If you are someone who plays Steam games from time to time, you are likely to have come across the Steam Missing File Privileges error in your Windows. It usually occurs when a user tries to install or update their Steam games. The error disrupts the installation of any game, thus preventing the user from utilizing Steam games as software.

Steam Missing File Privileges

The error displays itself by flashing the following words on your screen during any attempt to download a game:

An error occurred while installing <name of the game> (missing file privileges)

As a gamer, it is totally understandable how Steam Missing File Privileges error may cause frustration for you. The error is likely to occur due to some faults in the hardware or software configuration of your computer. If you have not been able to fix it yet, you have come to the right place.

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How to Fix Steam Missing File Privileges Error

This error is not a very major one, so you should be able to resolve it without any complications. Following are a few easy fixes you can try out on your own in order to find a solution to this and continue on with your games:

Method 1 – Give Administrator Privileges to Steam

With the way that Steam runs, it is essential that the user grants it all the necessities that it requires. It performs the essential tasks of reading and writing data, yet it is somehow mistaken by the computer as a read-only application. When this happens, Steam is unable to download or update games, hence causing the error. Therefore, you need to give it administrator privileges. Do that by following the given steps:

Step 1: Go to the following default location on your desktop in order to access the Steam directory: (C:\Program Files\Steam). In case you downloaded Steam elsewhere on your system, then navigate to its location.

Step 2: On reaching the folder, right-click on it and click on the option that says ‘Properties’.

Step 3: Next, go to the Security tab on the next window and click on the ‘Advanced’ option.

Step 4: In the following window, you need to edit the first 4 rows. This is how you go about doing it:

  1. Click on the respective row and click on ‘Edit’.
  2. In the new window that opens, there will be certain options check marked. What you need to do is manually check each box, including the one that says ‘Full Control’.
  3. Click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes you have made, and then exit the application.
  4. Repeat this for the first 4 rows on your screen.

Step 5: Lastly, launch Steam by running it as administrator. Check whether the Steam Missing File Privileges error continues to appear.

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Method 2 – Change the Download Region

A viable way to escape the Missing File Privileges error is to change the default download region of your system. When you download any Steam content on your computer, the Steam client detects your region using your network and automatically sets it as default.

This can serve as the cause for the error as your download region may not necessarily be functional at all times. If the region is down due to overloading or any other cause, then all the servers associated with it are likely to experience the error too. If this is the case, then changing your download region is the solution. Steps to go about doing that are as follows:

Step 1: Open your Steam client and click on the drop-down menu on the upper left corner of your screen.

Step 2: Click on ‘Settings’.

Step 3: From the settings, navigate to the option called ‘Downloads’ and then select ‘Download Region’.

Step 4: Next up; select any region from the list- other than the one you are using as your default.

Step 5: Lastly, restart Steam and try downloading the game of your desire to see if the Steam Missing File Privileges error continues to appear.

Method 3 – Reboot Your PC

Sometimes, simply restarting your computer is all it takes to rectify an error. Rebooting your system closes and starts each and every task, so any minor faults that may have occurred in its running get eliminated.

On top of this, downloading content as huge as games require multiple processes to be run simultaneously, hence making the computer further prone to technical errors. Rebooting should be made into practice and is recommended every few days, just to keep your PC fresh and fast.

This can be done in a lot of ways, so the most basic one is listed for your reference:

Step 1: Click on the Windows symbol on the left bottom of your screen.

Step 2: Click on the power button in the menu that opens. Click on the word ‘Restart’.

In addition to this, it is suggested that you run only one application at a time. Steam is huge software, and running it simultaneously with other ones can cause both of their commands to clash. Do not interrupt Steam with any ongoing update or installation in the background by another application.

Method 4 – Grant Full Control to the Affected File

A lot of times, the Missing Files Privileges error is bound to occur because of one single infected file in the directory. In this case, you need to grant that single file full permission to operate. Following are the steps for the same:

Step 1: Figure out the location of the infected file from the error message that pops up. It will give you where the error is coming from.

Step 2: Once you find the location of the file infected, follow the exact same steps mentioned in Method 1, except just for that particular row and no other.

Step 3: Like before; restart Steam to see if the error is gone.

Method 5 – Repair the Library Folder and Verifying its Integrity

It is highly possible that the reason you are unable to download games is that the Steam Library Folder on your desktop has become corrupt. If this is the case, then you need to verify the folder’s integrity and make sure all the content required for running the game is fully downloaded. In many cases, missing files could be causing the error too. To fix Steam Missing File Privileges Error, follow the steps:

Step 1: Upon opening your Steam client, go to the upper left corner and click on the Steam icon.

Step 2: Click on ‘Settings’ from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Go onto the ‘Downloads’ tab followed by ‘Steam Library Folders’.

Step 4: Right-click on the location where Steam has been installed, and go to ‘Repair Steam Library’.

Step 6: Once done, exit all tabs and go to your games library. Here, right-click on the game that was infected and navigate to its ‘Properties’.

Step 7: Next, open the ‘Local Files’ tab and click on the option that says ‘Verify Integrity of Games Cache’. After this, Steam will automatically begin verifying each file and conducting its tasks towards repairing any malware or missing content.

Method 6 – Stop the igfxEm process

The igfxEm is short for Intel Graphics Executable Main Module- is a .exe file that is a software component for the Intel Common User Interface. It serves as the medium between the Intel graphics hardware and the user, thus allowing the user to gain access to the settings and characteristics in the respective file. It is a completely genuine and trustworthy process.

In order to rid your computer of the Steam Missing File Privileges error, what you need to do is restart this process. The way to go about doing this is:

Step 1: Open the Windows Task Manager on your computer. You can do this using by pressing the key for Windows and the letter ‘R’ at the same time. Then, manually type in the words ‘Task Manager’ in the dialogue box that follows.

Fix Steam Missing File Privileges Error

Step 2: Once the Task Manager opens, go onto the ‘Processes’ tab and look for the igfxEM process.

Step 3: Upon finding the process, right-click on it and end it.

Step 4: Then, restart your Steam client using the administrator and begin downloading your desired game again. Check if the Steam Missing File Privileges error still occurs.

Note: In your Windows, you need to make sure the location of the igfxEM file is in the right place. Since it is not a Windows core file, it should exist in the following fixed location: (C:\Windows\System32\igdxEm.exe). Be cautious of the location; because if it exists anywhere else then it is highly likely to be a harmful malware in your system.

Method 7 – Delete Files in Safe Mode

Finally, the only method you have left to try out is simply deleting all the files that come with the game. Ideally one or the other solutions mentioned should work, but if not then downloading the game from the very beginning could be your only option. However, this time, make sure to make the following changes in your computer to avoid the error from occurring again:

Step 1: Make sure your computer is in safe mode. This restricts any foreign content from attacking the download and helps the administrator to run more effectively. Do this by selecting the ‘Enable Safe Mode with Networking’ option in your system’s startup.

enable safe mode with networking

Step 2: Now, proceed to delete all previous files related to the game by navigating to their respective locations on your computer. You should be able to find this in the Steam apps list.

Step 3: Next, restart your computer.

Step 4: Launch Steam by running it as an administrator, and use the steps mentioned in Method 5 to verify the integrity of the files before you begin downloading them.

Step 5: Once your verification process is complete, only then download your game and check if the Steam Missing File Privileges error still occurs.

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Final Words

The Steam Missing File Privileges error is one that occurs without any personal fault of your own, which is why any anger you may feel against it is truly justified. Nobody likes interruptions in their gaming, so you should be able to get rid of yours as soon as possible from one of the solutions in the above-mentioned list.