[BUG] 2.5.30 & 2.5.31 categories fix is not functional - just produces a "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'filter') " error message, cloud-storage files never get updated / new categories never added.

[ShizCalev]

• Describe the bug

current release (after #761 ) doesn't seem to be functional. When trying to add games, I just receive a log error saying that categories failed to update, and my cloud-storage-namespaces.json files never get changed. It seems only the legacy VDF write is occurring.

 All available artwork urls retrieved. 
 Populating VDF list. 
 Creating backups. 
 Reading VDF files. 
 Merging VDF entries. 
 Attempting to kill Steam. 
 Killed Steam after 4000ms. 
 Saving category information to localconfig.vdf. 
 Error updating categories. See event log for details. 
 Category error (shortcuts and artwork will still be added): Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'filter') 
 Saving controller information. 
 Writing VDF files. Doing artwork in batches of 20. 
 Done adding/removing entries. 

• Steps to reproduce the behavior

Add games -> save to steam -> watch error log.

• Expected behavior

The category gets added

• Screenshots

[03bgood]

Error is telling me to use "pkill -9 steam", which results in "killing pid 606 failed: Operation not permitted". Using "sudo steamos-readonly disable" doesn't work, either. I enter sudo password, then it says "Warning: The rootfs is already read-write! Nothing is performed".

[ShizCalev]

Error is telling me to use "pkill -9 steam", which results in "killing pid 606 failed: Operation not permitted". Using "sudo steamos-readonly disable" doesn't work, either. I enter sudo password, then it says "Warning: The rootfs is already read-write! Nothing is performed".

That's a separate issue from what this issue is reporting...

[03bgood]

Ran "sudo pkill -9 steam", then parse and save games and it still shows the error.

[03bgood]

This can be fixed (maybe permanently) by using the newest AppImage and running it via the Deck's Desktop mode. It makes the error go away and adds the games/categories.

[Jakerfv]

I updated my version of SRM on Windows 10. I seem to be having a similar problem regarding functionality. I can parse and add games to a category; they will always stay in that category (IE "Gamecube Games", or "Genesis Games", etc.) set up via SRM. I can even add the games to a Steam category ("ARPGs", "JRPGs", etc) I have previously made for other games on Steam. However, I am finding games self-delete themselves from the previously made Steam categories where my native Steam titles live (ARPGs, JRPGs, etc) upon parsing new games. It doesn't seem to matter if an error message pops up or not on SRM. After I parse a new platform or reparse an old one and add the games, the games remove themselves from those Steam categories, but the new fix seems to keep SRM games working fine.

I updated my current version of SRM to the latest version.

Troubleshooting:
Removed both the Steam appdata folder and uninstalled/reinstalled Steam, making sure both folders were cleared before reinstallation.

I am using fewer than 200 games per ROM category, with fewer than 20 on native Steam categories (adding a game from "Gamecube Games" or "Genesis Games" (fewer than 200) to "ARPG" or "JRPG (fewer than 20). This bug happens regardless of non-steam-game library size or category size.

This is using the current Steam client version as of October 7th, 2025

To clarify, parsing games from SRM to categories does work, but adding them and keeping them on other Steam categories I made on Steam and not through SRM does not. This worked before without issue.

[03bgood]

I hope it doesn't happen to me. I'm using the AppImage. I don't want to go through this crap, again. I want it to be fixed, permanently.

[Immersion95]

FYI I'm on Windows 11 and it works great for me.

[dankrr]

Using the newest release works on Bazzite for categories. I initially replaced the .appimage used in emudeck in the /Emulation/tools/ with the newest release but that didn't work. What did work was downloading it and running like normal from the downloads folder. I did kill steam processes just to be safe before trying both options. Seems the issue is somewhere with emudecks script "steamrommanager.sh'.

[MultiKoopa]

This can be fixed (maybe permanently) by using the newest AppImage and running it via the Deck's Desktop mode. It makes the error go away and adds the games/categories.

Tried this just now. Still get the same error. Doesn't work.

[HeroProc]

Not to dog pile on this but I too want to confirm that v2.5.30 did not resolve the category issue. Currently attempted via SteamOS 3.7.15 / Linux 6.11. Attempted to remove SRM complete and start fresh but no change.

[dankrr]

Not to dog pile on this but I too want to confirm that v2.5.30 did not resolve the category issue. Currently attempted via SteamOS 3.7.15 / Linux 6.11. Attempted to remove SRM complete and start fresh but no change.

Did you make sure steam was closed entirely?

[MultiKoopa]

Not to dog pile on this but I too want to confirm that v2.5.30 did not resolve the category issue. Currently attempted via SteamOS 3.7.15 / Linux 6.11. Attempted to remove SRM complete and start fresh but no change.

Did you make sure steam was closed entirely?

yes, I did.

[HeroProc]

Not to dog pile on this but I too want to confirm that v2.5.30 did not resolve the category issue. Currently attempted via SteamOS 3.7.15 / Linux 6.11. Attempted to remove SRM complete and start fresh but no change.

Did you make sure steam was closed entirely?

Steam processes were manually closed/axed prior to running SRM

[SiTWulf]

Tested today, get the same error, not Categories update or creation

[xfechx]

Yes, the thing is still not working, just wasted so many hours re creating my library for me to open again steam and some things are under uncategorized, some are in categories, what a mess.

Edit:
In Linux, if you use Emudeck, make sure to not open SRM through their made shortcuts (i.e steamrommanager.sh) use the appimage directly and it works.

For me it is working under Win 11 and SteamOS, not working yer under Mac and same category error