Steam is one of the largest game distribution platforms, attracting a large number of users around the world. The “Steam Application Configuration Not Available” error message often occurs when installing a game or downloading DLC for a game. This problem can also sometimes occur while installing or updating a game, making it a really annoying app error.
Table of Contents:
What causes ‘App Configuration Unavailable’?
Steam appinfo.vdf file: This can also be caused by the Steam appinfo.vdf file. This file contains information about the games you have downloaded, such as their full names, etc. So a problem or damage to this file can cause problems during installation.
Steam error: The most common cause of this problem is usually a bug in your Steam system. Since bugs can be introduced during the update causing this strange problem, it is likely a bug.
How to solve the “Application configuration is not available” problem?

Check the integrity of the game files
- Double-click the Steam shortcut on your desktop to open it, then go to the “Library” section.
- Then right-click on any game and choose “Properties” from the context menu.
- Go to the “Local Files” tab and select “Check Game File Integrity”.
- After completing the check process, quit Steam completely and navigate to the Steam shortcut on your desktop.
- Then right-click on the Steam shortcut and select “Run as administrator” from the context menu.
- Now start the game.
Using your Product Key
- Launch Steam on your computer and enter your Steam account login information.
- Then hover your mouse over the “Games” tab in the menu bar and select “Activate Product in Steam.
- Then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the activation process.
- Once the key activation is complete, restart Steam.
Delete the appinfo.vdf file
- Click the “^” icon on the right side of the taskbar.
- Place your mouse cursor on the “Steam” icon or the “Game” icon, right-click and select “Exit” to exit the application.
- Now press “Win + E” on your keyboard to open “File Explorer” and go to the following location.
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steamappcache\.
- Right-click on the file named “appinfo.vdf” and select “Delete” from the context menu to permanently delete the file from your computer.
- Then restart Steam.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I fix the inaccessibility of my Steam configuration?
- Close the Steam app.
- Hold down the Windows key and press E.
- Type C:\NPrograms (x86)\SteamNappcache in the address bar and press Enter.
- Find the file named appinfo.vdf. Right-click and select Delete.
- Confirm all other prompts.
Why won’t Steam install?
Sometimes servers in a particular region are slow, overloaded, or have a hardware error that is causing download problems. It is recommended to temporarily switch to a different download region to use a different set of content servers. Steam > Settings > Downloads > Download Region.
How do I restore the Steam update?
- Open Steam as an administrator.
- Clear the download cache.
- Edit the host file.
- Delete the package folder.
- Turn off the Windows Defender firewall.
- Reboot Windows.