How to Fix “Corrupt Update Files” Error on Steam?

The error message “Corrupt Update Files” appears when you are updating a game on Steam, and the process fails midway through the download. This usually means that one or more required files have become corrupted or damaged, preventing Steam from completing the installation or update. The most common cause of this problem is interference from Windows Defender or your third-party antivirus software.

In addition, interrupted downloads, faulty external drives, previous partial installations, or corrupted cache data can also trigger this error. Now that the causes are clear, below are several verified fixes that have worked for many users.

1. Completely Close Steam Through Task Manager

When you close Steam normally, its background processes such as the web helper and updater often continue running. These leftover processes can keep files locked, interrupt disk writes, or block new updates. Completely closing all Steam processes through the Task Manager ensures nothing in the background interferes with your update.

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Look for any Steam-related background processes.
3. Right-click each one and select End task.
4. After closing all processes, relaunch Steam and check if the update resumes successfully.

2. Add Steam and Game Folders to Windows Defender Exclusions

Windows Defender and other antivirus programs constantly scan files being written or downloaded to your drive. While this is useful for protection, they may sometimes flag Steam’s installation or update files as suspicious, which leads to this error.

Adding your Steam and game folders to Windows Defender’s exclusion list tells it to treat these folders as safe, preventing unnecessary interference with Steam’s operations.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security from the left pane.
3. Select Windows Security.
4. Go to Virus & threat protection.
5. Click Manage settings.
6. Scroll to the bottom and select Add or remove exclusions under Exclusions.
7. Click Add an exclusion and choose Folder.
8. Add the following folders to the exclusion list:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam 

   C:\Program Files\AMD (or whichever GPU brand you use) 

   C:\Users\(YourUsername)\Documents\My Games 

   C:\Users\(YourUsername)\Saved Games

   

9. Close Windows Security, restart your computer, and check if the issue is resolved.

3. Clear Cache, Switch Region & Reinstall

Steam stores cached data to speed up updates and launches, but over time this data can become corrupted or outdated. Clearing it forces Steam to recreate fresh cache files.

Changing the download region can also help, since overloaded or faulty servers sometimes return incomplete update files. Finally, reinstalling the game after removing all leftover files ensures no damaged files remain.

Uninstall the Problematic Game

1. On Steam, right-click the game that’s causing the issue.
2. Hover over Manage and select Uninstall.
3. Confirm by clicking Uninstall.

Clear Steam Download Cache

1. Click Steam at the top-left and select Settings.
2. Go to Downloads from the left pane.
3. Click Clear Cache next to Clear Download Cache.
4. Steam will clear the cache and restart automatically.

Change Download Region

1. Open Steam Settings again.
2. Go to Downloads.
3. In the drop-down menu next to Download region, choose a nearby server.

Delete Left-over Game Files

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to (replace E: with your game drive):

   E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common

2. Delete the folder of the game you just uninstalled.

Reinstall the Game and Verify Integrity

1. Open Steam.
2. Go to Library and reinstall the game.
3. Wait for the installation to complete.
4. Right-click the game and select Properties.
5. Go to Installed Files and click Verify integrity of game files.
6. Once verified, you can revert the download region if you prefer.
7. Check if the game now works properly.

4. Restart Computer in Safe Mode with Networking

In normal mode, Windows runs many background processes and security services that can interfere with installations or updates. Booting into Safe Mode with Networking loads only essential system components along with network access, minimizing interference so the update or installation can complete successfully.

1. Press Win + R and type:

   msconfig

   

2. Go to the Boot tab.
3. Under Boot options, check Safe boot and select Network.
4. Click Apply and then OK.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Once restarted, open Steam and switch to Big Picture Mode if the interface looks distorted.
7. Begin updating or installing your game and wait until it completes.
8. If the issue persists, don’t uninstall the game, proceed to the next steps.
9. Press Win + R again and type:

   msconfig

   

10. Go to the Boot tab once more.
11. Uncheck Safe boot under Boot options.
12. Click Apply and then OK.
13. Restart your computer again.
14. Open Steam and continue your installation or update.

5. Move Installation to Internal Drive (If Applicable)

If you are installing games on an external drive especially an older one it may have slower transfer speeds, bad sectors, or unstable power delivery. When Steam attempts to write large amounts of game data to such a drive, it can fail and trigger the Corrupt Update Files error.

Internal SSDs or hard drives connect directly to the motherboard, offering much faster speeds and fewer interruptions. Moving your game installation to an internal drive helps eliminate these hardware-related issues.