Impossible to connect to Steam account

[QcRail]

I`m exasperated - It`s been a week of trials to get back into my Steam account to NO AVAIL - let me be clearer so perhaps one of you pros can help me.

1. After a hard disk crash, I decided to install a SSD drive and upgrade from MS Vista to Win 8.1 (That part is running fine and very smooth!),
2. Reinstalled the Steam program from their official site (http://store.steampowered.com) and proceeded to connect to my existing account.
3. Steam is launched and a small grey window, named "Connection to Steam" offers its last option as "recover a lost account",
4. Asks if you know account name - no problem and Steam send a code to my email - again no problems, if I receive the code therefore there is connectivity; and it's at this point that the procedure becomes a nightmare...
5. After placing the said code in the proper window, Steam asks you to enter a NEW PASSWORD (twice), Again no problem as Steam confirm the password change and tells you to return to the previous page to enter your new password to login. BINGO!!! It is refused with a very disconcerning message from Steam-Guard "Sorry, but this is not entirely exact" and asks you to re-enter the said code; which gives you the same error message and you are in an endless loop!!!
6. Lastly, the last window suggest that you contact Steam Suppport. Believe it or not I have contacted the support team and have explicitely explanined the procedure and its trap (with screen grabs as proof). Since it takes a minimum of a day before getting an answer - the email exchange is slow. The last email was "the straw that broke the camel`s back" !!! they totaly ignored my last detailled diagnostic and send me a prepared and canned solution with references the an email connection that I do not poccess and ignored the fact that I am using Windows 8.1. All previous sugestions were tried specially concerning Malaware soft. (disconnected) as well as disconnecting the Windows 8.1 Firewall.

If someone could suggest a solution I would ....

Since I cant even login to my account, I cannot re-install RW2014 and all my add-ons - truly frustrating
Bernard, aka QcRail

[Chacal]

Sorry I have no answer, but why did you use "recover a lost account"? You had not lost your account.

[QcRail]

Merci Chacal,

Malheureusement Steam n'offre que 2 options : 1. créer un compte ou 2. Récupérer un compte perdu...

C'est l'enfer (to my English friends : «It's Hell» )
QcRail

[Chacal]

Obviously something went wrong during the install, because you didn't need to do either of these (create a new account or recover a lost account). You just needed to log into Steam using your current account.
Maybe there's a bug when you try to recover an account that is not lost.

Anyway I sure hope the Steam staff can do something for you.

[buzz456]

Delete Steam then go to steam install search. This page should come up. Tell it to install Steam Now.

Steam install.jpg

When that completes up in the upper page it should give you the choice of login.

steam login.jpg

[QcRail]

Well Buzz, I've also done that procedure at least 3 times in the last 8 days and it gives the same end result : a bloc from Steam Guard with a minor difference the windows are in blue and not grey. Herewith is the latest testimony.

What I can,t understand is that I have an account going back three years and I consider myself a good client with quite a few purchased addons and I can't not understand that an override mecanism is not in place to bypass this impasse - it's like hitting your head against a wall.
They have in their data base my email, and I can produce the serial number issued at purchase (at the time Steam was not the go between).

So frustrated that I don't even know on which door to knock - if you get my drift

steam05.jpg

Any other hints?

[Chacal]

What's happening is Steam Guard detects you are trying to log in from a new computer, and checks to make sure it is really you, and not someone who has stolen your password. This is a security feature. Banks do the same.

For some reason, the code they have in their database is out of sync with the code they send to you via e-mail.
Make sure you are trying the most recent access code they are sending to you. Check you spam folder, maybe some of Steam's e-mail get stuck there.

From this page:

I need help! How do I contact Steam Support for assistance with account access once Steam Guard is enabled?

Visit Steam Support and create your support account or login to your existing one if you've requested help from our support team in the past. Submit a question with "[Steam Guard]" in its Subject, categorized as "Account Questions" and then "Steam Guard/Email Verification." If you don’t have access to the email address that is currently associated with your Steam Account please provide proof of purchase within your ticket.

Note that a Steam support account is NOT THE SAME as your Steam account.

[QcRail]

Salut Chagal,

Well, again each and all your suggestions have been addressed and dealt with and I have a seperate support account with seperated PW (in which I have had at least 6 exchanges).

As for the spam email box that is not an issue. Every code sent by Steam Guard is received in my regular Outllook mail box and it is also sent to my Android tablet (by the way, I always receive the code at least a minute earlier on my tablet than on my PC); Therefore email is not an issue nor not using the latest code being sent. You'd be surprised on the amount of hours I've spent just to regain access to MY STEAM ACCOUNT.

Did you know that without access to Steam you can't re-install the backup saved by Steam backup plugin Security is one thing, Not having access to your Backup on your external disk is stupid and incompetent.

I'm staying polite, but it's very hard
QcRail

[Chacal]

Steam is convenient... when everything works well.
It has always been my fear that someday Valve would just pull the plug on me and I would lose all my games.
They can do that, you know.

It has actually happened to me before, with my first Steam account.
I had purchased Half-Life and Half-Life 2 on CDs, which required a Steam account to run, and purchased the "The Ship" mod on Steam.
I played a few multiplayer sessions on The Ship and hosted a server for a few weeks.
A couple of years later, I tried to play again, only to learn my account was blocked because of suspicious activity, or suspected piracy, etc.

Because I had changed my e-mail address meanwhile, Valve asked me to provide a proof of purchase for the games, by cutting and physically sending to them the part of the box where the serial number was printed.
Problem: I had discarded the boxes, thinking they were not important, after recording the serial numbers.

So my account was never unblocked, I had to create a new one and I had to purchase HL and HL2 again.
Not a big deal in that case, but for my present account it would hurt a lot with all the games and DLC I have now.

[QcRail]

Since Steam is little cooperative added to Chacal's last post, I've deceided to further document this saga for others who, I hope never will be trapped by Steam's rigid security check, and I not talking about airport security

You can inquire the name of your account if you furnish the product #key; therefore I tested their data base integity and the check is successful - indeed my account name matches the product key #, wow One can conclude that all links and email exchanges are compatible with my new OS and that they have «ME» somewhere in their data base
As proof to anyone (specially to Steam ) you will find a copy of Steam's response ...

PS I also do have a PDF copy of the original purchase (2011-08) Hum! it's like Alibaba in front of the cavern filled with treasures and not being able to enter when you know the password

Steam2014-12-15.jpg

QcRail, to be continued ...

[QcRail]

A saga which has just ended with success after 10 days and an exchange of 10 emails with Steam Support. Essentially, the supoort team asked me for an alternate email address. With it, the same Steam Guard procedure is applied with a twist - there is a 2 tier code entry - one with a new password and a second code (5 characters long) to complete the process. It finally worked and I was able to re-install TS2015 and all my addons - a three hour long process but rewarding when blocked for 10 days.

If I have an analysis of the procedure, I would venture that Steam support is stretching the process to see if the initial request is genuine and not pirated. Just an impression, yet I find it a bit redondant if one is to compare it with most banking institution, which asks to answer to a «secret question».

It will be a while before I finish the skin for the GE 44ton for the RWA livery.

Season`s Greetings to each and happy railroading
QcRail

[Chacal]

Finally! Good to see this resolved.
Juste à temps pour les vacances!


Yeah, I wish banks were as security-conscious as Steam is.