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Use Steam’s Download Manager to monitor downloads, reorder queued updates, and control when automatic game updates run. Open it from the Downloads link at the bottom of the desktop client, or choose View > Downloads or Library > Downloads.

Open Steam’s Download Manager

In the Steam desktop client, open Downloads using any of these paths:

  • Select Downloads at the bottom of the client window.
  • Choose View > Downloads from the menu.
  • Open Library > Downloads.

Steam Support describes the Download Manager as the place where downloads and updates can be managed. It displays progress and completed updates, and provides controls for managing the update queue. See Steam Support’s guide to managing downloads and updates.

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Reorder queued downloads and updates

In the Download Manager, manually reorder queued updates to change their order. Steam’s support guide confirms that reordering is available there, but does not specify a button or drag gesture; use the queue controls shown in your client rather than relying on an assumed interaction.

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This is distinct from changing an individual game’s automatic update preference. If a particular game should generally update ahead of others, use its High Priority option in Properties, described below.

Choose when automatic game updates run

To restrict when Steam automatically downloads game updates, open Steam > Settings > Downloads and enable the setting that limits automatic updates to a selected time window. Set the hours that suit you; Steam’s example uses local time.

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A scheduled window does not prevent you from updating sooner: in the Download Manager, choose to download an update immediately. Launching a game also triggers its update immediately.

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Change update behavior for one game

To set a game’s update preference, open its Library page and choose Manage > Properties > Updates. Steam lists these choices:

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  • Always keep this game updated: Steam automatically updates the game, subject to your general download settings.
  • Only update this game when I launch it: defers that game’s automatic updates until you launch it.
  • High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others: prioritizes that game’s automatic updates relative to other games.

The same Updates area also includes a per-game setting for whether downloads of other updates can run while you are playing. These per-game options complement the general download schedule; they do not replace queue management in the Download Manager.

Keep bandwidth and storage settings separate

If downloads are using too much network capacity, set a limit under Steam > Settings > Downloads. Steam may display the limit in bytes or bits per second, depending on the client’s display preference.

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For disk-space needs, manage Steam Library folders to choose where a new game is installed or move an installed game to another library without downloading it again. Bandwidth limits and library locations affect network use and storage, respectively; neither changes the order of the download queue.

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What to know about adding several new games

Steam’s support guidance confirms that you can manage downloads in the Download Manager and manually reorder queued updates. It does not give a separate step-by-step procedure for adding multiple newly purchased games to a queue, so the available guidance does not establish a special batch-queue workflow beyond managing the downloads that appear there.

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