Steam Disk Write Error on PC: Causes & Fixes | New

1. Fix 1. Allow Steam Through Firewall
2. Fix 2. Give Full Control to Steam
3. Fix 3. Move Steam to Another Disk
4. Fix 4. Get Rid of 0 KB File
5. Fix 5. Update the Disk Driver
6. Fix 6. Verify the Integrity of Game Files
7. Fix 7. Use Flush Configuration
8. Fix 8. Remove Write Protection From the Steam Disk
9. Fix 9. Disable Antivirus Software

Recently, many gamers asked for help on Reddit and met the Steam disk write error while trying to update their favorite game. Usually, this error occurs when Steam encounters difficulties in writing to the disk while saving game progress or performing the installation process.

However, you can quickly troubleshoot this error if you can identify the root cause of this problem. Most of the time, Steam users face this issue due to the third-party or built-in antivirus software installed in their system.

Irrespective of the cause of the Steam disk write error, EaseUS provides many fixes available that can help you improve smooth operations. So, read this article until the end to find the relative solution to this gaming-related problem.

How to Fix Steam Disk Write Error?

As we have discussed, gamers can face Steam disk write errors for various reasons. After identifying the real cause behind this problem, you can apply the relevant solution from all the fixes below to eliminate this issue. If you are not sure about the cause, try all of these methods one by one until the issue gets resolved.

Fix 1. Allow Steam Through Firewall

When you face this particular issue, every time you try to update games, you need to check if Steam is blocked on Windows Firewall. You may face some security concerns when allowing apps through this protective system. However, to resolve this issue, allowing Steam through Firewall becomes necessary. Follow the steps explained below in an attempt to resolve this problem with this platform:

Step 1. Start the process by opening the "Control Panel" application on your device. Now, search and click the "Windows Defender Firewall" option to enter the new set of security settings.

Step 2. Once you enter these settings, you will see numerous settings related to the private and public networks. Moving forward, hit the "Allow an App or Feature through Windows Defender Firewall" option on the top-left of your screen.

Step 3. Upon reaching a new window, scroll through the "Allowed Apps and Features" list. Once you find "Steam" in this list, you need to tick all the available checkboxes relevant to this option and hit the "OK" button to allow Steam through this Window Defender.

Gamers will also face this issue due to the corrupted installation files, which can disrupt the game installation process. When you face this issue across multiple games, you should look into the issues, such as sector defects or disk failure.

Users who solve their problems using this method should share this article in their circle to help their friends play games on Steam without any issues.

Fix 2. Give Full Control to Steam

After changing the firewall settings, you may also need to provide full user access to the Steam folder to solve this problem. Upon providing this access, you will resolve any restrictions that might be causing the Steam disk write errors. With the help of the simple instructions explained below, you can get rid of this issue in a few clicks:

Step 1. First, you need to locate the "Steam" folder in the place where you have saved it while installing the application. Next, right-click on the folder name and click the "Properties" option from the menu to proceed with the process.

Step 2. Now, you will reach the "Steam Properties" dialog box from where you need to shift to the "Security" tab. Afterward, press the "Edit" button before the change permissions option to reach a new dialog box for security settings optimization.

Step 3. Moving forward, pick the users facing this particular issue on Steam from the "Group or User Names" section. Finally, check the "Allow" box beside the Full Control" option in the "Permission for Users" section to get the job done.

Fix 3. Move Steam to Another Disk

When the disk where your Steam application is installed is running out of space, you can utilize the clone partition feature of this tool to free up some space.

Players facing this Steam disk write errors on all of their games should look to move this platform to some other disk drive on their device. For this purpose, they can utilize EaseUS Partition Master Professional to migrate data to another disk.

Doing so might help you avoid the Steam installation or upgrade errors, as your disk will now have enough space for smooth processing. Here is how:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to "Partition Manager," right click the C drive, and select "Data Migration."

Step 2. Select the data you want to migrate and click "Next" to continue.

Step 3. Select a target partition to migrate and click "Start" to execute the task.

Step 4. After the migration, the available space on the C drive will be increased.

Other than that, this tool also allows you to extend system partition by making full use of free or unallocated space. If your PC doesn't have any partition, you can create a new partition using this tool to transfer the Steam data for streamlined operations.

Fix 4. Get Rid of 0 KB File

When your system contains a large number of empty files, your Steam games can behave abnormally. While undertaking the game installation process, these 0 KB files or folders will show a Steam disk write error. Go through the steps explained below to understand how to get rid of these files and solve issues related to the game's updating process:

Step 1. Begin by pressing the "Windows + R" keys to access the "Run" dialog box on your screen to solve this issue. Now, write "%ProgramFiles(x86)%" in the relevant text box and then hit the "OK" button to access a new folder where Steam Files are saved.

Step 2. Moving forward, locate "Steam" in the "Program Files" window and double-click on this folder. Next, double-press the "steamapps" option and then "common" to reach the folder containing 0KB files.

Step 3. Now, scroll down and locate the files within the folder that are 0KB in size. Finally, right-click on the relevant file and press the "Delete" icon to remove these files. Afterward, try downloading and installing the game again to see if the error is fixed.

Fix 5. Update the Disk Driver

Sometimes, updating the disk drivers can help you get rid of these Steam-related errors by removing the outdated systems that are causing problems. You can choose to update all the relevant disk drivers with the help of the easy method explained below for the users' ease.

Step 1. After pressing the "Windows" icon from the taskbar, type "Device Manager" in the text box at the top of the drop menu. Here, hit the "Open" button on your screen to enter the Device Manager.

Step 2. Upon accessing this new screen, double-click on the device whose driver you want to update, such as "Disk Drives." Then, right-click on the relevant driver and choose the "Properties" option from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Moving forward, shift to the "Driver" tab and press the "Update Driver" button to access a new screen to download and install driver updates. Finally, hit the "OK" button to apply these changes to your computer to fix the Steam disk write error. 

After using this method to eradicate this issue, you are also encouraged to share this article with your friend to boost their knowledge related to the problem.

Fix 6. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Gamers can also encounter this Steam-related issue due to the Antivirus software installed on their computers. These third-party protection tools can damage your game files to make them corrupt, which can cause such a problem. The following steps will help you avoid this issue by validating the game files to ensure no corrupt files are left:

Step 1. Once you open the Steam application on your device, access the "Library" tab to reveal the list of games installed in your system. Now, locate the game having this issue and right-click on it to access a new drop-down menu. From here, press the "Properties" button to enter a new screen to validate the game files.

Step 2. On this new window, shift to the "Local Files" tab to reveal a new set of options. Here, you need to hit the "Verify Integrity of Game Files" button to start the validation process. Now, wait till all the game cache is verified, and then relaunch this application to see if the issue gets fixed.

Fix 7. Use Flush Configuration

With the help of this method, you can remove all the Steam configuration settings to fix any issue related to the game's workings. After removing these settings, you can relaunch the Steam setup to see if the problem gets resolved. You can reconfigure the settings using these simple instructions to fix the Steam disk write error:

Step 1. Upon closing the Steam application, press the "Windows + R" keys to launch the "Run" dialog box. In the relevant text box, type "Steam://flushconfig" and then press the "Enter" key to run this function. A new confirmation message will appear on your screen from where you need to hit the "OK" button and restart the computer.

Step 2. Once you restart the PC, hit the "Windows + R" keys again and write the "%Program Files(x86)%" command to access the folder containing the Steam files.

Step 3. Moving forward, double-press on the "Steam" folder and locate the setup to relaunch this application. After finding the file named "Steam.exe," double-click on this setup to open the newly configured application on your system. 

Fix 8. Remove Write Protection From the Steam Disk

When a disk where Steam files are stored is written-protected, gamers will not be able to modify this particular drive. So this means that you cannot format, write data, or install programs on this disk, which can cause this problem. To remove the write protection from disk, you can utilize the following set of commands one by one using these simple steps:

Step 1. Once you close your Steam application, hit the "Windows + R" keys to access the "Run" dialog box to run programs. Now, type "cmd" in the relevant text box to open the "Command Prompt" application on your screen.

Step 2. Afterward, type the following commands one at a time and then hit the "Enter" key after writing each command.

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk 1
• attributes disk clear readonly

Upon applying all these commands, close the "Command Prompt" application and check if the Steam disk write error gets resolved. 

Fix 9. Disable Antivirus Software

Most users face this Steam-related issue due to the Antivirus program interfering with the functionality of their applications. You may need to turn off the built-in Windows Defender or uninstall other third-party antivirus tools in an attempt to solve this issue. For this purpose, users need to follow the steps explained below to solve the Steam disk write error:

Step 1. First, click the "Dropup" icon present on the "Taskbar" menu to access a new menu from where you can hit the "Shield" icon. Now, shift to the "Virus & Threat Protection" tab and then press the "Manage Settings" option from the "Virus & Threat Protection Settings" section.

Step 2. Moving forward, turn off the "Real-Time Protection" toggle to stop Windows Defender from interfering with your Steam application. In addition, you should also uninstall the third-party antivirus tools to completely eradicate this issue.

Upon getting the know-how about all these methods to fix Steam disk-related issues, spread this knowledge further to help others enjoy smooth gaming sessions.

Conclusion

All in all, Steam disk write errors are caused by several causes, as discussed throughout this article. Irrespective of the cause of this issue, you can utilize the relevant methods from this guide to avoid bad experiences while playing games on Steam. To begin with, you need to optimize the Windows Defender and other antivirus settings to prevent any intervention from these protective apps.

When none of the methods work, you should use EaseUS Partition Master to migrate disk data to solve this write error. With its disk cloning features, this tool stands out as the best option to fix the Steam disk-related issues.

Steam Disk Write Error FAQs

Throughout this article, we have tried to clear all your questions related to the Steam disk problems. We recommend you go through the answers to these commonly asked questions to clarify any doubt you have left in your mind.

1. What does error writing to disk mean?

Such an error can occur when a server doesn't have the necessary permission to write files in a specific directory. Users will face this disk writing error due to a number of causes, including file permissions problems and low disk space. You also get to face these issues due to the significant changes to the web hosting servers.

2. Why is there a write error on the Steam Disk?

The primary cause of this issue is interference from the antivirus software, which causes Steam games-related errors. Users will face this issue when corrupted Steam files are present in the folder. Moreover, such issues are a result of sector defects and disk failure problems.

3. How to remove the write protection from a Steam disk?

With the help of these simple instructions, anyone can prevent Steam disk issues by removing the write protection from the drives.

1. Start the process by closing the Steam application on your system. Then, enter the "Run" dialog box through the "Windows + R" keys and type "cmd" to open the "Command Prompt."

2. Moving forward, write and run the commands pasted below one by one to remove the write protection from the Steam disk.  

1. "diskpart"
2. "list disk"
3. "select disk C"
4. "attributes disk clear readonly"