Fixing ‘Disconnected from Steam’ Issue in Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most played games. However, we’ve seen a spike in reports where the game crashes with the “Disconnected from Steam” message. The problem is reported on nearly all the game-supported platforms with Steam.

MW2 requires a continuous connection to Steam servers for player profile authentication. A brief disconnection for any reason results in a ‘Disconnected from Steam’ error.

Troubleshooting Prerequisites

• Server Status: Verify if the Steam servers are operational. Note that the client may display the current error during Steam’s weekly server maintenance if you are playing at that time.
• Relaunch: Exit Steam via the system tray, close any running processes in Task Manager, and then launch it to check if it’s working.
• Re-login: Log out and then back into the Steam client to see if the issue is resolved.
• Restart: Check if rebooting the system and router resolves the issue.
• Administrator access: Run Steam and MW2 as an administrator to see if it resolves the problem.
• Network: Try using a different network type, or a VPN, to see if it resolves the problem.
• Move the Game to the System Drive: If the game is currently installed on a non-system drive, switch it to the system drive and confirm whether this resolves the issue.

  

Depending on the cause, you can fix the issue swiftly by running the game as an administrator or clearing its cache. For severe cases, consider relinking your platform accounts or uninstalling any conflicting applications.

1. Clear the cache for Modern Warfare 2 and Steam

If an invalid or incorrect entry exists in the MW2 game cache or Steam client, it may cause game disconnection.

To resolve the issue, delete the cache of Modern Warfare 2 and Steam.

Clear the Steam Cache

1. Launch the Steam client and open the Steam menu.
2. Go to Settings > Downloads and click on Clear the Download Cache.

   

3. Relaunch Steam and open MW2. See if the game is working correctly.

Clear the Cache of MW2

1. Right-click Windows and select Run.
2. Go to the following directory and delete the Cache folder:

   Documents

   

3. Go to the following directory and delete the COD folder:

   %localappdata%\Activision

4. Navigate to the following folder in the Run command box and delete the bootstrapper folder:

   %AppData%\Activision\

5. Launch MW2 and check if the Steam disconnection problem I solved.

2. Disable On-Demand Texture Streaming

On-Demand Texture Streaming (ODTS) streams high-quality textures throughout gameplay, reducing overall game size as it eliminates the need for a large texture pack. If Steam client’s loading process fails due to bandwidth issues, it might display ‘Disconnected from Steam’.

To fix this, disable On-Demand Texture Streaming in the game settings.

1. Launch the MW2 game and go to Settings > Graphics > Quality.
2. Disable On Demand Texture Streaming and relaunch Steam.

   

3. Open the Modern Warfare 2 and see if the issue is resolved.

3. Disable MWII DLC

Downloadable Content (DLC) enables players to download extra features, such as multiplayer map packs. If the MW2 DLC is consuming significant network bandwidth, it can cause a Steam disconnection during gameplay, leading to potential issues.

To fix this, disable MWII DLC in the Steam client settings.

1. Launch the Steam client and go to Library.
2. Right-click on the MW2 game and go to Properties > DLC.
3. Uncheck additional DLCs (except for multiplayer) and click OK.

   

4. Relaunch the Steam client and open MW2. Verify if the issue is resolved.

4. Enable Steam’s Low Bandwidth Mode

If your PC cannot fully utilize the network bandwidth, or if the bandwidth cannot meet the client’s requirements, it will throttle the bandwidth and cause the ‘Disconnected from Steam’ error.

To fix this, activate Low Bandwidth Mode in the Steam client settings. This mode will restrict the client to use bandwidth only for essential services.

1. Launch the Steam client and go to Settings > Library.
2. Enable Low Bandwidth Mode and relaunch the client.

   

3. Open the MW2 game and see if the Steam disconnection issue is resolved.

You can also use 3^rd party applications (such as NetLimiter) to limit the bandwidth.

5. Check the Power Management of the Network Card

If the network card’s power management feature puts the card to sleep during use, it can cause a disconnection, leading to a Steam disconnection issue.

Check the network card’s power management to solve this.

1. Right-click Windows and go to Device Manager > Network Adapters.
2. Right-click on the network card in use and select Properties.
3. Go to the Advanced tab and in the Property column, select Energy Efficient Ethernet.

   

4. Set its value to Disabled and click on Apply.
5. Repeat the same for Green Ethernet and Wake on Magic Packet.
6. Click on Apply and go to the Power Management tab.
7. Uncheck Allow the Computer to Turn off This Device to Save Power and click on Apply/OK.

   

8. Restart the system and launch MW2. See if it is operating properly.

6. Update MW2, Steam, BIOS and Drivers

If the MW2 game, Steam, system OS, BIOS, and drivers are outdated, they may be incompatible. Updating each component should resolve this issue.

Update the MW2 Game

1. Launch Steam and go to the Library.
2. Right-click on MW2 and select Properties.
3. Go to Updates and set the dropdown of Automatic Updates to Always Keep This Game Updated. 

   

4. Click OK and install any updates shown.
5. Restart the system and check if the disconnection problem is solved.

Update the Steam Client

1. Launch the Steam client and open the Steam menu.
2. Select Check for Steam Client Updates and install updates (if available).

   

3. Restart the system and launch Steam.
4. Open MW2 and verify if its disconnection problem is solved.

Update the System’s Drivers

Outdated network drivers, graphics drivers, and RGB (magic or majestic) light drivers are a few reported to trigger the issue.

1. Right-click Windows and open Device Manager.
2. Expand the tab of Network Adapters and right-click on the network adapter.
3. Select Update Driver and click on Search Automatically for Drivers.

   

4. Once updated, restart the system and repeat the same for other drivers. Remember to restart the system after each update.
5. After updating the drivers, launch MW2 through Steam and verify if its disconnection issue is cleared.
6. If the above does not work, manually update the system’s drivers through the OEM website or by using an update utility (such as the HP Support Assistant). Then check if this clears the problem. 
7. If the issue persists, update the system’s BIOS and confirm if the issue is resolved. 

7. Check the Integrity of the Game Files of MW2

If the MW2 essential game files become invalid, the game will crash, displaying a Steam disconnect message. To resolve this, verify the integrity of the MW2 game files.

1. Launch Steam and go to the Library.
2. Right-click on the Modern Warfare 2 game and select Properties.
3. Go to the Local Files tab and click Check Integrity of the Game Files.

   

4. Once done, restart the PC and launch Steam as an administrator.
5. Launch MW2 and see if its disconnection issue is resolved.

8. Roll Back the Network Driver

If the latest network driver update isn’t suitable for your setup, it could cause minor network disconnections, potentially leading to Steam disconnection issues.

Here, rolling back the network driver will solve the problem.

1. Right-click Windows and go to Device Manager > Network Adapters.
2. Right-click on the network card in use and select Properties.
3. Go to the Driver tab and click on Roll Back Driver.

   

4. Confirm to do so and once done, restart the system.
5. Launch Steam and open MW2. Verify if the problem is solved.

9. Relink Your Platform Accounts with Activision

If an authorization error causes your Steam client to disconnect from the servers, relinking your accounts with Activision can resolve the issue.

1. Launch a web browser and go to the Account page of the Activision website.
2. Login using your credentials and go to the Account Linking section.
3. Unlink all the platform accounts (such as Steam, Xbox, PS4, etc.) and go to Privacy & Settings.

   

4. Disable Two-Factor Authentication and wait for a minute.

   

5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication and relink the Steam account.
6. Launch MW2 through Steam and verify if the issue is resolved.

10. Check for Conflicting Apps and Devices

MW2 may disconnect from Steam due to an app conflict or if Steam is logged into multiple devices, as both situations can cause interference.

Uninstalling conflicting apps and turning off other devices should solve the problem.

Uninstall Conflicting Apps

MSI Afterburner and iCue Corsair are known to cause issues with MW2. If you have these or similar applications, uninstalling them should resolve the problem. Additionally, clean boot your Windows PC can help identify problematic applications.

1. Right-click Windows and open Apps & Features.
2. Expand the options of MSI Afterburner and click on Uninstall.

   

3. Confirm to uninstall the application and follow the prompts on the screen to complete the uninstallation.
4. Once done, restart the PC and launch MW2, and check if it is working properly.

Power Off Other Steam Logged-in devices

1. Power off all the other devices where Steam is installed (Steam mobile app or Steam client).
2. Restart the problematic system and launch Steam.
3. Open MW2 and confirm if the problem is solved.
4. If not, uninstall the Steam app on the other devices and check if this clears the problem.

   

If the issue persists, reinstall the MW2 game and Steam client. If this does not work, reset the PC to the defaults and verify if the problem is solved. If this does not work as well, contacting Steam or Activision Support will be the last option. If you have the Battle.net launcher, you can use it to play MW2, till the Steam issue is resolved.