Fix Football Manager 2024 Disk Write Error

Sports Interactive and SEGA have done a tremendous job by releasing Football Manager 2024 which offers a strategic football simulation video game to dominate team rivals in the competitions. This game allows you to make decisions and custom tactics. Though the title has already received positive reviews on all platforms, multiple players seem to be experiencing some issues with the startup & gameplay. Meanwhile, the Football Manager 2024 Disk Write Error is one of the major issues.

Just like other video games, Football Manager 2024 is also prone to technical glitches and errors that we can’t deny. Recently, one common issue is the ‘Disk Write Error’ that includes the error message “An error occurred while updating Football Manager 2024 (content file locked).” In case, you’re one of the victims to encounter the same error at your end then don’t worry. This error can be frustrating and prevent you from getting into the game quite often.

The chances are high that somehow you’re experiencing this disk write error or the content file locked error due to multiple possible reasons. Such as an outdated game patch version, corrupted or missing game files, lack of system admin access, issues with the disk write access, conflicts with the Steam download cache, antivirus or firewall blocking, issues with the Steam library folder, and more can be potential reasons behind such an error.

Go to the installed Football Manager 2024 game directory.
Right-click on the application file on your PC.
Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

Click on the Run this program as an administrator box to enable it.
Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

3. Update Football Manager 2024

Try updating the Football Manager 2024 game on your specific device to avoid game-launching and disk-write errors. An outdated game patch version might also cause performance issues. To update the game, follow the steps below:

For Steam:

Open Steam > Go to Library.
Click on Football Manager 2024 from the left pane.
Steam will automatically search for the available update.
If there is an update available, click on Update.
Wait for a couple of minutes to complete the update.
Once done, close Steam, and reboot your PC to apply changes.

For Epic Games:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over to Library.
Now, click on the three-dot icon next to Football Manager 2024.
Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.
Whenever the update is available, it’ll automatically install the update.

For PC Game Pass:

Open the Xbox app on the PC.
From My Library, select Football Manager 2024.
Select More options (…) > Choose Manage.
Click on Files > Select Check for updates.

For Microsoft Store:

Open the Microsoft Store on the PC.
Click on Library from the lower left side.
Now, click on Get Updates.
It’ll automatically start installing the pending updates.
Otherwise, search for Football Manager 2024.
Click on Update (if available).

4. Verify and Repair the Game Files

Verify and repair the installed game files on the PC by following the steps below. It’ll ensure there is no issue with the game files. In some cases, corrupted or missing game files may trigger several issues with the game running experience.

For Steam:

Launch Steam > Click on Library.
Right-click on Football Manager 2024 from the list.
Click on Properties > Go to Local Files.

Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Now, wait for the process to complete.
Once done, restart your PC.

For PC Game Pass:

Open the Xbox app on your PC.
In My Library, select Football Manager 2024.
Select the More options (…) button.
Choose Manage > Click on Files.
Next, choose Verify and Repair.
Wait for the process and rerun the game.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Go to Library.
Click on Football Manager 2024.
Click on the three-dot icon.
Select the Manage option.
Now, click on the Verify option.
Confirm the task and wait for it to complete.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

5. Allow Full Disk Access

It’s also recommended to allow full disk access on the system by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the disk write. In case, the specific disk is write-protected where you’ve installed the Football Manager 2024 game then you’ll need to remove the disk write protection.

Open the Start menu > Search for cmd.
Right-click on Command Prompt > Select Run as administrator.
If prompted, click on Yes > Now, type the following commands individually and hit Enter: (# is the number of the problematic hard drive)

diskpart

list disk

select disk #

attributes disk clear readonly

Close the Command Prompt window > Reconnect the hard drive.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

6. Repair the Steam Library Folder

If the previous workarounds didn’t help then make sure to repair the Steam library folder by following the steps below to allow running the game properly via Steam.

Open the Steam client > Click on the Steam tab at the top left corner.
Go to Settings > Click on Downloads from the left pane.
Select Steam Library Folders > Right-click on the FM24 game installation folder.
Choose Repair Library Folder.
Wait for the repair process to be completed.
Once done, reboot the PC & relaunch Steam to check for the issue.

7. Clear the Steam Download Cache

Sometimes issues with the game launcher’s cache files may cause game errors. You should try clearing the cache from the Steam client or server. To do so:

Open the Steam client.
Go to the Steam tab from the top left side.
Click on Settings > Click on the Download tab.

Now, click on the Clear Download Cache button.
Once done, log back into your Steam account.

8. Add FM24 as an Exception in Antivirus

Sometimes the chances are high that a few game files are getting blocked by the aggressive antivirus software to run properly. You should perform the steps below to manually add Football Manager 2024 as an exception in the antivirus settings. In that scenario, you’ll be able to use both the antivirus protection as well as playing the Football Manager 2024 title smoothly. To do so:

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Go to Privacy and Security > Click on Windows Security.
Click on Virus and Threat Protection.
Choose Manage Ransomware Protection.
Select Allow an app through Controlled folder access.
Click Add an allowed app.
Now, click on Browse all apps.
Select Football Manager 2024.
Click on Open to save changes.

9. Disable Windows Firewall Temporarily

Make sure to turn off security programs on the PC if you’re experiencing game launching or in-game feature working issues. Sometimes aggressive antivirus programs may block ongoing connections with the game files or servers. To do so:

Open the Start Menu > Search and open Windows Defender Firewall.
Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left side.
Now, select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option.
Do the same for all the Private, Public, and Domain Network Settings.
Once done, click on OK to save changes.

10. Reinstall Steam

Another thing you can try is uninstalling and reinstalling the Steam client on your PC by following the steps below. It might help in fixing unwanted bugs or glitches that have been present in the Steam installation files.

Open the Start menu > Go to Control Panel.
Click on Uninstall a program > Click on Steam.
Select Uninstall and follow the on-screen prompts to delete it.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.
Next, head over to the Steam webpage.
Download and reinstall the Steam client.

11. Delete the 0 KB file

You can also try following this method to easily delete the 0 (zero) KB file from the installed Steam directory manually to ensure there is no issue with the corrupted Steam files. To do so:

Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
Copy & paste %ProgramFiles(x86)% > Hit Enter.
Double-click on Steam > Go to steamapps.
Go to common > Scroll to the bottom and check if you can see a 0KB file in size.
If you find a 0KB file in size, Delete the same.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

12. Run a SFC Scan

SFC (System File Checker) tool is useful to check whether any program file or a disk drive has some issues not on a Windows system. If there is an issue, you can try manually fixing it by following the steps below. To do this:

Open the Start menu > Search for cmd.
Right-click on Command Prompt from the search result.
Click on Run as administrator > If prompted, click on Yes to give admin privileges.
Type the following command in the cmd window and hit Enter to execute it:

sfc /scannow

Now, wait for the process to complete. It may take a couple of minutes or so.
Once done, reboot the PC, and check for the issue again.

13. Contact Support

If nothing works for you, try contacting Steam Support for further assistance. Additionally, you can find more help in the Steam Community Forum regarding the same issue. Otherwise, visit the Football Manager website & ask for Tech Support to get the required help.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.

Fix Football Manager 2024 Disk Write Error