Steam Guard

[Rad Party God]

Yeah... well... shit happens... it works flawlessly fine for me since the day they implemented it, so... yeah.

Good luck with that.

It seems to work just fine for me, but I shut it off anyways, simply because the inconvenience of "Go open (and then check) your email for the code and then copy-paste it into the box" every few hours/days was starting to outweigh the security it offers.

Seriously?, the only times I need to input it is when I re-install my OS, try to access Steam via web browser or access Steam on my Android for the first time (and hadn't asked me for a code ever since).

 

[AuronFtw]

I've accessed steam on multiple desktops and laptops, several OS versions, all over several years. Never had a problem with steam guard.

It's a bit annoying at times but considering the massive library I have... I'm glad Valve is protecting it.

 

[Vrach]

Dunno, works fine for me, always sends an email straight away. It's not much of an issue either, because I rarely log into Steam from a computer that's not mine and when I do, it's just to check something out or buy it quick if it's on a sale and I can't get back home in time to get it.

 

[Doom972]

It actually works well for most people. I think that the email service which you use to get your email from Steam might block the email Steam Guard automatically sends you. try a different email account from a different service and see if it works.

 

[DoPo]

And, no matter how many layers of protection Steam Guard may have, there's always going to be a way to get around them.

What Zachary Amaranth amaranth said - this is a faulty reasoning - offshoot of the Nirvana fallacy I can't be bothered to track down but saying "it's not perfect, therefore is not needed" is not correct. By this reasoning you don't need to even have a password on your account and you don't need police, either - crime would happen, why try to prevent it? The system works as intended and greatly reduces risk. Yeah, if somebody really wanted your account, they'd get it but now the bar is so damn high that any even slightly random efforts would be immediately shot down.

Aol seems to be a real problem for it though so future users of Steam Guard be warned.

Check the spam folder, if there is one, as spam filters are a more likely cause than Steam not sending the email.

 

[zarker]

Check the spam folder, if there is one, as spam filters are a more likely cause than Steam not sending the email.

Yeah, I thought it might be that too in the beginning but it's doesn't go into them. It just takes weeks to get to me using AOL. Sadly enough, I'm not joking.

 

[KungFuJazzHands]

Wow, what a bunch of shortsighted replies to my opinion on Steam Guard. I never said it was useless. I never dismissed it offhand. It obviously has its place for day-to-day protection. I pointed out that users have had issues with it, yet that was ignored so a few people could muse on how perfect a system Steam Guard is and what perfect little technicians Gabe Newell and his cohorts are.

There is no such thing as a perfect security system. Why am I even needing to point this out, and why is it such an issue for you guys?

And yes, I do lock my doors. What a nonsensically vapid counterpoint.

How disappointing. These are the kinds of reactions I expect from people over at the Steam forums, where that kind of sycophantism is actively encouraged and rewarded.

Sorry this thread has gone so off-topic, OP.

 

[DoPo]

There is no such thing as a perfect security system. Why am I even needing to point this out, and why is it such an issue for you guys?

Because

And yes, I do lock my doors. What a nonsensically vapid counterpoint.

Your locks aren't perfect either. I have no idea why you thought to bring up that no security system is perfect unless you want to say that we should scrap it if it isn't. Because, come on, point out one other logical reason to say it. We are aware of security not being total, saying it as if it's news is redundant.

Also, as evident, the issue wasn't with Steam Guard, it was with the email provider.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I thought there was a way to disable it. Anyway, feel bad for the OP having no luck with it. Works for me just fine. The odd time I've installed it on a new machine I've had to wait for a while for the Email and, in my impatience, fired off two more requests and had trouble getting the right code. But otherwise, it's always worked fine for me. I can access my account and games library everywhere I need to, on machines I've authorised and am confident that no one's yet hacked me or gained unauthorised access.

Unlike with XBox Live, where hackers stole £150 from me and Microsoft would do nothing about it. Will never use XBL again, that's for certain.

 

[Something Amyss]

There is no such thing as a perfect security system. Why am I even needing to point this out, and why is it such an issue for you guys?

And yes, I do lock my doors. What a nonsensically vapid counterpoint.

You're taking the piss, right? You have to be to have so readily undercut your own argument within a sentence.

Also, you don't need to point out the lack of a perfect security system, as nobody engaging you on this point is arguing that. You're the only one who seems to care about perfection, and you're letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

[Snotnarok]

So turn it off, but if something happens don't post about how they didn't do enough to keep your account safe.

Hassle vs loss of games and banning in games, don't think there's even an option there.

It was turned off. Been off for over a year and never had a problem. Except without it on I can't trade the games I bought specifically to be traded and there's zero warning about it either. >.>

Glad no one else has had this problem. Today after an hour or so of testing, only one of my households email addresses gets the Steam Guard confirmations (A Yahoo email). Aol seems to be a real problem for it though so future users of Steam Guard be warned.

That's strange, my friend & I who've hopped on accounts in different homes had no issue, infact it literally appeared the moment we hit send.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Its a somewhat annoying feature, bu it seems to work so I'll accept it for now.

 

[Something Amyss]

ffshoot of the Nirvana fallacy

I was trying to remember that term. Thanks!

It really is one of those universal truths that there's no such thing as total security. If someone really wants your account, they can find a way. Just like if they really want to break into your home. Sometimes, the best you can do is make it too much of a hassle to do so conveniently. Steamguard does this to a fair extent without adding much extra work to the end user. I just had to use it because my rebuilt computer no longer has the same motherboard (same processor, but almost nothing else), and it took me all of a minute to get set up and downloading games to this PC. This is not the first time I've used it.

Granted, I would definitely be annoyed if I was waiting on an email, but it seems more an anomaly than a regular thing, and I can't rule out user error at this point. Or spam filters, as you pointed oot.

Steamguard is the equivalent of a sixty-second lock. For most intents and purposes, that's all you need to protect your home. Anything else will not be cost-effective for most homeowners. That's it. You need to deter thieves for sixty seconds to have reasonable security. Requiring an extra layer with extra information is a similar process.

Obviously, you can still crack the sixty-second lock.

 

[J Tyran]

I would prefer a text sent to my phone rather an e-mail, its much more unlikely that someone could get my phone and not see it deactivated within ten minutes. E-mail is better than nothing I suppose.