Does Your Steam Download Slow? Here’s The Fix!

Are you among those users who spend hours on Steam waiting for the game to be downloaded rather than chilling out and playing your favorite game? Or have you ever puzzled about the possible reasons for your Steam’s slow download speed? If so, we have solutions to all your queries. Steam download slow is one of the common challenges faced by many gaming users across the globe. Stated below might be one of the reasons for Steam’s slow download speed:

• Use of wrong or outdated Network Drivers,
• Enabled Firewall,
• High CPU usage,
• Steam Download Caches,
• Issues with Network Connection,
• Wrong downloaded Server location,
• Limited bandwidth, Or
• Steam application not installed properly.

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How To Fix This Issue?

Now that we have stated some of the expected reasons for your Steam download slow, it is one of the common challenges faced by many gaming users across the globe. Let’s dig in to see the possible solutions to fix Steam download slow. It is one of the common challenges faced by many gaming users across the globe. Stated below might be one of the reasons for Steam download slow.

Visit Steam 

Update Network Drivers 

Outdated or wrong Network Drivers might be one of the possible causes of Steam download slow download speed. Therefore, it is recommended to update the Network drivers to solve the issue. 

Steps To Update Network Drivers On Windows 10 and MAC:

Windows 10:

• Press Win Key + R >> Type devmgmt.msc >> Enter.

• Under Network Adapters >> Locate your Network Driver (your Network Driver is located just below Bluetooth Device) >> Right-click on Network Driver >> Choose Update Driver >> Click Search automatically for drivers.

Follow the same steps for all the drivers.

MAC:

• Click Apple >> Select Software Update >> Download any available update listed under 

See Also: Solutions to Steam Friends Network Unreachable Error

Disable Firewall

• It is advisable to disable Firewall as it tends to block downloads and affect the download speed.

Steps To Disable Firewall On Windows 10 And MAC:

Windows 10:

• Click Windows >> Go to Settings >> Search Virus & threat protection >> Virus & threat protection settings >> Manage settings.
• Turn off Real Time-Protection.
• Restart to download the Steam game.

MAC:

• Click Apple >> Select System Preferences >> Go to Security & Privacy.
• Go to Firewall >> Turn off Firewall.
• Restart to download the Steam game.

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End High CPU Usage Programs

If your network’s connectivity is strong and you are still struggling with Steam download slow, there are chances that some of the programs are making high use of CPU storage. In such cases, it is advisable to end such programs using Task Manager.

Steps To End High CPU Usage Programs On Windows 10 And MAC:

Windows 10:

• Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete >> Select Task Manager >> Enter.

• Look for the programs that are using high CPU storage >> Select >> End Task.
• Restart to download the game.

MAC:

• Press Option + Command + Esc >> Select the app under Force Quit Applications >> Click Force Quit.
• Restart to download the game.

See Also: Steam Download Stopping and How to Fix It

Clear Steam Download Caches

Clearing up Steam’s download caches will help remove any bugs and errors and help in fastening the game’s download speed.

Steps To Clear Steam Download Caches:

• Go to Steam’s Settings.

• Scroll to Download.

• Click on Clear Download Cache >> Click OK.

• Restart the application.

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Resolve Issues With Network Connection

Network connectivity might be the possible cause of slow download speed. Ensure that there are no troubleshooting network issues and you are connected to the network.

Steps to resolve issues with Network Connection on Windows 10 and MAC:

• Windows 10:

Go to the Taskbar >> Click on the Globe icon to check the internet access.

Restart the application.

• MAC:
• Click Apple >> Select System Preferences.
• Click Networks.
• Check and select the desired Network Connection.
• Restart the application. 

Download Correct Server Location

Often, Steam users tend to download the wrong server location, which affects Steam download slow. So, it is recommended to check your server location and select your server region according to your location.

Steps to download Server location:

• Go to Steam’s Settings.

• Scroll to Download.

• Go to Download Region.
• Select the nearest region that is near to your location.

• Click OK.
• Restart Steam download.

Remove Limited Bandwidth

Bandwidth might be the other reason for slow-speed download. If your bandwidth is set to some limits, it is advisable to remove the bandwidth limit and change it to No Limit.

Steps To Set/Change The Bandwidth:

• Go to Steam’s Settings.

• Scroll to Download.

• Go to Download Restrictions.
• Go to Limited Bandwidth To >> Click on Drop Down Menu >> Set it to No Limits.

• Click OK.
• Restart the application.

Reinstall The Steam Application

If the problem is still unresolved, it is suggested to uninstall & reinstall the application.

By re-downloading the application from Steam’s website.

See Also: Steam Not Recognizing Installed Game Error? | (4 EASY FIXES)

Conclusion

These were our tips to fix the Steam download slow error. With all the techniques mentioned above, we anticipate that you can now improve your Steam download speed. Let us know how useful were these methods to you in the comments below.

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Tony Polanco

Tony, computing writer at Automaticable, covers laptops, tablets, Windows, iOS. Off-duty, he indulges in comics, gaming, speculative fiction, and excessive Twitter use. Non-nerdy side includes rocking out at concerts and hitting NYC bars.