Tool Updated today

Deadlock mod errors and how to fix them

Most Deadlock mod errors come down to a handful of causes: a file Windows won't let the mod manager change, a download that broke on the way, or a gameinfo.gi that's missing lines. Find your error below; each one has the fix.

gameinfo.gi or the addons folder is read-only, or "Access is denied"

The mod manager can't write to the game folder. Deadlock Mod Manager shows this as "Access is denied. (os error 5)"; other managers say the addons folder or gameinfo.gi is read-only.

1
Close Deadlock and the mod manager.
2
In Steam, right-click Deadlock, Manage, Browse local files, then open game/citadel.
3
Right-click gameinfo.gi, Properties, untick Read-only and press OK. Do the same for the addons folder.
4
Start the mod manager again.

Still denied? A mod may have been installed by a manager running as administrator. Delete that mod's pak..._dir.vpk from addons by hand, or run the manager as administrator once to remove it.
Windows Security's Controlled folder access can block apps from changing files. If it's on, allow your mod manager under Ransomware protection.

Deadlock crashes at start: "Unable to read default keybinding configuration (user_keys_default)"

gameinfo.gi has the addons line but not the Mod and Write lines the game needs with it. Deadlock stops at start, and Steam then reports the game files as corrupt and checks them again and again.

Add the four lines after Game core, as in the after-update guide. Or let a mod manager write the file: Frogtech Mod Loader writes all of it, and its Repair button takes the mods out, has Steam check the game files and puts the mods back.

"Can't find EOCD" or "not a valid zip file"

The zip is broken or isn't a zip at all. EOCD is the end of a zip file, so the download stopped early, or the site sent a web page instead of the file.

1
Download the mod again, from the mod's own page.
2
Open the zip in Windows Explorer or 7-Zip. If it won't open there either, the file is broken: try another browser, or the mod's other download link.
3
If it opens, take the .vpk out and add that to your mod manager instead of the zip.

"Not a RAR archive" or "bad rar archive"

The file ends in .rar but is something else (often a zip or 7z renamed), or the download broke.

1
Open the file with 7-Zip, which reads the real format whatever the name says.
2
Take the .vpk out and add it to your mod manager directly.
3
If 7-Zip can't open it, download it again.

No error, but the mods don't show in game

Every mod is gone at once after a game update: gameinfo.gi was reset. See Deadlock mods not working after an update.
Some mods missing: the files in addons must be numbered without gaps (pak01_dir.vpk, pak02_dir.vpk, ...). The game stops at the first missing number.
Two mods change the same thing: only one wins. Change the load order, or turn one off.
Two mod managers are installed: they undo each other's changes. Keep one (which one?).

The game crashes only with mods on

After a big game update, a mod that changes the HUD or menus can stop matching the game. Find it by halves: turn off half your mods and start the game; if it works, the bad mod is in that half. Repeat until one is left, then look for a new version on its page. Deadlock Mod Manager has a Find a broken mod tool that does the same.

Frogtech Mod Loader Mods not working after an update How to mod Deadlock