Game Error CS2

CS2 Keybinds Reset on Restart - Configuration Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 11 ⚡ Severity: 🟡 Medium

🎯 Quick Answer

Set your CS2 configuration files to "Read-only" after applying keybinds to prevent the game from overwriting them on startup.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The CS2 keybind reset error is a persistent configuration file conflict. This error manifests as user-defined keyboard and mouse bindings reverting to previous or default states upon each game launch. The issue affects the Windows platform exclusively, as configuration file handling differs on macOS and Linux. The problem occurs across all CS2 versions following the game's public release. This is a common error with moderate severity; it does not cause crashes but significantly disrupts gameplay consistency and user control schemes. No specific error codes are generated. The core technical failure involves the game client incorrectly prioritizing or overwriting local configuration files during its initialization sequence.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application fails to retain keyboard and mouse bindings between sessions. After the user modifies bindings through the in-game settings menu, the changes function correctly for the current session. Upon terminating and restarting the Counter-Strike 2 application, all modified keybinds revert to their state prior to the last in-game change. The settings menu displays the reverted bindings. Editing the config.cfg or autoexec.cfg files directly with a text editor may appear successful, but the game client overwrites these changes upon launch, restoring the previous bind configuration.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The config.cfg file located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[STEAMID]\730\local\cfg lacks the "Read-only" attribute. The game client, during launch, writes active memory states to this file, overwriting any manual edits or in-game changes saved in the previous session. Why this causes the problem: The final write operation on game exit supersedes the user's intended configuration. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: An autoexec.cfg file contains bind commands that execute every time the game loads, forcibly resetting keybinds to a specific state regardless of in-game settings. Why this causes the problem: The autoexec.cfg executes after the game loads standard configs, overriding any changes made via the settings menu. Category: Game Bug / Policy Enforcement Specific technical explanation: Valve's restriction on certain movement-related binds (e.g., +forward, +left) within autoexec.cfg files, implemented to prevent exploits like "snaptap," causes the game to ignore or reset binds that violate this policy. Why this causes the problem: The game's configuration parser rejects or clears binds it flags as non-compliant, leading to partial or complete resets. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Community workshop maps, such as Aim Botz, include scripts that modify and save user settings upon map load, then attempt to restore them on exit. These scripts can incorrectly capture and re-apply old bind configurations. Why this causes the problem: Third-party script logic interferes with the native configuration save/load cycle. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The user applies keybind changes during an active game session instead of from the main menu. The game may handle configuration writes differently based on the application state. Why this causes the problem: Configuration writes from an active game server context may be incomplete or tagged as temporary. Category: File System Permission Error Specific technical explanation: The Steam userdata directory or the specific config.cfg file has restrictive Windows permissions that prevent the CS2 client from writing to it successfully during shutdown. Why this causes the problem: Failed write operations can corrupt the configuration state or cause the game to fall back to a backup or default configuration.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Set Configuration Files to Read-Only

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Launch CS2 and configure all keybinds exactly as desired from the main menu. Exit the game completely.
Navigate to your CS2 userdata configuration directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[YOUR_STEAM_ID]\730\local\cfg. Replace [YOUR_STEAM_ID] with your numeric Steam ID.
Locate the file config.cfg. Right-click on it and select Properties.
At the bottom of the General tab, check the box for Read-only. Click Apply, then OK.
Also check for and set video.cfg to Read-only if graphical settings are also resetting.

Technical Explanation: This prevents the CS2 game client from having write permissions to the primary configuration file, locking your chosen bindings in place and stopping the overwrite behavior on game exit. Verification: Launch CS2, verify keybinds are correct, then restart the game. The bindings should remain unchanged after the second launch.

Solution 2: Audit and Correct Autoexec.cfg

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Text editor (Notepad++ recommended) Steps:

Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg.
Open the autoexec.cfg file with a text editor. If it does not exist, this is not the cause.
Search for any line beginning with bind. Examine each bind command.
Remove or comment out (using // at the line start) any bind that conflicts with your intended settings, particularly those for movement keys (w, a, s, d, space).
Ensure no commands like exec config.cfg or host_writeconfig are present, as these can force a re-read or write of configs.
Save the file. Launch CS2 and set your keybinds from the main menu.

Technical Explanation: This eliminates scripted bind commands that execute after the game loads, which are the most common source of persistent, unwanted bind overrides. Verification: After modifying the autoexec.cfg, launch CS2, set binds, restart the game, and confirm they persist. The absence of conflicting bind commands in the autoexec prevents reset.

Solution 3: Apply Binds from Main Menu Only

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 2 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Ensure CS2 is fully closed.
Launch CS2 and wait at the main menu. Do not enter any game server, workshop map, or practice mode.
Navigate to Settings > Keyboard/Mouse and configure all desired keybinds.
Exit the game immediately using the main menu's quit function. Do not join a server after changing settings.
Relaunch the game to test if bindings are saved.

Technical Explanation: Applying changes from the main menu ensures the configuration system is in its standard write mode, avoiding potential conflicts or temporary flags applied when changing settings within an active game session. Verification: Bindings configured and saved from the main menu should persist after a game restart, provided no other conflicting scripts are present.

Solution 4: Clean Reconfiguration via New Config File

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 7 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Text editor Steps:

Launch CS2, reset all keyboard bindings to default via the settings menu. Exit the game.
Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[STEAMID]\730\local\cfg.
Rename config.cfg to config_backup.cfg.
Launch CS2. The game will generate a new, default config.cfg file.
From the main menu, configure your keybinds. Exit the game.
Open the new config.cfg with a text editor. Add the line host_writeconfig at the very end of the file. Save and close.
Set this new config.cfg file to Read-only (see Solution 1, Step 4).

Technical Explanation: This process eliminates corrupted or conflicting data within the old configuration file. The host_writeconfig command forces a full write of the current in-memory bind state to the config file upon execution. Verification: The new configuration file contains only your current bindings. After setting to Read-only and restarting the game multiple times, binds remain stable.

Solution 5: Investigate Workshop Map Script Conflicts

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Knowledge of recently used workshop maps Steps:

Do not launch any community workshop maps, especially training maps like Aim Botz, until the bind issue is resolved.
If you have recently used such a map, follow Solution 4 to generate a clean config.cfg.
Re-establish your keybinds from the main menu and verify they persist across restarts.
If you must use a workshop map, test it once. If binds reset after using it, that map contains conflicting scripts. Avoid that map or reconfigure binds after each use.

Technical Explanation: Many workshop maps use scripting to save and restore user settings for performance or convenience. These scripts can incorrectly capture an old bind configuration and re-apply it. Verification: Keybinds remain stable across restarts when not using community workshop maps. Resets recur predictably after loading a specific offending map.

Solution 6: Verify File System Permissions

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 4 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access Steps:

Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata.
Right-click the userdata folder and select Properties.
Go to the Security tab. Ensure your user account has Full control or at least Modify and Write permissions.
Click Advanced. Ensure the owner is your user account. Check "Replace all child object permission entries."
Click Apply and accept any confirmations. Repeat the permission check for your 730\local\cfg subdirectory.
Launch CS2, set binds, and exit to test.

Technical Explanation: Incorrect NTFS permissions can cause partial write failures, leading to corrupted or incomplete configuration files that the game cannot read correctly on subsequent launches. Verification: The game can successfully write to the config.cfg file on exit (temporarily remove Read-only attribute to test), and the written binds are correctly preserved.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, maintain a backup of your working config.cfg and autoexec.cfg files. Always set the primary config.cfg to Read-only after confirming correct bindings. Audit any new autoexec.cfg commands or workshop map subscriptions for bind or host_writeconfig commands. Before major game updates, remove the Read-only attribute, allow the game to update configuration schemas if necessary, then re-apply your binds and re-enable Read-only. Regularly validate file permissions on the Steam userdata directory after system updates or antivirus changes.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Steam Support only if all file-based solutions fail and the error persists across a complete game reinstall. Before contacting, gather the diagnostic information: your config.cfg and autoexec.cfg files (with sensitive information removed), and a list of subscribed workshop items. Provide your system specifications. Official support channels are accessible via the Steam client Help menu or the Steam Support website. Do not submit reports based solely on configuration resets without first exhausting the file permission and conflict resolution steps outlined in this guide.