Counter-Strike 2 is a great multiplayer first-person shooter, but it can have technical issues like any PC game. A widely reported Counter-Strike issue has an error message that says, “Matchmaking Failed: VAC was unable to verify your game session.” Players have reported that this issue arises when they try to start CS2 matches. It was also a common issue for CSGO, but matchmaking is no longer supported for the original game. This is how you can fix the CS2 “VAC was unable to verify” error on Windows PCs.
Set Counter-Strike 2 to Run as An Administrator
First, start with the more basic possible resolutions for the “VAC was unable to verify” error, such as setting CS2 to run with elevated administrator rights. Doing that will give the game full Windows system access. You can set Counter-Strike 2 to always run as administrator like this.
- Start Steam and go to the Library tab within that software.
- Right-click Counter-Strike 2 and select Properties.
- Select Local Files and click Browse.
- Right-click the csgo EXE file and select Properties.
- Next, select Run this program as an administrator within CSGO’s Compatibility tab.
The Run as administrator option
- Select Apply to set the selected administrator option.
- To close the csgo Properties window, click on OK.
Verify the Counter-Strike 2 Game Files
Steam’s Verify Integrity option repairs corrupted or missing game files, which can fix a wide variety of gaming issues. That option may not fix the “VAC was unable to verify” error for CS2 players, but it’s worth trying. This Steam page provides details on how you can verify game files.
The Verify integrity of game files button
Change Your Steam Profile Name
Admittedly, changing the Steam profile name sounds like a slightly odd potential fix for the “VAC was unable to verify” error. However, some Counter-Strike 2 players have confirmed that this solution worked for them. This is how you can change your Steam profile name.
- Open Steam and click your profile name by the Community tab.
- Select Profile on the menu.
The Profile option
- Press the Edit Profile button.
- Erase the name Profile Name box and enter a different one there.
The Profile Name box
- Click the Save option.
Delete Counter-Strike 2 Launch Options in Steam
Have you set any launch options for Counter-Strike 2? If so, try deleting those launch options like this.
- Run your Steam gaming client and bring up its Library tab.
- Right-click on the Counter-Strike 2 game to select Properties.
- Erase any launch option within the Launch Options box on the General tab.
The Launch Options box
- Run the Windows System File Checker Command
Run the Windows System File Checker Command
Some CS2 players have confirmed repairing Windows files with the System File Checker tool can fix the “VAC was unable to verify” error. You can run that tool by executing a sfc /scannow command within the Command Prompt. This Microsoft SFC help page provides full instructions for how to apply this potential solution.
The SFC scannow command
Clear the Temp Folder and Steam’s Cache
Clearing the Temp folder and Steam’s download download cache might erase corrupted data causing the “VAC was unable to verify” error on your PC. Steam has an option for clearing its cache, and you can manually clear the Temp folder via File Explorer. You can apply this potential fix by clearing the Temp folder and Steam’s cache like this.
- Press the taskbar’s library folder icon that activates File Explorer.
- Navigate to the Temp folder at this location: C:\Users\<user folder name>\AppData\Local\Temp.
- Select all data in the folder with the Ctrl + A hotkey.
The Temp folder
- Press the Del button on your keyboard to erase selected files.
- If a Folder Access Denied prompt opens, select the Do this for all current items checkbox and click Continue.
- Next, open Steam.
- Click the Steam menu and select Settings.
- Press the Clear Download Cache button on the Downloads tab.
The Clear Download Cache option
- Click OK on the Clear Download Cache prompt.
Replace the Steamservice.dll File
Some Counter-Strike 2 players also confirm that replacing the steamservice.dll in the Common Files > Steam directory solves the “VAC was unable to verify” error. Thus, it seems this error can arise because of an issue with that steamservice.dll file. This is how you can replace the Steamservice.dll file.
- First, make sure Steam isn’t running in the background.
- Go into File Explorer and open the bin folder at this location: This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam > bin.
- Right-click the steamservice.dll file in that folder and select Copy.
The Copy option in Windows 11
- Next, open this Steam folder: This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Common Files > Steam.
The Steam folder
- Right-click inside the Steam folder and select Paste.
- Select the Replace the file in the destination option.
- Click Continue to confirm.
Other Possible Ways to Fix the CS2 “VAC Was Unable to Verify” Error
Those aren’t necessarily the only possible ways to fix the Counter-Strike 2 “VAC was unable to verify” error. These potential solutions might also resolve the same issue:
- Log out and back into your Steam user account.
- Reinstall the Counter-Strike 2 game.
- Repair the Steam gaming client via the Command Prompt by executing this command: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe” /repair. You’ll need to alter the path of that command if your Steam software is installed at a non-default location.
- This issue can also arise because of VAC account bans. So, check the VAC status on the Account tab in Steam to see if a VAC ban is enforced on your account.
The possible resolutions for the Counter-Strike 2 “VAC was unable to verify” error have worked for many players. So, a potential solution in this guide will probably resolve that matchmaking issue on your Windows PC if there isn’t a VAC ban on your account. Then you can return to the blasting action in Counter-Strike 2.
