No Eligible Accounts Steam Family Sharing

2 min read 06-01-2025

No Eligible Accounts Steam Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing is a fantastic feature, allowing you to share your game library with trusted family members. However, sometimes you might encounter the frustrating "No Eligible Accounts" message. This prevents you from sharing your games, leaving you and your family members unable to play. Let's troubleshoot this common problem.

Understanding Steam Family Sharing Eligibility

Before diving into solutions, it's crucial to understand the prerequisites for Steam Family Sharing. The system is designed to prevent unauthorized access and maintain the integrity of game licenses. Key eligibility requirements include:

Authorization: The account sharing the games must explicitly authorize the other account. This is done through the Steam client's Family Sharing settings.
Account Status: Both the authorizing and authorized accounts must be in good standing. This means no recent bans, suspensions, or unusual activity flagged by Steam's security systems.
Limited Concurrent Use: Only one account can use a shared game at a time. If the game is already running on one authorized account, another cannot access it simultaneously.
Game Ownership: Obviously, the game must be owned and present in the library of the account sharing the games.
Online Connection: A stable internet connection is required for both accounts to interact with the Steam servers.

Troubleshooting "No Eligible Accounts"

If you're seeing the "No Eligible Accounts" error, try these steps:

1. Verify Authorization Settings:

Double-check: Ensure both accounts are correctly authorized within the Family Sharing settings of the game-owning account.
Restart Steam: Restarting the Steam client on both machines often resolves minor glitches preventing proper authorization.

2. Check Account Status:

Review your account: Check both accounts for any warnings, bans, or restrictions from Steam. If you see anything, resolve the issue before proceeding.
Unusual activity: If you suspect unauthorized access or unusual activity on either account, review your login history and change passwords immediately.

3. Examine Concurrent Usage:

Game already running?: Confirm that the game is not currently running on another authorized account. Only one account can play a shared game at a time.
Close all instances: Make sure the game is completely closed on any other authorized machines.

4. Confirm Game Ownership and Library Access:

Verify ownership: Ensure the game is genuinely in the library of the account attempting to share it.
Library integrity: Run a Steam library integrity check to ensure all game files are present and not corrupted.

5. Check Internet Connectivity:

Internet stability: Both accounts require a stable internet connection to function properly with Steam Family Sharing. Check your network status and troubleshoot any issues.

6. Contact Steam Support:

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact Steam Support directly. They can investigate more complex problems and provide personalized assistance.

By systematically checking these points, you can likely pinpoint the reason behind the "No Eligible Accounts" message and get back to enjoying your shared Steam games. Remember, patience and methodical troubleshooting are key to resolving this common Steam Family Sharing error.