Solution: Steam disk write error while downloading games

Downloading, installing, or updating a game through Steam can result in a hard drive write error. How to fix the bug, we show you here on GIGA.

Steam disk write error – due to insufficient space

First check if your hard drive is full. If so, that’s the reason for the Steam hard drive write error. So you can create storage space. You can also uninstall older Steam games to free up space.

Steam hard drive write error – due to bad sectors

Most of the time, the “Steam hard drive write error” message means that your hard drive is faulty. Here’s how to check if certain sectors have errors:

1. Presses the key combination[[[[Windows]+[[[[R]to open the Run window.
2. Is typing cmd on, hold the buttons[[[[Ctrl]+[[[[Shift]pressed and confirmed with[[[[Enter]to start the command prompt with admin rights.
3. Confirms the dialog box with “Yes“.
4. Give the order chkdsk x: /f /r a. Then replace the “x“By the letter of your drive on which Steam stores the games. By default this is the letter “c“. Press afterwards[[[[Enter].
5. If you get the message that CHKDSK cannot be executed because the volume is being used by another process. Confirmed with “J“And presses[[[[Enter].
6. If you restart Windows, the test will also start.

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Steam hard drive write error – due to faulty download

Start downloading your game again, keeping the following in mind:

1. You should have enough free space on your hard drive / SSD.
2. Delete already downloaded game data by going to Steam with the right mouse button clicks on the game and “Manage“>”Uninstall“Selects. Starts the game installation again.
3. At the start of the installation you can also choose another hard drive on which the game will be set up. This could also help.

Steam hard drive write error – due to fragmented hard drive

Unless you an SSD for your Steam games this method does not work!

Maybe your hard drive is so fragmented that Steam can’t write the data properly. You should then defragment your hard drive as follows:

1. Press the key combination[[[[Windows]+[[[[R], is typing dfrgui and press[[[[Enter].
2. Select the drive on which Steam stores your games. The default is “C:“.
3. Confirmed with the button “Optimize“.
4. Depending on the storage capacity and fragmentation of the hard disk, the process can take several minutes or days.

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