam_api64.dll” file into the game’s folder and overwrite the existing .dll file.

Further reading

How to Fix “Disconnected: Steam Auth Timeout” Error in Rust

How to Fix Hogwarts Legacy Freezing, Crashing, or Not Launching

How to Fix Dead Space Not Launching, Crashing, or Freezing