What to Do When Steam Says "Content File Locked"

Solving the Content File Locked error on Steam

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: December 13, 2024 Fact Checked

Are you getting a "Content File Locked" error when you're trying to do something in Steam? This error can pop up if you're modding, uninstalling, or updating a game through Steam, but why? Several issues, like incorrect permissions, or corrupted cache data, are the cause for this error. Follow the troubleshooting steps in this guide to get rid of the error.

Quickly Fix Steam's "Content File Locked" Error

You might encounter this for several reasons including incorrect permissions or corrupted cache data, but you can fix this in many different ways: Running Steam as an administrator is the most common fix, but you can also check your firewalls and antivirus software to see if they are quarantining or blocking Steam.

1

Run Steam as an administrator.

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If you're on Windows, right-click the program icon and select Run as administrator. For Mac users, you'll need to be logged into the computer as an administrator.

2

Check for interfering programs and apps.

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Services meant to protect your computer might be blocking Steam. Anti-virus software, VPNs, P2P Clients and File Sharing software, Firewalls, and security applications are installed on your computer to prevent fraudulent or malicious activity, but these can also prevent your Steam client from accessing the servers and your computer.
- Check if any of them are preventing Steam from downloading data to your computer, then turn it off or allow Steam to continue working to solve the "disk write error" issue.^{[1]
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3

Check file integrity.

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Any corrupted files in the game will prompt the error message. Go to your Steam library and right-click the game you're getting the error with. Click Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
- This process will take a few minutes and any corrupted or missing files will automatically be replaced.^{[2]
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4

Clear the download cache.

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Stored data can be corrupted and cause errors. Your stored data includes data from the games in your library as well as updates. However, if this data is corrupted, Steam won't be able to access it and will give you an error. Follow these steps to clear your cached data:
- Go to Settings (Windows) or Preferences (Mac) in Steam.
- Go to Downloads and click Clear Download Cache.^{[3]
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5

Reset Winstock on Windows.

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If this connection is having trouble, you'll see errors in Steam. Fix the connection to get rid of the Steam "Content File Locked" error by following these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.
- See if the error is gone from Steam.

6

Uninstall & re-install Steam.

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A fresh install may do the trick for you. If you're using Windows, press Win + I and click Apps to find and uninstall Steam. On Mac, drag and drop the Steam icon from the Applications folder in Finder to the trash.
- Once you've deleted the app, you can re-install it by going to https://store.steampowered.com/about/.