How to fix “SteamVR Home has stopped working” error

SteamVR is a virtual reality system from Valve that is a pleasure to play with. Some users have stated on the forums that SteamVR crashes on startup. The error message looks like this: “SteamVR has stopped working” or “Steam not found”. This article contains several potential solutions for those who do not have ViaR Home. Before proceeding with the instructions, try reinstalling ViaR.

Steam cache check VR tool

SteamVR will not work with corrupted or missing files. Cache Integrity Check VR tool replaces corrupted or missing files. Check the tool cache as follows.

• Click Library in the Steam client software to open the dropdown menu -> Tools.
• Right-click SteamVR and select Properties from its context menu.
• Go to the “Local Files” tab.
• Click the Check Integrity Instrument Cache button.

Running Steam software as administrator

Running Steam client as administrator fixes Steam VR launch error.

• Right-click on the Steam.exe file in the folder.
• From the context menu, select the Run as administrator option.

Optimizing Windows for Steam VR

There are several ways to optimize Windows to provide a smoother ViR experience. If your laptop or desktop is equipped with an Nvidia GPU, adjust the power management mode for “maximum performance” using the Nvidia Control Panel options. Optimize Windows with the 3D settings of the NvidiaControl panel.

• Right-click on the Windows desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
• Click 3D Options.
• Then select the “Manage 3D Settings” tab shown in the snapshot below.
• Select “Maximum Performance” from the Power Management Mode drop-down menu.
• Click the Apply button.

Remove conflicting third-party software

Valve has confirmed that there are several programs in conflict with ViaR.

• The Asus AI Suite
• JDSLabs ODAC USB Audio device
• TP-LINK 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter
• Apple Cinema

If you have any of these applications installed, uninstall it and restart Windows. Some Steam users have also stated that removing GeForce Experience and Avast antivirus helps restore the viar to work.

Update your graphics device drivers

The error messages are due to compatibility issues. For example, Stimviar stopped working for some users after the Windows 10 Creators Update. Updating your graphics card will likely fix the problem.

• First, provide the platform and graphics card details. Press Win + R keys and enter “dxdiag” in the Run text box to open the window shown below.
• Make a note of the operating system listed on the System tab.
• Go to the Display tab and write down the graphics card listed there.
• Then open the website of your video card manufacturer in a browser, find the driver download section.
• The Nvidia and AMD websites have drop-down menus where you can find them by specifying the card model and OS.
• Then click the Download button for the latest compatible driver for your graphics card.
• Uninstall the current video card driver, win + R type “appwiz.cpl” in Run, selecting the video card driver to uninstall and clicking the “Uninstall” button.
• After that, open the folder where you saved the new driver.
• Open the setup file as an administrator to run it.
• Follow all instructions of the installer.
• After installation, restart your computer.