Cleanly reinstalling Steam

If you are here because you want to fix a game problem, stop what you are doing and validate it. Validation does everything uninstalling does (except change your settings, which doesn't require reinstalling either) in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the bandwidth.

If that doesn't apply then here is how to perform a proper, clean reinstall of Steam:

• Logout of Steam if you are able to do so
• Exit Steam
• Move SteamApps out of the Steam folder. This is the folder that holds your games so you want to keep it!
• If you are having problems with a specific game, delete it's folder from SteamApps/<account> - Uninstall via Add/Remove programs, if you can
• Restart if prompted
• Delete Steam folder if it still exists
• Hit windows key + r and type regedit
• Delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Valve
• Restart
• Download and install a fresh copy of the Steam installer from http://www.steampowered.com/download/SteamInstall.exe
• Run the installer
• Exit Steam before you first login
• Move your SteamApps folder back