This article was reviewed by Stan Kats
and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA
. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 16,413 times.
Are you getting a "Missing File Privileges" error on Steam? This error appears to be Windows-specific, so follow this list of troubleshooting steps to fix the "Missing File Privileges" error on your PC.
Easy Ways to Fix "Missing File Privileges" Error on Steam
- Reopen Steam as an administrator so it can access the Steamapps folder.
- If your PC has an Intel-based graphics card, stop the igfxEM Module in Task Manager.
- Clear Steam's download cache, check the integrity of your Steam files, repair the library folder, or uninstall and reinstall the game.
Steps
-
Running Steam as an administrator restores missing file privileges. If the account your using doesn't have permission to write to certain folders, you'll see a "Missing File Privileges" error. To do this, close Steam completely, then right-click the Steam icon and select Run as administrator .
- If this fixes the error, you can make Steam open as an administrator every time by right-clicking the Steam icon, selecting Properties , and clicking Run this program as an administrator in the Compatibility tab.
- You also should ensure administrators have permissions for the Steamapps folder. Right-click the Steamapps folder in the Steam directory, go to Properties > Security > Advanced , and ensure administrators have full control.
-
Clogged or corrupt cache files can cause Steam errors. Once you clear the download cache in Steam, the "Missing File Privileges" error will often go away. In Steam, go to Settings > Downloads > Clear cache . [1] X Research source
-
Corrupted files in a game can prompt "Missing File Privileges" and other errors. Go to your Steam library, right-click the game you're getting the error in, and select Properties . Go to Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files and allow the file checker to find and repair corrupt or missing files. This process will take a few minutes. [2] X Research source
-
A fresh install will make the error go away. In Steam, you can right-click a game to uninstall it, then you can reinstall it from the library.
- If you're using Steam VR , this is the only solution available.
Community Q&A
-
QuestionWhat if this happens when you are downloading the game? It popped up when it was almost finished and now won't download even from fresh reinstall, just starts then downloads 2kb and file privileges.Sakshi SharmaCommunity Answer1) There is something wrong with your local network, and antivirus software is preventing the game from being downloaded to your PC. 2) Your computer doesn't have enough space to download, install, or update the game.Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Video
Tips
-
Thanks