Steam's "Disk Write Error" is one of the most common errors you can encounter, but it's also easy to fix. Read the full article to find out how to fix the steam disk write error on SSD.
Steam is a great application for video gamers to have video streaming, multi-player gaming, groups, and chat facilities. Many gamers use this application extensively due to the advantages it offers.
While using Steam in SSDs, some users complain about a common error called ‘Disk write error’. It usually occurs when you are installing or updating a game on Steam. In this article, we will help you to fix the Steam disk write error.
In this article:
1. Change the download location in Steam
Simply changing the download location will help you resolve the issue in some cases. To change the location, you can follow the steps below.
2. Clear download cache
If changing the download location doesn’t work, you can try clearing the download cache within Settings.
3. Repair the Library folder
At times, even if you have not intentionally changed the library folder, it may have undergone changes. So you can try to resolve the ‘Disk write error’ by repairing the library folder.
4. Repair corrupt files
If the above methods don’t help, there are chances that your Steam installation files are corrupted. In such cases, you can repair these files using the built-in repair feature.
This will repair any corruption in the Steam installation file and help you resolve the ‘disk write error’.
5. Use the “flushconfig” command
Using the ‘flushconfig’ command resets the Steam configuration and all settings will be set to default.
If the problem is caused by some access restriction, sometimes running the application in administrator mode will solve it. You can also navigate to the Steam directory (the default location is C: / Program Files (x86) / Steam).
Right-click on steam.exe and then click on properties. Now, go to the "Compatibility" tab and make sure that the "run as administrator" option is ticked.
The Steam folder contains a file that stores diagnostic data regarding errors. This file is called ".crash". There are times when the ".crash" file can prevent the application from functioning properly. Sometimes simply deleting those files can fix the steam disk write error problem.
Steam requires read and write permissions to add, delete, or edit files in order to function properly. Below we will show you how to fix this problem.
Step 1: Make sure the read-only option is enabled.
Right-click on the Steam shortcut and select the Properties option. Now you need to go to the "General" section and make sure that the "Read Only" option is disabled at the bottom of the window.
Step 2: Run Command Prompt as Administrator
First, you need to run Command Prompt as Administrator.
To do this, go to the Start menu, type "Command Prompt", then right-click on the shortcut and select "Run as Administrator".
Step 3: Disable the read-only attribute using the command line.
Enter the following commands one after the other, pressing Enter each time.
To locate the corrupted file, go to Steam/logs/content_log and open the text file. Scroll to the bottom of the log, and search for a "failed to write" error. This will provide you with the file name and its location.
Windows Firewall is a tool primarily aimed at protecting your computer from possible attacks through public networks. It's normal for any program you install to ask you to assign a network access level to prevent downloading apps over unauthorized networks. Access the settings by typing "firewall" into the Windows menu, then clicking "Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall". There you can find "Steam" and authorize it if you don't have it.
If you are using an antivirus, you should make sure that it is not interfering with the Steam launching or loading process. These programs usually have the option to disable protection for a specific period of time.
Write access is a common "problem" on computers with multiple user profiles. Typically, "guest" privileges on a computer prevent potential security attacks by limiting write access to the device. In this case, you should ask your computer administrator to remove the write restriction on your user profile.
As mentioned earlier, in most cases the problem might be related to errors in loading, reading, or writing data. If so, it is recommended to ensure that the storage device is in good condition, if not, replace it as soon as possible and back up your information to avoid data loss.
Most of the time, you get disk write errors because of missing and corruption of internal files of steam. You can recover and fix those corrupted files from your SSD using the best SSD data recovery software like Remo Recover.
Follow the below step to start recovering the missing steam files from your SSD using Remo Recover:
Errors such as Disk write error’ are common on Steam games installed on SSDs and can usually be resolved using simple troubleshooting steps as discussed above. But if these methods don’t work, you can check if your antivirus is the one causing trouble. Disable the antivirus temporarily and update your game. If this doesn’t help, check your hard disk for any potential errors or corruption. In such cases, repairing your hard disk might do the trick.