You can keep all 200GB of your games while refreshing Steam itself.
Before we dive into the fixes, it helps to understand the enemy. This error means that the game’s launcher executable ( SOTTR.exe ) tried to communicate with the Steam client via an Application Programming Interface (API), but the handshake failed. shadow of the tomb raider failed to initialize steam fixed
: Participation in the Steam Client Beta can sometimes cause API initialization issues. Go to Steam Settings > Interface and ensure Client Beta Participation is set to "No beta chosen." Technical and Advanced Troubleshooting You can keep all 200GB of your games
The "failed to initialize Steam" or "Steam API initialization failed" error in Shadow of the Tomb Raider : Participation in the Steam Client Beta can
: This is a widely reported fix for this specific game. Navigate to Documents\Shadow of the Tomb Raider\[String of Numbers]\ and delete the profile.dat file. This resets your in-game settings to default but typically preserves your save progress.
Right-click your Steam shortcut (on desktop or Start Menu) and select "Run as administrator." Click "Yes" on the UAC prompt.