![<div class="paragraphs"><p>Counter-Strike 2 Steam</p></div>](https://media.assettype.com/afkgaming%2F2023-04%2F82c08f04-bab1-49b7-a3d6-7aab7384aca7%2Fdesktop_wallpaper_counter_strike_source_counter_terrorist_backgrounds_counter.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1.0)
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Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) is finally here and the game has already clocked over a million concurrent players. But while millions of fans are enjoying the game, there are many who are unable to get into Counter-Strike 2’s main menu due to a CS2.exe error that is preventing them from launching the game.
How to fix the CS2.exe missing executable error
The error code appears for players who have issues upgrading from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) to CS2. When you launch the game it says “FAILURE: An error occurred while updating Counter-Strike 2 (missing executable)” which hints at a missing CS2.exe file.
Do NOT attempt to download the file from third-party websites as there are plenty of fake pages out there that want to inject malware to your system. You simply need to restart Steam and attempt to launch Counter-Strike 2, which will resolve the issue.
Exit Steam Normally:
First, try to exit Steam by right-clicking on the Steam icon in the system tray (usually located in the lower-right corner of your screen) and selecting "Exit" or "Quit." This should gracefully close Steam and all its associated processes.
Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS):
If Steam doesn't close properly or if you want to make sure all processes are terminated, you can use the Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on macOS.
Windows:
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select "Task Manager" from the menu that appears.
In the Task Manager, go to the "Processes" or "Details" tab.
Find any Steam-related processes (e.g., Steam.exe, GameOverlayUI.exe, etc.) in the list.
Select each Steam-related process and click "End Task" or "End Process" to close them.
macOS:
Open "Finder" and go to "Applications" in the sidebar.
Find the "Utilities" folder and open it.
Open "Activity Monitor."
In the Activity Monitor, locate any Steam-related processes.
Select each Steam-related process and click the "X" button in the upper-left corner to quit them.
Once you are done, simply launch Counter-Strike 2 or check your Downloads section for pending downloads and the game should update normally.