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How to Fix "Application Load Error 5:0000065434" in Steam

How to Fix “Application Load Error 5:0000065434” in Steam

Steam Error “Application Load Error 5:0000065434” appears after you start a Steam game, which prevents the game from starting. This article will help you address this issue and get your game up and running in no time.

Application Load Error 5:0000065434

Many gamers have experienced this error when launching Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, Mirror’s Edge, and Mass Effect.

What Causes This Error?

Our research has revealed that “Application Load Error 5:0000065434” tends to occur if the game installation is not in the same folder as the Steam installation. In this case, you can fix this error by linking the game files to Steam using Command Prompt or placing a copy of Steam.exe in the game’s destination folder.

This error can occur due to corrupted game files that need to be redownloaded, and corrupted game cache files.

Furthermore, this error can occur if your Steam game has installed mods.

Video on How to Fix “Application Load Error 5:0000065434” in Steam

Table of Contents:

Method 1. Run Steam as an Administrator

Right-click Steam and click Properties

1. Right-click the Steam desktop shortcut and click Properties.

Mark Run this program as an administrator and click Apply

2. Select the Compatibility tab.

3. Mark the Run this program as an administrator checkbox.

4. Click Apply and click OK.

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Method 2. Delete the appcache Folder

1. Open Steam.

Open Steam menu and click Exit

2. Open the Steam menu in the menu bar and click Exit.

Type in C:Program Files (x86)Steam in the address box and press Enter

3. Hold down Windows+E keys to open File Explorer.

4. In the address bar, type in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam (by default) and press the Enter key.

Right-click the appcahce folder and click Delete

5. Find the appcache folder, right-click it, and click Delete.

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Method 3. Place a Copy of Steam.exe in the Game Folder

1. Hold down Windows+E keys to open File Explorer.

Type in C:Program Files (x86)Steam in the address bar and press Enter

2. In the address bar, type in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam (by default) and press the Enter key.

Right-click Steam.exe and click Copy

3. Find Steam.exe, right-click it, and click Copy.

Type in C:Program Files(x86)Steamsteamappscommon and press Enter

4. Then, go to the Steam game library at C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common (by default).

Access a game's folder and click Paste

5. Access the game’s folder, right-click and click Paste.

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Method 4. Link Game Files to Steam Using Command Prompt

1. Hold down Windows+R keys to open Run.

Type in CMD in Run and hold down Ctrl+Shift+enter keys to open Command Prompt as administrator

2. In the Run dialog box, type in CMD and hold down Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys to open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Create a symbolic link using Command Prompt

3. In the Command prompt window, type in:

cd “{GameFolder}”

Replace {GameFolder} with the file path of the game. We will use the Mass Effect 2 Demo for demonstration purposes.

cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect 2 Demo”

Press the Enter key to execute the command.

4. Then, type in:

mklink “steam.exe” “{SteamFolder}\steam.exe”

Replace {SteamFolder} with the file path where Steam is installed.

mklink “steam.exe” “C:\Program Files (x86)\steam.exe”

5. Press Enter to execute the command. You should get a message saying, “symbolic link created for steam.exe,” if you did everything correctly.

After executing the commands shown above, make sure Steam is running when launching the game.

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Method 5. Verify Integrity of Game Files

1. Open Steam.

Right-click a game in the Steam Library and click Properties

2. In the Library window, right-click the game and select Properties.

Go to Local Files tab and click Verify integrity of game files

3. In the pop-up window, select the Local Files tab.

4. Click Verify integrity of game files. Wait for the verification process to complete.

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About the author:

Rimvydas Iliavicius

Rimvydas is a researcher with over four years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. He attended Kaunas University of Technology and graduated with a Master's degree in Translation and Localization of Technical texts. His interests in computers and technology led him to become a versatile author in the IT industry. At PCrisk, he's responsible for writing in-depth how-to articles for Microsoft Windows. Contact Rimvydas Iliavicius.

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