FIX: Steam Slow Download Speed.
If you have a slow download speed when downloading Steam games, continue reading below. The introduction of game services had changed users experience over the last decade. Different game services are available to PC users, while some game services are cross-platform – they work on PC and Mac.
Steam is one of the most popular game services today with over 120 million monthly users and several thousand games available for purchase and for free. The biggest pain users experience with Steam is when downloading games like TomClancy's Rainbow Six, CyberPunk 2077 and Halo Infinite, because these games have large files that require fast internet speeds.
Since, many users reported that the download speed on Steam is lower compared to their internet speed, I decided to write this tutorial to help them fix the problem.
Internet Speed vs Download Speed.
Before proceeding to fix the Steam slow download speed issue, you should be aware that comparing Internet speed to download speed is not an accurate method of measuring games download speed. This is because the Internet Service Provider (ISP) calculates the Internet speed in Bits per second (Mbps), while the download speed is measured in Bytes per second (MBps), where 1 byte is equivalent to 8 bits.
This means that if your Internet download speed is 200 Mbps (Megabits per second), your download speed should be around 25 MBps (megabytes per second). So to find the download speed, you just need to divide your Internet speed by 8. This way we can determine if Steam is downloading at the speed it should be.
After the above clarification, if you find that the download speed of games from Steam is slower than normal, the following solutions will fix the problem and improve the download speed.
How to FIX: Slow Downloading in STEAM.
- Method 1. Clear Download Cache & Disable Throttle downloads.
- Method 2. Change Download Region.
- Method 3. Perform a Network Reset.
- Method 4. Disable Firewall.
- Method 5. Remove & Reinstall Steam.
Method 1. Clear Steam Download Cache and Disable Throttle downloads.
The first thing to try out to fix slow download speed on Microsoft Steam is to clear the downloaded cache. Clearing the cache will remove redundant data that affects download speed.
1. Launch Steam.
2. Click the Steam tab at the top left corner and from the drop down menu select Settings.
3. Click Downloads from the list of options and apply the following settings:
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- Uncheck the option Throttle downloads while streaming.
- Click Clear Download Cache and then click OK.
4. The app will reboot, sign in and check if the download speed improves. If the issue persists, try out the next solution.
Method 2. Select a Different Download Region.
Another way to boost the download speed on Steam is to change the download region (server location). We recommend that you choose an area that is located at night time, so that there are fewer users from that area. This could significantly improve the download speed of Steam.
1. From Steam menu choose Settings.
2. At Downloads, click the drop down menu under Download Region and choose a location with a time zone that is currently at night time. Then select OK.
3. A dialog box will appear prompting for a restart to effect the changes you made. Click Restart Steam to apply the change.
4. Attempt to download your games and observe if it is downloading faster. This solution has greatly improved the download speed of numerous users.
Method 3. Perform a Network Reset.
In some cases, Windows updates could affect your network drivers and cause some conflicts. Besides, this can also reduce your browsing and downloading speed. Resetting Network can correct any underlying issues and speed up Steam downloads.
To Reset Network in Default Settings: *
* Info: Network reset removes any network adapters you have installed and the settings for them. After your PC restarts, any network adapters are reinstalled, and the settings for them are set to the defaults.
1. Open Windows Settings and select Network and internet.
2. At the right, select Advanced network settings. *
* Note: On Windows 10, select the Network Reset link under Advanced Network settings.
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3. Select Network reset.
4. Click Reset now and select Yes on the dialog to confirm that you want to reset the network.
5. Windows will notify you that it will restart your device in 5 minutes. Save your work and wait for the PC to reboot.
6. After rebooting, wait for Windows to reinstall your network and then check if the download speed on Steam has improved.
Method 4. Disable Firewall.
The antivirus security on your PC could also reduce the download speed on Steam. So, if you are using a third-party security program that also has a Firewall feature, try disabling the firewall and see if that improves the download speed on steam.
If you're using the default Windows Security, you can follow the below steps to disable the Firewall. (This sometimes can triple the Steam download speed).
1. Type Windows Firewall on the search bar and then Open the Windows Defender Firewall from the results.
2. At the left, select Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
3. Check Turn off Windows Defender Firewall and select OK. (Do this for both the Private and Public networks).
4. Now, open Steam and check if the download steam is improved.*
* Note: Because this solution is a bit overkill and leaves your computer vulnerable to attacks, turn Windows Firewall back on once the download is complete.
Method 5. Uninstall & Reinstall Steam.
Removing and reinstalling Steam is another great way of fixing slow download of Steam games. So, backup your Steam games before you uninstall the Steam client and restore them as soon as you get the app reinstalled on your PC.
To uninstall Steam:
1. Press Windows Key + R to launch Run.
2. Type appwiz.cpl in the dialog box and click OK.
3. Locate Steam, right-click and select Uninstall. A dialog box will appear to confirm if you want to remove Steam, select Uninstall.
4. Once completed, install Steam again and login to your account. Then proceed to check the download speed.
That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
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