Steam Cloud Error: Fix Steam unable to sync your files

This guide shows you multiple methods to try if you encounter the Steam Cloud Error – Steam was unable to sync your files error message on Steam. Steam is a great and popular video game distribution service amongst gaming enthusiasts. However, like any other platform, it has its share of errors and bugs. One such error is the Steam was unable to sync your files error. Multiple users have encountered this error while playing a game with the Steam cloud.

Now, this error can be triggered due to multiple reasons. It can occur due to corrupted preferences, configurations, and userdata files. Another reason for this error is corrupted or bad game files. In some cases, the error may also occur in case the Steam servers are down at the moment. Other than that, conflicts with Windows Firewall or a third-party antivirus may result in this error.

If you are facing this error on Steam, we got you covered. Here, we are going to discuss several fixes to resolve this issue. Let us check out.

Fix Steam Cloud Error, Steam unable to sync your files

Here are the methods that you can follow if you encounter the “Steam was unable to sync your files” error on Steam:

Check if the Steam servers are down.
Delete the userdata folder.
Verify the integrity of the game files.
Repair the Steam Library folder.
Delete ClientRegistry.blob.
Disable Firewall.
Add Steam to the exceptions of your antivirus.
Refresh Steam files.

Let us discuss the above methods in detail now!

1] Check if the Steam servers are down

The first thing you should do is to make sure that Steam servers are not down currently. This error can occur if Steam servers are facing some issues or are under maintenance. So, check the server status of Steam and if it is down, you will have to wait until the issue is resolved from Steam’s end.

In case the Steam server is in running status, you will need to try some other fix to resolve the issue. So, move on to the next solution.

2] Delete the userdata folder

You can find a userdata folder inside the Steam directory. This folder mainly contains your account details, cloud configurations, and user sync data. In case these files have gotten corrupted and that is why you are getting a Steam was unable to sync your files error, you should try deleting this folder. To delete the userdata folder, you can follow the below steps:

Firstly, open the Task Manager and end all Steam-related processes and tasks.
Next, open the File Explorer and go to your Steam directory.
Now, locate the folder named userdata inside your Steam folder.
After that, delete the userdata folder or cut and paste it elsewhere on your PC. (like Document, Desktop, etc.).
Then, relaunch Steam and then see if the error is fixed and the cloud is able to sync your profile.

3] Verify the integrity of the game files

It is quite common that game files get corrupted during the download or update process on Steam. In case this is the reason you are getting the error, you can try verifying the integrity of the game files using the dedicated options in Steam settings. This will basically replace all bad or corrupted game files with fresh ones.

To verify the integrity of the game files in Steam, you can try the below steps:

Firstly, open the Steam app and go to the Library menu present on the top toolbar.
Now, select the Games option.
Next, select and right-click on the problematic game.
From the context menu, tap on the Properties option
Then, go to the Local Files tab and simply click on the Verify integrity of game files button.
When the verification process is completed, check if the error is fixed.

See: An error occurred while installing or updating the Steam game

4] Repair the Steam Library folder

You can also try repairing the Steam Library folder in case the problem lies with it. You can find a dedicated option to repair your Steam library folder. Just follow the below steps to use this option:

First, open your Steam client and click on the Steam > Settings option from the main toolbar.
Now, navigate to the Downloads tab.
Next, click on Steam Library Folders inside the Downloads tab.
After that, select your Steam library folder and right-click on it.
From the context menu, press the Repair Library Folder option.

Steam will now repair your library folder and fix the problems associated with the folder. When the process is complete, check if the error is fixed or not.

Read: How to fix Disk Write Error on Steam in Windows 11/10

5] Delete ClientRegistry.blob

You can also try deleting the Clientregistry.blob file to fix the issue. This file stores preferences and other settings for your game. However, it can get corrupted and cause various problems on Steam. So, you can try deleting it and then see if the issue is fixed. To delete this file, follow the below steps:

Firstly, close all the Steam processes from the Task Manager.
Now, open the File Explorer and move to the Steam installation directory. By default, you will find it at C:\Program Files\Steam.
Inside the Steam directory, locate the ‘clientregistry.blob’ file.
Next, copy and paste this file elsewhere on your PC.
Then, delete this file from the Steam folder.
Finally, relaunch the Steam client and see if the error is fixed now.

Please note that you will log in back to your account after you delete the ‘clientregistry.blob’ file. So, make sure you remember your credentials before trying this method.

Read: Fix Steam FRIENDS NETWORK UNREACHABLE error on Windows 11/10

6] Disable Firewall

There might be some other software like a firewall that is interfering with Steam’s normal working and thus causing this error. It is also known that Steam conflicts with the Windows Firewall. Steam downloads or updates the games in the background and sometimes, Windows Firewall might mark Steam processes as threats and block them. If the scenario applies, try disabling Windows Firewall temporarily and see if the issue is fixed or not.

If the issue is fixed, you can be sure that your firewall was the culprit behind the Steam was unable to sync your files error. Now, if you don’t want to disable Windows Firewall permanently as it can put your system at risk, no worries. You can allow Steam through Windows Firewall easily. To do so, you can use the below steps:

Firstly, open the Windows Defender Firewall from the taskbar search box.
Now, click on the Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall option.
In the next window, click on the Change Settings button.
Next, locate the Steam app and enable it on both Private and Public networks.
Finally, press the OK button to apply the changes.

Now, restart the Steam client and see if the error is fixed.

See: How to Fix Steam Error Codes 16 and 80 on Windows 11/10

7] Add Steam to the exceptions of your antivirus

Just like your firewall, some Steam tasks can be quarantined by your antivirus as well. SO, you can turn off antivirus protection and see if the issue is fixed or not. If you don’t want to disable protection against viruses, you can add Steam to the exception list of your antivirus. To do that, you can open your antivirus software and then go to its Exceptions settings and add Steam to the exception list.

If you use Avast antivirus, you can go to the Home > Settings > General > Exclusions option to add Steam to exceptions. In the case of AVG, go to Home > Settings > Components > Web Shield > Exceptions to do the same. Other antivirus software have similar settings navigation for Exceptions.

8] Refresh Steam files

If nothing works for you, you can try refreshing Steam files, It will delete all Steam client configurations files and reinstall them. You can try the below steps to refresh Steam files:

First, open the Task Manager using the Ctrl+Shift+Esc hotkey and end all the Steam processes.
Now, open the File Explorer and move to the Steam installation directory.
After that, choose all the files and folders except the steamapps folder and the main Steam.exe executable file.
Next, press the Delete button on your keyboard to delete all the files.
Finally, restart your computer and then restart the Steam client as an administrator.

Hopefully, Steam was unable to sync your files error is fixed now.

Read: Fix Error 503, Service Unavailable – Steam

How do I upload games to the Steam cloud?

You can upload games to the Steam cloud, using the below steps:

Firstly, open the Steam app.
Now, click on the Steam and then Settings option from the top toolbar.
Next, go to the Cloud tab.
After that, make sure the Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it option is checked.

How do I disable Steam Cloud?

To disable Steam cloud, simply uncheck the Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it option by going to Steam > Settings > Cloud section.

That’s it!

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