Steam Content File Locked [Fixed]

As quoted by the legendary Helen Keller ‘Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement . Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.’ An optimistic view and proper research about a particular topic can help tackle your problems better and much faster. Any issue can be solved by following the right methods or procedures .

Online gaming is a trend that is now followed for a really long time and has enthusiastic followers of almost all age groups. The fact that made it more interesting is the evolution of various updates which helped people connect to each other better and have brilliant playing experience.

Steam is an online platform which was launched in September 2003 developed by the Valve Corporation. It allows you to play, create, buy and even discuss PC games through in-game voicing, chat, friend lists and also groups.

Steam helps its members in installing and automatically updating PC games and related software. Steam is one of the cloud-based gaming library. The most interesting feature about it is that it allows players to use any computer to play games that they download into their Steam accounts.

It is required that a kid is above 13 years old for using steam because it provides options to join open public chats and is mostly used by adults. Many of its games are not appropriate for young teens, hence parents should make sure to download age-appropriate games for their children for their own concern.

Having open chats and joining public group chats can give your child the wrong exposure to mature content and also they can end up in wrong company. Parental-control options should be used well for the safety of youngsters.

Ways to Fix Steam Content File Locked Issue

Sometimes, an error appears in steam which happens to be the one most talked about and often considered complicated. This error appears on the screen as ‘Steam Content File Locked’ which interrupts the user and does not allow access to the latest update of the game files.

‘File locked’ means that the file is locked away and cannot be used by any other program on the computer. It further explains that in this condition Steam cannot present you with latest updates which in turn causes interruptions and you are not able to play any new version of the game.

Now, for any game-enthusiast it surely is a bigger problem and is often seen as complicated and tough to solve. But everything can be figured out if you have enough knowledge about the topic and the proper procedural steps to solve your issue.

By not wasting any time we will now proceed to spread some awareness on how you can solve the problem of this lasting error that can cause you frustration, stress and interrupt your gaming experience.

Method 1: Mend Corrupt Files

Corrupt Files are like the ones destroying your PC from within and further complicating the issue. They can cause serious trouble and problems in operation functionality also. Hence repairing the Corrupt Files is quite necessary to treat the error steam content file locked which is actually helpful for 7 out of 10 people who face the same issue.

Follow these easy steps given right below:

Step 1 – Exit Steam and navigate to the “Steam Directory” on the PC that was chosen by you while installing the application.

Step 2 – Proceed to the folder “Logs” and select “Txt.” Move to the bottom of the text file and search for recent errors. Then search for the “root” folder.

Step 3 – Restart steam and go on to your downloads folder.

Step 4 – Click on the Update  option as it pops up and update the necessary files to destroy that error.

Method 2: Retune Winsock

This is one more type of problem that causes the error to appear extensively. Sometimes, Winsock causes the update process to fail, so you need to reset Winsock. More than 50% of the people interested in gaming face this error because the update is interrupted by the Winsock. So, if the proper steps are followed, and in proper sequence, the problem can be solved more effectively and within short time duration.

Step 1 – Firstly, press “Windows Key+R” simultaneously  to proceed with Run.

Step 2 – Type the following command in the dialogue box “netsh winsock reset“.

This is a command to save the computer from any socket errors which appear when you download some unknown file.

Step 3 – Then Press “Enter” to implement the above mentioned commands typed by you.

Method 3: Reposition Steam Installation and Game Files

Change of location of the Steam installation and Game Files can also be the solution to your problem which will further help to avoid the reappearance of the error and keep your game files safe for the future. Reposition Steam Installation can also be used in case the drive, in which steam is installed, runs out of space and also to enjoy faster and better experience of the games.

Step 1 – Locate your “Steam client”. Go to “Settings”.

Step 2 – Then Select “Downloads” and click  on “Steam Library Folders”.

Step 3 – Click on “Add Library Folders” and select a new path where you want Steam to be located. After performing this step you will find a platform where all your installations will be located in the near future.

Step 4 – Exit “Steam” client.

Step 5 – Locate your current Steam location. Afterwards, delete all files and folders mentioned except  “SteamApps and UserData Folder”.

Step 6 – Cut and paste all the files and folders into the new directory which was made in Step 3. Finally, Launch “Steam” and re-login.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to succeed; without failing there is no opportunity to learn and without trying there is no opportunity to succeed. Failing at something does not mean we stop trying. So, if the above-mentioned methods do not work in your favour here is one more method that can probably help you with it as it helps most of the people facing the same problem.

Method 4: Disable Antivirus

Antivirus, basically, is used to block any strange action in your PC which happens without necessary  permission. Sometimes, it can mark your Steam Files as virus to your computer, in this case you need to disable the antivirus software temporarily to check if the problem still persists.

Any antivirus can cause obstruction in operating your PC and can take a toll over you. But also disabling the antivirus is in one’s own hand. It can surely be the cure of your problem and not let any errors cause disturbance to you.

Varying antiviruses have different ways of disabling them. So, you need to be sure about the particular disabling method of the antivirus present in your computer from the website of your Antivirus Software. So follow the below mentioned  steps in proper sequence :

Step 1 – At first, you need to “restart” your computer. Then, in another window, open your antivirus software.

Step 2 – Click on “settings” which will give you more options further.

Step 3 – Click on “Disable” on the options which hint you about virus protection temporarily. These options are  different for various antiviruses.

Try updating your game, if it is the antivirus that is causing the issue, your problem must have been solved by now. But in case, this does not work then the problem is not related to your antivirus software.

Once the game is updated turn on your virus protection back and make sure to not use any cheap antiviruses which can actually cost you much more than you expect.

Conclusion

Steam is a video game distribution platform which earlier provided its members with updates regarding their games and then later, went on to including games itself from various publishers. Video games with open chat, in-voice chat, and public groups excite not only teens but people of all age groups. But errors like Content File Locked error is a vastly spread one, which means that Steam is unable to provide you with latest updates of the games or any files which in turn can stop you from getting access to your favourite games.

The people interested in gaming  surely face complications because this is one problem that is supposed to be tough-to-tackle. But we should also know that all problems have a gift in their own hands, every problem can be solved with ease if you have a planned and proved approach towards it. Not only that, it will surely help the user save a lot of their time and energy if they make the right efforts and believe that easy or cheap is not always the right thing to do.

The steps mentioned above are to be trusted upon and they should be followed in a proper sequence all together. If one method does not work in favour of a particular user, make sure to use the next one and not stop trying. Also, make sure to write to us for your further queries.

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