6 Ways to Overcome Locked Content Files on Steam

 Are you Steam users who are facing content file locked problems? If so, surely this problem is preventing you from updating the game so you can't play it without installing the game update.

But you don't need to worry anymore because We will show you the solution how to solve the content file locked error on Steam and then you can follow the steps and fix it. But before that, let's have a brief overview of the matter.

What is the Content File Locked Problem on Steam

This error occurs when a user tries to update any game on Steam. This may be because Steam was unable to write any update files to the hard disk. So when it fails to update the file, it will throw this error.

In addition, users complain that they find csgo content file locked, pubg content file locked, space engineers content file locked, dota 2 content file locked, paladins content file locked, smite content file locked, miscreated content file locked, payday 2 content file locked, ark content file locked in this game.

This error is not limited to the games mentioned above. It can happen in any game on Steam. Fortunately, here we will teach you how to fix content file locked on Steam.

How to Fix Content File Locked on Steam

Now without wasting any more time let's move on to the content file locked solution.

1. Find And Repair Corrupted Files

Find And Repair Corrupted Files

There may be corrupt files and problems may occur because of these files. You can try to find and delete the corrupted file and then Steam will download it again automatically.

Follow the steps below to do this:

1. The first step is to close Steam and navigate to your Steam directory. Most of them are located in C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam. At the time of installation, if you have selected another location then you have to navigate to it.

2. Now go to the 'logs' folder and open 'txt'.

3. Now, after opening the file, go to the bottom of the text file and look for the latest errors.

4. There may be various errors displayed here with date and time, APPID, error description.

5. Now, you have to navigate to the root of the mod folder and delete it.

6. Now, try restarting Steam and you will see that Steam is asking for an update because you have deleted files. Update and then check if the problem is resolved or not.

2. Move Steam Installation And Game Files

Move Steam Installation And Game Files

Another solution is to relocate the Steam Installation and Game files. Relocating Steam to a new location may fix the problem so let's do it.

Follow the steps below:

1. Open Steam and click Settings.

2. Click 'Download' and click 'Steam Library Folders'.

3. Now, it's time to add a new path for Steam, so click 'Add Library Folder' and add a new path.

4. Now, you have to move the files from the current location to the new location.

5. Close Steam now.

6. Now, open Steam's current location in C drive (C:\Program Files\Steam).

7. Cut all the files and folders from here and paste them in the new location you have decided on.

8. Now, you have to launch Steam again and login to your account.

Now, if you face any problem while migrating files and folders from previous location to new location or after launching it again, refer to below steps and follow them.

1. The first step is to close Steam.

2. Now, go to the location where you have moved all the files and folders, i.e. the new location.

3. Now, find the 'SteamApps' folder and move it from here to your desktop.

4. Now, you guys have to take the hard step of Uninstalling Steam. You can do this by opening Control panel–> Programs and features then right click Steam and click Uninstall. This will remove Steam from your system.

5. Now, install Steam again.

6. Now, move the SteamApps folder in the new directory where you just installed the game. With this step, all saved games and data will be back with you.

7. Now, open Steam and login to your account.

8. Now, check what is the status of the problem.

3. Reset Winsocks

Reset Winsocks

The problem may occur because of the Winsock catalog. Follow the steps below to execute the command to reset winsock.

1. Type run in the Windows search box and right-click the first result that appears. Click Run as administrator.

2. Now, type netsh winsock reset in the Run box and hit enter.

3. The command will run and then restart your system and check if the problem is resolved or not.

4. Check Disk Scan

Check Disk Scan

Oftentimes, the game and its files are perfectly fine but the Hard disk where the files are stored is corrupted. There may be bad sectors in the drive and because of this certain parts of the disk are not accessible. Disk speed slows down due to bad sectors.

Now, you need to check if the problem is related to your hard disk. You can try running a scan using “Disc Check” to check the drive for bad sectors. Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Press Windows Logo Key + R and type cmd in it and press Enter.

2. Type “chkdsk c: /f” and run the command by pressing the enter key.

3. Now, press “Y” and it will confirm the disk scan.

4. Now, the disk scanning process will start and you will be notified if there is a problem in the hard disk or totally fine.

5. After the disk scan is complete, check if the problem is still there or has been resolved.

5. Run Steam As Administrator

Run Steam As Administrator

Let's try running Steam as administrator and see if the problem persists or goes away. You have to grant full access to Steam in order to access all folders and files. If access is not granted, the message "Content File Locked" will appear. Follow the steps below and check if the problem gets resolved or not.

1. The first step is to right-click on the steam icon and select the "Properties" option.

2. Now, the Properties window will open and you have to click on the “Compatibility” tab.

3. Now, there will be an option to “Run as Administrator”. Put a tick.

4. Now, click Apply and Ok so the changes will be saved.

5. Now, launch Steam and see what happens.

6. Disable antivirus

The problem might be caused by Antivirus. It may block the work you want to do, so try to disable the antivirus until you update the game and then you can enable it again.

Disabling antivirus is easy. You just need to go to the Antivirus dashboard and look for the Disable option. Disable for 30 minutes or more. Or you can search the documentation on the antivirus site to disable the antivirus you are using.

Conclusion

So those are some ways to deal with Content File Locked Steam. So follow the above solutions properly and fix the problem.

Note: If none of the methods above have solved the problem for you, we recommend using Restoro Repair Tool which can scan the repository to replace corrupted and missing files. This works in most cases, where the problem originates due to system corruption. Restoro will also optimize your system for maximum performance. You can download Restoro by clicking here.