SteamTools is a third-party tool that allows you to add games to your Steam library.
When using the tool, Steam might show a “Purchase” button instead of “Play” for your games.
This prevents launching the game and makes previously “added” titles disappear or unplayable.
This error usually occurs after Steam updates which can change the validation of ownership/licenses/depots.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the SteamTools purchase error if all of the games in your library can’t be launched.
To fix the SteamTools Purchase Error, you must delete the “appinfo” and “packageinfo” vdf files.
You can also try clearing Steam’s download cache from the Steam app and restarting your PC.
Fix 1: Delete “appinfo” and “packageinfo”
- Open the File Explorer on the Windows Taskbar.
- This PC > Windows (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam > appcache.
- Right-click “appinfo.vdf” and select “Delete”.
- Right-click “packageinfo.vdf” and select “Delete”.
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on your keyboard and select “Task Manager”.
- Right-click and end the process for “Steam Client Webhelper”, “Steam”, and “Steam Client Service”.
- Open Steam and try launching the game again!
Fix 2: Clear download cache
- Open Steam > Steam (top-left) > Settings > Downloads.
- Select “Clear Cache” next to “Clear Download Cache”.
- Restart your PC.
- Open Steam and try launching the game again!
Further reading
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