How To Fix Steam Error “Missing File Privileges”

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Table of Contents Table of Contents

Today we’re going to show you how to fix Steam error “missing file privileges”. We’ve put together a bunch of methods to troubleshoot your way through, so you should be coming out the other end of this guide with the problem nicely resolved.

Coming across the infamous Steam error missing file privileges can put a real dampener on your day, especially if all you want to do is come home and spend a couple of hours immersed in your favorite virtual reality.

Luckily, there are several tried and tested methods that are well-known for solving this problem. Below, we’ve outlined the quickest and easiest ways to solve the Steam error missing file privileges, allowing you to get back to what you do best.

So, without further ado, let’s jump into the first fix.

Clear Download Cache

The first and possibly easiest step is to start by clearing your download cache within Steam. These are the temporary files Steam uses when obtaining game files from the server.

Step

1

Open Steam settings

1. 1. 1. Start by loading the Steam application.
      2. One the top bar, select the “View” tab – found next to the Steam tab.
      3. From the drop-down menu, select settings.

Step

2

Clear download cache

1. 1. In the navigation menu, select the “downloads” tab
   2. Once inside, simply click the “clear download cache” button at the bottom and select OK.

This will clear the download cache, deleting any temporary files used by Steam. I’d recommend at this stage to restart Steam and see if you still get the Steam error missing file privileges.

Disable igfxEM Module

Whilst this doesn’t work for all users, manually closing the igfxEM module can yield positive results for certain individuals. Here’s how to close it.

Step

1

End igfxEM Module task

1. 1. Start by opening up your Task Manager. You can do this by hitting ctrl+alt+del, ctrl+shift+esc, or right-clicking the windows logo and selecting task manager from the drop-down.
   2. Once Task Manager is open, select the “more details” tab at the bottom, and locate the igfxEM Module.
   3. Once found, select it and hit delete to end the task. Alternatively, you can right-click the module and select “End task” from the drop-down.

You have successfully disabled the igfxEM module. You can now reload Steam and see if the problem is fixed.

Repair Steam Library Folder

Repairing the Steam library is fairly straight forward, however, it’s a fairly obscure fix that only works in rare cases.

That being said, here’s the method:

Step

1

Open Steam download settings

1. 1. Start off by restarting your PC and then running Steam from fresh.
   2. Once loaded, click the Steam tab at the top, then select settings from the drop-down.
   3. Inside the settings menu, click the downloads tab and select the “Steam library folders” button.

Step

2

Repair library folder

1. 1. At this stage, you should see your folder used for game files. Right-click the folder and select “Repair Library Folder” from the options.
   2. Once complete, restart Steam and hopefully, the problem will be resolved.

Verify Game Files

Verifying the integrity of your game files can fix a whole host of problems. That being said, it can actually fix the Steam error missing file privilege issue many are experiencing. Here’s how to verify your game files:

Step

1

Open properties for your game

1. 1. Start by opening Steam and navigate to your games library.
   2. Once inside the library, find the game that is experiencing the issue and right-click it, we’ll use CS:GO as an example.
   3. From the drop-down, select the properties option.
      

      

Step

2

Verify integrity of game files

1. Inside properties, find the Local Files tab and select it.
2. Once selected, you should see a button that says “Verify Integrity Of Game Files“, select it and allow Steam to do the rest.
3. Once it’s finished, restart Steam.

If everything has worked properly, when the game loads it should download some additional files, then boot as normal.

Run Steam With Administrator Privileges

The final thing you can try to help fix that pesky missing files privilege issue is to run Steam in administrator mode. Sometimes, the error occurs from individual users not having the read/write permissions needed to updated/run the game you’re trying to load.

That being said, here’s how to run steam in admin mode:

Step

1

Run Steam as administrator

1. 1. Start by closing down Steam completely. Go to Task Manager (ctrl+alt+delete, or ctrl+shift+esc) and manually close the application.
   2. Once closed, you can right-click the Steam client icon on your desktop or in the Windows Start Menu.
   3. From the drop-down menu, simply select the “run as administrator” option.
   4. Once loaded, try to redownload/update the game that was experiencing the issue to see if administrator permissions have solved it.

Related Pages

Steam can be a real pain sometimes, with many users experiencing some form of issue whilst using it. Below are some more common fixes to Steam issues you may be having:

• How to install DLC on Steam
• How to add friends on Steam
• Steam & Chromebooks
• How to share games on Steam
• How to move Steam games to another drive
• Steam Not Opening?

Final Word

So, there you have it guys, Steam error missing file privileges issue is hopefully fixed! If it hasn’t, feel free to drop us a comment in the section below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Better still, you can now head on over to our Community hub where you can discuss everything gaming and PC hardware related with like-minded individuals.