How To Fix the Steam Disk Write Error On Your Windows PC?

The disk writer error usually occurs on Steam when you install a game or update an existing game. And, you cannot download anything on Steam until you resolve this issue. So, you might want to fix this problem as soon as possible. Now, some simple methods can help you do that all by yourself. And, you might want to give them a try.

You can find many tried and tested solutions to the disk write error on Steam. And here, we have listed the most effective ones among them. If you are looking for effective solutions to the disk write error, then implement the methods in the exact order mentioned.

Simple Methods to Fix the Steam Disk Write Error

The disk write error might have quite a wide range of causes. So, you need to find the cause and then apply the most appropriate solution. Usually, you can fix this error by one or more of the following methods:

Restart the App or Your System

The problem you are facing might occur due to a minor temporary error in the process. In that case, restarting the app might help you fix the error effectively. So, close down Steam and make sure it is not working in the background. End all Steam tasks through the Task Manager for a while.

Then, launch Steam once again when you are ready and restart the download process. Do you get the error message again? Then, try rebooting the system and see if that works. If you get the Steam disk write error again, you must try out the next solution.

Clear the Download Cache

Steam saves some cache files when you are downloading something on it. Now, these files usually improve your experience of using the app. But, they might also cause a disk write error when you try to download something. And, removing them can help you get an effective solution.

To do this, you need to open the Settings page in the Steam app. Then, open the Downloads section there and opt for clearing the download cache. This should fix any issues that are caused due to the cache files.

Disable the Firewall and Antivirus

You might get error messages while downloading a file on Steam because your PC cannot download it. And that might occur when your antivirus software or firewall identifies those files as a threat.

In such cases, you should get a notification from the antivirus about the threat. Regardless, you might need to disable the software if you want to download the file in question.

So, open your antivirus program and opt for turning it off. And, if required, you need to do the same with your firewall. After that, continue with the download and see if the Steam disk write error is resolved.

Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Do you face an error while trying to update a game? Then, the game might have one or more corrupt files. As a result, it is unable to download any updates. In such cases, you would want to repair the damaged file as soon as possible. After all, you need to download the update to fix various glitches and bugs.

To do that, you need to right-click the game that you cannot update in the Library. Then, open its Properties and go to the Local Files tab. You will find the option to verify the integrity of the game files there. Use this option to find and repair all damaged files. After that, you should not face the Steam disk write error while downloading an update.

Open Steam with Administrator Rights

Are you using a user account without administrator rights to perform downloads on Steam? In that case, you might need administrator rights to resolve the error. After all, the app might not let user accounts perform certain functions. So, you need to open Steam as an administrator.

To do that, you simply need to right-click the Steam icon on your desktop. You should then see the option to open the app as an administrator. Proceed with this step and this might fix the error effectively in your case.

Remove Read-Only Settings from the Steam Folder

The Steam disk write error might also occur when you have set the Steam folder to read-only mode. In such a case, you need to change its settings and make the folder writable. And, you would not be able to download anything on Steam until you do that. So, open your File Manager and find the Steam folder there.

Right-click on this folder and open its Properties. You should see the Attributes options at the bottom of the General properties tab. Do you see the box beside the ReadOnly option checked there? In that case, you must uncheck it to make the folder writable. After that, you should be able to download any files on Steam.

Make the Steam Drive Writable

The Steam disk write error might also indicate that the Steam drive is write-protected. So, you must make sure whether that is the case. And, for that, you need to use the Command Prompt on your Windows PC as an administrator. Enter the command “diskpart” in the prompt to use the diskpart tool.

Then, enter “list disk” to bring up a list of the drives on your device. Select the disk by typing “select disk” before the disk number and pressing Enter. After that, give the command “attributes disk clear readonly”. This will make the drive writable again and you can start downloading Steam files again.