7 Ways to Fix Team Fortress 2 Error Creating Temporary File

Run Team Fortress 2 as Administrator

The most effective method so far, as testified by numerous Reddit users who play Team Fortress 2, is to try running it in compatibility mode and as an administrator.

1. Open the Disk where Steam is installed

2. Open Steamapps folder

3. Open the Team Fortress 2 folder in the common folder

4. Open the Properties of the TF2 app in the game's Folder

5. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode” and “Run this program as an administrator” in the Compatibility tab

Now you can try and run Team Fortress 2 and see if the issue is resolved. If not, there are a few more options to go through! In the meantime, you can also check out how many hours you've played TF2, in case you've been grinding too much!

I've found that this is the best way to resolve most unspecified Team Fortress 2 issues. It all comes down to the fact that we have to do the stuff Valve forgets about, as Valve often updates its engines, but not the games the engines themselves run. At least not in time, as it's the case for TF2.

Verify the Integrity of TF2 Game Files

There is always a chance that your game files may be corrupted, or outright missing, for one reason or another. So, one thing you can do is verify the integrity of your game files, and see if that fixes the issue.

1. Open Steam
2. Right-click on Team Fortress 2 in the Library tab
3. Select Properties
4. Select the Local Files tab
5. Click on the "Verify integrity of game files" option
6. Wait for the verification process to end
7. Restart your PC to apply changes

If the verification process finds something wrong with your game files, as even minor changes that are unauthorized to your game files can cause issues, Steam will automatically replace the corrupted or missing game files, to ensure the game runs smoothly.

This option is the biggest nail-biter, as there is no predicting what the damage is going to be like after replacing the files. I've had to customize my settings far too many times, and let me tell you, it's not a fun experience.

Update Graphics Drivers

Seeing as there is no way that your PC is unable to run Team Fortress 2 these days, or causing startup crashing issues, the issue can also be caused due to an outdated graphics card driver for your hardware and it’s a good idea to check for and install the latest video drivers.

This one is a bit tricky since every dedicated graphics card, or video card, as those are interchangeable these days, has its own drivers. It's useful for all sorts of things, however, including showing FPS in Team Fortress 2, namely the fact that it won't be dropping!

However, usually, they all come with an accompanying app to help you keep your graphics card drivers up to speed. In the case of Nvidia, here is how to do it:

1. Open GeForce Experience

2. Click on the “Check for Updates” option on the homepage

If that doesn’t solve the issue of the Team Fortress 2 error "creating temporary files", then you may also want to check the drivers for sound, network, and other things that Team Fortress 2 uses to be able to run smoothly.

Check Disk Space

It may seem silly, but we've all been there, especially with game such as Team Fortress 2 that have been installed on our PC for as long as we can remember.

And, as we all tend to disregard older drives in favor of our add-ons, with more space, those tend to clutter up with updates over the years. So, check the drive where Team Fortress 2 is installed, and see if there is enough space, as it may be causing the "creating temporary files" error message.

Add a Firewall Exception

Every once in a while, as the game is constantly getting new content, the Windows Firewall may stop the game or the Steam Client from running it properly.

The same goes for any antivirus. First, disable any antivirus protections you have, and if the issues not resolved, add a Firewall exception to Steadm and TF2.

That is why it is needed to enable firewall exception for the game in the firewall settings:

1. Open the Control Panel

2. Click on System and Security

3. Open Windows Defender Firewall Screen

4. Click on the Allow an App or Feature through Windows Defender Firewall

5. Find Steam.exe and the TF2 launcher and tick the boxes next to them

6. Click OK to save the changes

If the issue is resolved, you may have to keep both as Firewall exceptions. However, this also means that you'll have to be extra careful when doing anything related to each of the two programs.

Delete Temporary Files

If none of the options above have worked, the most desperate thing you have left is to delete temporary Team Fortress 2 files, as they may be impacting other files as well.

This is also the most dangerous option, as it can only be done manually, and there is a great risk of deleting critical files, especially when done by someone inexperienced, causing a Team Fortress 2 failure to launch.

There is a reason I left it as the second to last option. After all, if you make a mistake with this one, you'll have to use the final option on our list anyways.

Reinstall Team Fortress 2

If you're down to this option, then it means that manually deleting temporary game files did not help with the "creating temporary files" error. And, you're either exactly where you've started, or have deleted something critical.

In any case, the only prudent thing now is to reinstall Team Fortress 2, just in case! However, to make sure no corrupted files remain, or the reinstall just doesn't come around full circle with the same issue, it must be done thoroughly.

1. Open Steam Client
2. Right-click Tema Fortress 2 in the Library
3. Delete local content
4. Right-click Steam and click "Open file location"
5. Delete the "Team Fortress 2" folder and anything in it in the "steamapps" folder
6. Reinstall team Fortress 2

Luckily, the download size of Team Fortress 2 does not seem as large today as it once did!