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7 Ways to Fix Steam Download Stopping and Starting + Video

Check your internet connection before trying any complex fixes

6 min. read

Updated onJuly 10, 2024

updated onJuly 10, 2024

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Key notes

Some Steam users have discussed an issue on forums where the download starts and stops randomly. This can be due to conflicting third-party software, system time and time zone discrepancies, specific Windows services, or antiquated network drivers.

We have been confronted with this issue ourselves, at WR, and we know how to fix it so read on.

How do I fix the Steam download if it’s stopping?

1. Close superfluous programs

First, users should check that no extra programs are running when Steam is open. That will minimize the chances of potential third-party software conflicts. Users can do that with the Task Manager as follows.

You can also disable your antivirus by right-clicking the antivirus utility’s system tray icon and selecting a disable or turn-off option on its context menu.

Alternatively, users can temporarily remove the antivirus utility from the system startup by clicking Task Manager’s Start-up tab, selecting the antivirus software, and clickDisable. Then the software won’t start with Windows.

2. Clear Steam’s download cache

3. Sync the system clock with a time server

This Steam download error can be due to system time and set time zone dependencies. Users can fix that by adjusting the system time to sync with a server. Follow the guidelines above to do that.

4. Update network drivers

Steam might not always be compatible with antiquated network drivers. So, users should check if they need to update their network drivers.

You can also speed up the process by using a reliable driver updater. I recommend PC HelpSoft Driver Updater because it scans your PC for outdated drivers and quickly finds the latest driver versions from a massive database.

⇒Get PC HelpSoft Driver Updater

5. Stop the DiagTrack Service

6. Adjust Steam’s Bandwidth Setting

7. Reinstall Steam

Why is my Steam download slow?

The Steam download is sluggish for various reasons, most notably because of a server-side problem. Thus, switching the download region sometimes is beneficial.

Also, it may be a generally poor internet connection. This will mean both Steam and other elements running on the network will be slow.

To solve the issue, investigate any local causes, such as faulty cache files or excessive disk utilization.

What other Steam download problems should I be aware of?

If you’re having problems with aCorrupt Disk error in Steam. You might have to recreate the active download folder and try downloading the game again to fix this. The issue can also occur if there’snot enough disk space for Steamto install the games. If that’s the case, you might have to remove particular games and files or expand your storage.

If Steam is not downloading games, it’s possible that theservice component is not working correctly, so we encourage you to check it. Others complained thatSteam downloads to drop to 0and this signals an issue with your Internet connection.

Additionally, the download cache may be a factor in why the download speed on Steam continues to decrease; therefore, you’ll need to clear it.

Disabling the automatically detect settings option has proven to be a successful remedy in these situations. Finally, try flushing the configuration and DNS if your Steam client download stops at 0 bytes.

Indeed, the Steam download might sometimes stop, but there are several other related problems you should know to prevent any of them:

Some users might need to reinstall the Steam client to fix its downloads stopping. Remember that users lose game data if they don’t back up theSteamappssubfolder.

If you have any other problems with Steam downloads, sound off in the comments section below.

7 Ways to Fix Steam Download Stopping and Starting + Video#

How do I fix the Steam download if it’s stopping?#

1. Close superfluous programs#

2. Clear Steam’s download cache#

3. Sync the system clock with a time server#

4. Update network drivers#

5. Stop the DiagTrack Service#

6. Adjust Steam’s Bandwidth Setting#

7. Reinstall Steam#

Why is my Steam download slow?#

What other Steam download problems should I be aware of?#