Steam "Disk write error" when updating a game: how to fix it

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Steam shows "disk write error" when it cannot write or rename a file in the game folder during an install or update. Start with the gentle fixes: restart, repair the library folder and verify the game files. If that fails, look at antivirus, folder permissions, an empty 0 KB file for the game and the health of the drive.

Applies to:Steam client on WindowsNot tied to a specific client version
On this page

What it means

The message usually reads "An error occurred while updating [game] (disk write error)". It means Steam tried to write or rename a file inside the game folder (steamapps) and the operation failed. The text is generic, so the real reason can be anything from a security program getting in the way to a drive that is starting to fail.

Your games are almost certainly not lost. Most of the time one of the fixes below clears it. They run from the quickest and safest to the most disruptive, so work down the list and stop when the update goes through.

The steps come from third-party troubleshooting guides (SlashGear and Appuals). The one exception is file verification: Valve has an official page, Verify Integrity of Game Files, but its text did not load when this article was researched, so the menu names for that step come from search summaries. Menu names may differ slightly in your Steam client.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • The update or download stops, or keeps looping, with "Disk write error".
  • It may affect one game only, or every game you try to download.
  • The same kind of message can appear while installing a game, not just updating.

The usual causes, most common first:

Antivirus or firewall interference
Security software can block Steam from writing files to the game folder.
Permissions or write protection
The Steam folder or the drive holding your library may be read-only or lack the permissions Steam needs.
A 0 KB file left behind
An interrupted download can leave an empty file in steamapps\common that blocks the next write.
Corrupted game files or library folder
Damaged files or a damaged library entry stop the update from completing.
A failing drive
Bad sectors or a dying disk make writes fail, and the error then tends to return on that drive.
Damaged system files or faulty RAM
Appuals lists these as an unusual cause, worth checking only after the rest.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Restart and test another game

Easy

Rules out a one-off glitch and tells you whether the problem is the game or the whole setup.

  1. Fully exit Steam, restart the PC and open Steam again.
  2. Try updating a different game. If that one works, the trouble is specific to the original game's files.

2.Repair the library folder

Easy

Fixes a damaged library entry that stops Steam writing to it.

  1. In Steam open Steam > Settings > Storage.
  2. Select the drive that holds the game, click the three dots and choose Repair Library.
  3. Try the update again.

3.Verify the game files

Easy

Replaces damaged or missing game files.

Before you start: The menu names here come from search summaries of Valve's page, not from the page text. If you cannot find the option, read Valve's Verify Integrity of Game Files page.

  1. Right-click the game in your Library and choose Properties.
  2. Find the Verify integrity of game files option in the installed files section and click it.
  3. Wait for it to finish, then run the update again.

4.Clear the download cache and change the download region

Easy

Removes stale download data and tries a different content server.

Before you start: Clearing the cache signs you out, so have your login details ready.

  1. Go to Steam > Settings > Downloads and click Clear Download Cache. Log in again when asked.
  2. In the same screen, pick a different Download Region and retry the update.

5.Test whether antivirus or firewall is the cause

ModerateChanges settings

Security software can block Steam's writes, so a short test is worth doing.

Before you start: Turn protection back on straight after the test. Do not leave it off.

  1. Briefly turn off your third-party antivirus or firewall and run the update.
  2. If it now works, turn protection back on and add exceptions for the Steam executable and the game's folder in your security program.
  3. If it makes no difference, make sure protection is on again and continue down the list.

6.Remove read-only status and run Steam as administrator

Moderate

Gives Steam the right to write to its own folders.

  1. Exit Steam completely.
  2. Right-click the Steam folder, choose Properties and clear the Read-only box. Repeat for the library folder if it is on another drive.
  3. Right-click the Steam shortcut and choose Run as administrator, then retry the update.

7.Delete the empty 0 KB file for the failing game

ModerateChanges settings

An interrupted download can leave an empty file that blocks the next write.

Before you start: Delete only the one 0 KB file named after the failing game. Some empty files are legitimate, so do not clear out the whole folder.

  1. Close Steam fully, including its process in Task Manager.
  2. Open the Steam\steamapps\common folder and look for a file with no extension, named after the affected game, that shows 0 KB. Delete only that file.
  3. Start Steam and let it download the file again. Running a file verification afterwards will also restore it.
  4. If Steam\logs\workshop_log.txt names a specific corrupted file, delete that file and let Steam fetch it again.

8.Check the drive for errors

AdvancedChanges settings

Recurring errors on one drive can point to bad sectors or failing hardware.

Before you start: Back up anything important first. A drive that keeps failing checks should be replaced.

  1. Right-click the drive in This PC, choose Properties > Tools > Check, and follow the prompts.
  2. Or run the check from an elevated Command Prompt, replacing D: with the drive letter that holds your library.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    chkdsk D: /f

9.Reset Steam config and check Windows files and memory

AdvancedChanges settings

Clears local Steam settings and rules out damaged system files or RAM.

Before you start: The Steam config reset may require you to log in again. These steps are from Appuals only.

  1. Press WinR, type the following and press Enter. Steam closes and resets its local config.
    Text
    steam://flushconfig
  2. Open an elevated Command Prompt and scan system files.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    sfc /scannow
  3. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic from the Start menu to test the RAM.

10.Move to another drive or reinstall Steam

AdvancedBack up first

Last resorts if one folder or drive keeps failing.

Before you start: Back up the steamapps folder before reinstalling, because uninstalling Steam removes installed games.

  1. Add a library on a different drive under Steam > Settings > Storage and install or move the game there.
  2. If the error still follows you, copy the steamapps folder somewhere safe, reinstall Steam, then put steamapps back.

Check that it worked

  • The game updates to 100% without the disk write error.
  • The game launches normally after the update.

If it still fails

  • If the error returns on the same drive whatever you try, suspect the drive itself and check its health (SMART status) or try another drive.
  • Contact Steam Support through the official Steam support site and describe which fixes you already tried.

Sources

  1. Verify Integrity of Game FilesOfficial · Steam Support (Valve)
  2. Steam Disk Write Error: What It Is And How To Fix It · SlashGear
  3. 'Steam Disk Write Error' Downloading or Updating (Error Solved) · Appuals

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