How to Fix the Disk Write Error When Launching Palworld

The “disk write error” message may appear when launching Palworld if a third-party antivirus program quarantines the game’s executable file on your system. This prevents the game from accessing necessary files, causing Palworld to fail to launch.

The error can also result from missing game files or if the Palworld process lacks the necessary permissions. This guide will demonstrate various methods to resolve the “disk write error“.

1. Run Steam as an Admin

Start by running the Steam client as an administrator. This action gives the Palworld process elevated permissions, which may resolve related permission issues.

1. Fully close the Steam client on your PC.
2. Open the Start Menu and search for Steam.
3. Select the Run as administrator option from the right-hand side.

   

4. Confirm the action in the User Account Control dialog box by clicking Yes.
5. Try launching Palworld to see if the error is resolved.

2. Restore Quarantined File

Conflicts with third-party security programs often cause the disk write error. For instance, a false-positive detection that leads to the quarantine of the Palworld executable file, such as palworld-win64-shipping.exe, could prompt the error.

To resolve this, follow these steps to restore the quarantined file using your antivirus program:

2.1. Avast

1. Open the Avast antivirus on your PC.
2. Navigate to the Protection > Quarantine section.

   

3. Find palworld-win64-shipping.exe in the list and select it.
4. Click the More Options menu (three dots) and select Restore and add to exclusions.

   

2.2. AVG

1. Start the AVG antivirus software.
2. Click on the Menu icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Quarantine.

   

4. Identify palworld-win64-shipping.exe and check it.
5. Click the More option (three dots) and choose Restore and add exception.

   

3. Verify Palworld Game Files

Missing game files, such as a deleted palworld-win64-shipping.exe or other essential files within the Palworld installation, can also cause this error.

Use the Steam “Verify integrity of game files” feature to fix missing or corrupted files:

1. Launch Steam and navigate to your Library.
2. Right-click Palworld and choose Properties.

   

3. Go to the Local Files tab and click on Verify integrity of game files.

   

4. Allow Steam to scan and repair any missing or corrupted files.
5. Launch Palworld again to check if the error has been resolved.

4. Move Palworld’s Installation Directory

The disk write error might also stem from restrictive permissions policies on the drive containing Palworld’s installation, often the system partition.

Moving the installation directory to a different location can solve the issue. Steam allows you to change the folder without having to reinstall the game:

1. Ensure a second installation path is set up in Steam; if not, proceed to the following steps.
2. Click the Steam menu at the top left corner and choose Settings.

   

3. Select the Downloads tab and click on Steam Library Folders.

   

4. Click Add Library Folder and select the desired volume and folder.

   

5. Right-click Palworld in your Library and go to Properties.

   

6. Select the Local Files tab and click Move Install Folder.

   

7. Select the new Steam library folder as the destination.
8. Complete the transfer by selecting Palworld and clicking Move.
9. Verify if the disk write error has been addressed.

5. Change Palworld Executable Permissions

Altering the permissions of the palworld-win64-shipping.exe file to read-only can help resolve the disk write error by preventing unwanted interference from third-party processes.

1. Open the Steam client and select the Library tab.
2. Right-click on Palworld and navigate to Manage > Browse local files.

   

3. Right-click on palworld-win64-shipping.exe, located in the Palworld > Pal > Binaries > Win64 directory, and select Properties. (Verify the game files if the executable is missing.)
4. In the Properties window, tick the Read-only checkbox under Attributes.

   

5. Click Apply followed by OK.
6. Rerun Palworld to determine whether the change was effective.

Applying these methods should rectify the disk write error when launching Palworld. If issues persist, consult the Palworld support team for further assistance.