Fix: An Error Occurred while Updating Garry’s Mod (Content File Locked)

Garry’s Mod is a Sandbox Physics game that was developed by Facepunch Videos and later Published by Valve Corporation. Although, it was earlier a mod for the Half-Life 2 game but was later released as a standalone game in the November of 2006. However, quite recently a lot of reports have been coming in of the game being unable to launch and displaying the error message “An error occurred while updating Garry’s mod (content file locked)“.

What Causes the “Content File Locked” Error on Garry’s Mod?

We investigated the issue after receiving numerous reports from users who were unable to play the game due to the error and devised a list of solutions which solved the error for most of our users. Also, we looked into the reasons due to which the error was being triggered and they are listed below.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the issue we will move on towards the solutions. It is recommended for you to try these solutions in the specific order in which they are displayed in order to avoid any conflicts.

Solution 1: Allowing through Firewall

Sometimes the Windows Firewall blocks certain elements of the game from making contact with the server. Therefore, in this step, we will be allowing the app through the firewall. For that:

1. Click on the start menu and select the “Settings” icon.
2. Click on the “Updates & Security” option and select the “Windows Security” from the left pane.
3. Click on the “Firewall & Network Protection” option and select the “Allow an App through Firewall” button.
4. Click on “Change Settings” and make sure to allow “Garry’s Mod” and “Steam” through both the “Private” and the “Public” networks.
5. Click on “Apply“, run the game and check to see if the issue persists.

   

Solution 2: Allowing through Windows Defender

It is possible that the Windows Defender is preventing certain files of the game from being stored on the computer and is deleting them. Therefore, in this step, we will be adding an exclusion for the game in the Windows Defender.

1. Click on the start menu and select the “Settings” icon.
2. Click on the “Updates & Security” option and select the “Windows Security” from the left pane.
3. Click on the “Virus & Threat Protection” option and then select the “Virus & Threat Protection Settings“.
4. Scroll down to the “Exclusions” heading and select the “Add an exclusion” button.
5. Select “Folder” from the dropdown and select the game installation directory.
   Note: If you are using any other antivirus software either disable it before continuing or add an exclusion for the game folder and the steam folder.
6. Now verify the game files, run the game and check to see if the issue persists.

   

Solution 3: Verifying Game Files

The game requires all of its files to be present and intact in order for all of its elements to function correctly. If a certain file is missing or has gone corrupt the game will not work properly and cause issues with the launch process. Therefore, in this step, we will be verifying the game files through the steam client. For that:

1. Open the Steam Client and log in to your account.
2. Click on “Library” and right–click on the game from the list in the left pane.
3. Select “Properties” and click on the “Local Files” tab.
4. Click on “Verify the integrity of Game Files” options and wait for the client to complete the process.
5. Run the game and check to see if the issue persists.