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Steam’s Settings > Downloads page and the Download Manager are the controls you need to reduce bandwidth use, prevent unwanted background updates, schedule downloads, troubleshoot slow speeds, and move games off a crowded SSD. Set a bandwidth cap for shared or metered connections, choose launch-only updates for games you rarely play, define an overnight update window, and move infrequently played titles to another Steam Library folder instead of downloading them again later.
Where Steam’s download controls are located
The Download Manager is Steam’s central view for active, queued, scheduled, paused and completed downloads. Open it in any of these ways:
- Select Downloads at the bottom of the Steam client.
- Use View > Downloads from the top menu.
- Open Library > Downloads.
Use the manager to see current progress, reorder queued items, pause downloads, resume them and review completed updates. Global network and scheduling controls are under Steam > Settings > Downloads. Individual game update behavior is under that game’s properties.
How to limit Steam’s download speed
Set a global bandwidth cap
- Open Steam > Settings.
- Select Downloads.
- Find the bandwidth or download-rate limit control and enter the maximum rate Steam may use.
- Apply the setting, then open the Download Manager to confirm the active limit.
Steam displays the active limit in the upper-right of the Download Manager. The same limit can appear in the update dialog shown when you launch a game that needs an update. This is a Steam-client limit, not a change to your router, internet plan or other devices on the network.
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Read Steam’s units correctly
Steam may show a rate in kilobytes per second or megabytes per second, while an internet plan is commonly advertised in kilobits or megabits per second. One byte contains eight bits, so a byte-per-second figure is not directly comparable with an ISP’s bit-per-second headline. Convert the units before deciding that Steam is using less bandwidth than expected or that a cap is malfunctioning.
There is no universal bandwidth number that is correct for every household. Choose a ceiling that leaves enough capacity for video calls, work, streaming and other users, then adjust it after observing the connection during a busy period. A lower cap protects everyone’s responsiveness but makes large updates take longer; a higher cap finishes sooner but leaves less headroom.
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How to stop a game updating automatically
Use the per-game update setting
- Open Library and select the game.
- Open the game’s Properties.
- Select Updates.
- Choose Only update this game when I launch it.
This is the most direct way to prevent routine background updates for a game you rarely play. The trade-off is immediate: when you eventually launch it, Steam may need to download the pending update before the game starts. If you need the title ready without a launch-time wait, keep automatic updating enabled instead.
Understand all three documented choices
| Setting | What Steam does | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always keep this game updated | Downloads updates automatically according to Steam’s scheduling and client rules. | Games you play regularly or need ready immediately. | Can consume bandwidth and storage in the background. |
| Only update this game when I launch it | Defers the update until you start the game. | Rarely played games and limited connections. | You may wait for an update before playing. |
| High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others | Places this game ahead of other automatic updates. | A frequently played title that must be patched first. | Other games may remain queued longer and bandwidth is concentrated on this title. |
How to schedule Steam updates
Choose an automatic update window
- Go to Steam > Settings > Downloads.
- Find the automatic-update scheduling control.
- Choose the local hours when Steam may download automatic updates.
- Save the setting and check the Download Manager for queued work.
Steam’s example uses 12 AM to 8 AM: games set to update automatically can download between midnight and 8 AM local time. Pick hours that match your connection’s quiet period rather than assuming the computer’s time zone is the same as your billing or household schedule.
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Know when the schedule can be bypassed
A schedule governs automatic downloads; it is not a lock on all network activity. Manually starting an update can override the window. Launching a game can also force its pending update, particularly when that game is configured to update on launch. The Download Manager lets you pause or reorder queued downloads when you need to control what happens immediately.
Newer client policy options
In a December 11, 2024 Steam client beta note, Valve described a default policy that can let Steam decide when to update using factors such as when a game was last played and bandwidth availability, or wait until the game is launched. The note also says per-game overrides remain available. It identifies additional Downloads controls for limiting speed and pausing downloads while playing or streaming. Because the announcement concerns a client beta, the exact labels and availability can vary by Steam version; check the controls visible in your installed client.
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How to pause downloads while playing or streaming
If an update competes with a game, stream or live call, open Steam > Settings > Downloads and look for the option to pause downloads while playing or streaming. This protects interactive traffic without requiring you to cancel the update. You can resume it from the Download Manager when the session ends. A bandwidth cap remains useful when you want updates to continue at a controlled rate instead of stopping completely.
How to move Steam games to another drive
Create or select a second Steam Library folder
- Open Steam’s storage or library-folder management control from the Downloads settings.
- Create a Steam Library folder on the second drive, or select an existing Steam Library location.
- Confirm that the drive is connected, writable and has enough free space.
A second internal drive is usually the simplest arrangement, but an external drive can also be suitable when its connection, filesystem and performance meet your needs. Keep the drive available whenever you want to launch games installed there.
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Move an installed game without downloading it again
- Open Library and right-click the game, or use its gear menu.
- Select Properties > Installed Files.
- Choose Move Install Folder.
- Select the destination Steam Library folder and confirm the move.
Steam Support documents this process as a way to relocate an existing installation rather than creating a new download. Verify the destination and wait for Steam to finish before disconnecting either drive. If the move option is unavailable, confirm that the destination has been added as a Steam Library folder and that the game is fully installed rather than still being downloaded or validated.
Decide between an SSD and an HDD
| Location | Capacity strategy | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| SSD | Keep games you play often or those that benefit from faster loading. | Less free space, but generally quicker game and level loading. |
| Storage HDD | Move infrequently played or archival games here. | More capacity at the cost of slower storage performance for those games. |
| External drive | Use when internal capacity is limited and the connection is reliable. | Performance and availability depend on the port, cable, filesystem and enclosure. |
Valve’s bandwidth guidance specifically recommends moving infrequently played games from an SSD to a storage HDD instead of uninstalling them and downloading them again later. This saves SSD capacity and avoids the bandwidth cost of a future reinstall. It does not make downloads faster, and it does not guarantee that every external-drive setup will deliver the same loading performance as an internal SSD.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Steam may be downloading slowly
Check the download region
- Open Steam > Settings > Downloads.
- Find Download Region.
- Try the region closest to your location first.
- If throughput remains poor, test another nearby or alternate region and compare the actual rate in the Download Manager.
Steam says a nearby or alternate region can provide a better connection. Treat the region as a troubleshooting variable, not a guarantee: congestion, routing and the selected content server can change over time. Keep the region that produces a stable improvement for your connection, and change it back if performance later deteriorates.
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- Confirm that a bandwidth limit is not set lower than intended.
- Look in the Download Manager for a paused queue.
- Check whether Steam is pausing downloads while you play or stream.
- Make sure another queued download is not occupying the connection first; reorder or pause it if necessary.
Compare rates using the same units
Before diagnosing a slow connection, identify whether Steam reports kilobytes or megabytes per second and whether your internet plan reports kilobits or megabits per second. Divide a bit-per-second figure by eight to compare it with an equivalent byte-per-second rate. Even after conversion, an ISP headline is a maximum access rate, not a promise that Steam will sustain that number from every content server.
Separate network speed from disk work
Steam may appear to slow or stop while it is unpacking, verifying or writing an update. Large updates can involve local disk activity in addition to internet transfer. Watch the Download Manager’s status and the destination drive’s free space before assuming that a region or bandwidth setting is at fault. Installing or moving a game to a nearly full drive can also create failures even when the network is healthy.
Quick Recap
A practical setup for common situations
| Situation | Recommended settings | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Shared household connection | Set a global bandwidth cap; enable pause-while-playing or streaming; schedule automatic updates for quiet hours. | Leaves predictable capacity for other users and interactive traffic. |
| Metered or mobile connection | Use a conservative cap, set rarely played games to launch-only updates, and pause the queue when necessary. | Reduces surprise background consumption, while accepting launch-time waits. |
| Limited SSD space | Add a library on a larger HDD or suitable external drive and use Move Install Folder for infrequently played games. | Reclaims SSD capacity without deleting the installations. |
| Games must be ready immediately | Keep those games on automatic updates, optionally mark one as high priority, and schedule updates before the hours when you play. | Moves waiting time away from launch while keeping less important titles lower in the queue. |
| Unexpectedly slow downloads | Check cap, pause state, queue order and units; then test the closest and an alternate download region. | Addresses the most common client-side and routing variables in a controlled order. |
What each setting can and cannot do
- Bandwidth limit: controls Steam’s download rate; it does not manage other applications or devices.
- Per-game launch-only updating: prevents routine background updates for that title, but launching can trigger a required update.
- Automatic-update window: shifts automatic downloads to selected local hours, but manual actions and game launches can override it.
- Download region: changes the content-server region Steam uses; it cannot overcome a local cap, congestion on your network or slow disk processing.
- Moving an install folder: changes where an existing game is stored; it does not increase internet speed or eliminate the performance differences between SSD, HDD and external storage.
Quick checklist before changing anything
- Open the Download Manager and note whether the queue is active, paused or waiting on disk work.
- Check Steam > Settings > Downloads for the bandwidth cap, schedule, pause-while-playing option and download region.
- Review each rarely played game under Properties > Updates and choose launch-only updating where the trade-off is acceptable.
- Add a second Steam Library folder before moving installations.
- Use Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder and confirm the game opens from its new location.
- Compare Steam’s byte-based display with your provider’s bit-based plan only after converting units.
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