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Steam’s Download Manager lets you see and reorder queued updates; Steam > Settings > Downloads controls automatic update times, download speed, and downloads during gameplay; and each game’s Properties > Updates panel sets its update policy and priority. Use the controls together to decide which games update first, when automatic updates run, and whether downloads continue while you play.
How do I prioritize Steam downloads?
Use the Download Manager to change the order of updates already waiting, or set a lasting preference for one game in that game’s properties. These are separate controls: queue reordering affects current queued work, while High Priority is a per-game automatic-update preference.
Reorder updates that are queued now
Open Downloads from the bottom of the Steam client, or go to View > Downloads or Library > Downloads. The Download Manager shows active, queued, and completed work. Reorder the queue there to move the update you need sooner.
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- In your Library, open the game’s Manage > Properties.
- Select Updates.
- Choose High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others.
Steam’s Managing Steam Downloads & Updates support page describes this as a per-game setting. Use it when you want that game’s automatic update to take precedence; use queue reordering when you only need to change what happens next.
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How do I stop a game from updating automatically?
In the game’s Manage > Properties > Updates panel, choose Only update this game when I launch it. This defers the game’s update until you launch it; it is not a permanent freeze, because launching the game forces the update immediately.
To return to automatic updates, choose Always keep this game updated. The same panel also offers High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others when you want the game to update ahead of others. Steam’s client labels can vary, so check the current options in your version if the wording differs.
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Can I schedule Steam updates overnight?
Yes. In Steam > Settings > Downloads, enable the option to limit when Steam automatically updates games, then choose the time range. Steam’s example is a midnight-to-8-a.m. window: automatic updates run only during those local hours.
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The schedule governs automatic updates, not updates you start yourself. You can start an update from the Download Manager to override the window, and launching a game forces its update immediately.
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How do I limit Steam download speed?
Go to Steam > Settings > Downloads and choose a download bandwidth or speed limit. Steam displays the configured limit in the Download Manager and in an update dialog shown when you launch a game. The available rate options depend on whether the client displays rates in bytes or bits. Steam’s Setting Client Rates (Limit Download Speed) in Steam explains that its listed rates are kilobytes or megabytes per second, while internet plans are commonly advertised in bits per second.
Check units before translating an internet plan into a client limit: Mbps means megabits per second, while MB/s means megabytes per second. A limit can reduce downloads’ use of your connection; Steam points to it as a way to address lag or poor multiplayer performance, but the effect depends on your connection and activity.
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Why do Steam downloads stop when I launch a game?
Steam automatically pauses downloads when a game launches to prioritize network activity for the game. To let downloads continue, go to Steam > Settings > Downloads and enable Allow Downloads During Gameplay. If downloads affect network performance, set a bandwidth limit there.
That global setting is distinct from the per-game option in Properties > Updates about allowing or preventing other updates from downloading while you play that game. Check both controls if the behavior is not what you expect. Steam’s support explanation is in Downloads automatically pause when launching a game.
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Can I move Steam games to another drive without downloading them again?
Yes. Configure another Steam Library folder on the destination drive, then move the installed game rather than downloading it again.
- In your Library, open the game’s Properties.
- Select Installed Files, then Move Install Folder.
- Choose the destination Library folder and confirm.
When installing a new game, Steam also lets you choose among your existing Library folders. Additional storage is useful if you need more room or want installations on another drive; it does not change download queue order, update schedules, or per-game update policies.
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