Steam is an online platform to play games that has many features for users. Even you can purchase games and software for the computer. One feature due to which this platform has gained popularity is its auto-update which allows you to do other tasks while the game is being updated. But, this feature takes a lot of internet data. So, this creates a lot of issues for the users who have limited connectivity. Even, sometimes users cannot use the internet only as all the bandwidth is taken by the Steam only. So, for these above reasons you need this article which is about the Steam turn off auto updates.
Guidelines to Disable Steam Auto Update
In this section of the article, you will various points that will guide you on how to disable auto updates on Steam.
Set up the Time Restrictions for Auto Update Feature
If you do not want the auto-update feature within the Steam application to create a nuisance with your internet connection, then follow the steps below:
- First, locate and tap to launch the Stream application.
- After that, navigate to the upper-left edge of the window and then, tap on the ‘Steam’ menu.
- Next, a popup menu will appear, from it choose the option ‘Settings’.On this menu, locate the tab ‘Download’ on the left.
- Under this tab, go to the section ‘Download Restrictions’. Within it, set a specific time for the Steam application to update any games.
- When you do this, then the current update process will be paused and then according to the restrictions that are set, the download will begin.
Deactivate the Automatic Update
This point provides you with the details on the process to Steam stop auto updates feature. For that, follow the steps present below:
- First, open the Steam software from your desktop.
- Now, locate and choose the tab ‘Library’ on the upper part of the window. Under this tab, all the games that are installed will be on a list.
- From the list, choose a game that you want and right-click on it. Next, from the pop up options menu, go to the bottom and select the option ‘Properties’.
- When the new ‘Properties’ window of the game opens up, navigate to the tab ‘Updates’ on the top.
- Inside this tab, there is a section ‘Automatic updates’. Under it, tap on the drop down menu to reveal three kinds of options. Those three options are ‘Always keep this game up to date’, ‘Only update this game when I launch it’, ‘High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others’. Among those choose the preferable one.
Disable Automatic Update Modify AppManifest
In this point, you will get the process to change the ‘Appmanifest’, in order to get rid of the Steam disable auto update.
- First, launch a preferred text box like a ‘Notepad’.
- Next, go the Steam folder and inside it locate the ‘Steamapps’ directory. By default the path of the Steam folder location is as follows – “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam”.
- Now, double-click on the ‘Steamapps’ folder to reveal the contains inside it. Among all those items, locate and right-click on the ‘appmanifest.acf’ file.
- After that, from the popup options list, choose the option ‘Open with…’ and then, select the ‘Notepad’ application.
- Once the text space in the ‘Notepad’ gets populated the content of that file, then find a line “Autoupdatebehaviour” “0”. Just, alter the value “0” to “1”.
- Then, go to the menu bar at the top of the text editor and choose the ‘File’ menu. Next, from the popup options, select ‘Save’ and close it.
- Finally, launch the Steam application and see if the auto-update feature is on or not.
Restrict the Bandwidth
This point discusses another way to disable Steam auto-update feature which is to limit the bandwidth of the internet connection. This will force the Steam application to use less data for downloading the game or software updates. Thereby, allowing you to easily use the internet. In order to do it, follow the simple lines underneath.
- First, go to the initial point on this section and then, follow the first four steps to open the ‘Download Restriction’ section.
- Next, within the above-mentioned section, choose the option ‘Limit Bandwidth’.
- Now, this opens a drop-down menu where there is a list of multiple speeds. From that list, select the speed of bandwidth which is the lowest.
- At last, save this setting and restart the Steam to see whether the download speed has dropped or not.
Deactivate the Steam During Startup
This is another procedure on how to disable auto updates on Steam is to deactivate it at the time of startup. Follow the sentences underneath to perform this procedure.
- First, navigate to the initial point and select the first three steps to open the ‘Settings’.
- Next, tap on the tab ‘Interface’ which is present on the left-hand column of the ‘Settings’.
- After that, under the tab mentioned in the previous step, deselect the option ‘Run Steam when my computer starts’.
- Finally, Save the alterations and quit from the application.
Perform Installation of the Game Partially once Again
If Steam disables auto-update feature that cannot be accomplished even after applying all the steps above, then the last resort is to reinstall the game partially. To do that, follow these steps below.
- First, locate the Steam folder on the computer.
- After that, except the ‘Steamapps’, ‘Userdata’ folder and ‘Steam.exe’ file, remove all the other files and folders.
- Next, reboot the machine. After it boots up, then navigate to the ‘Steam’ folder and double-click on it to open.
- Now, double-click on the ‘Steam.exe’ file to run it and install the application once again.
- Lastly, take any of the points from above and disable the auto-update feature.
Ending Note
Steam turn off auto updates feature can be accomplished easily and effectively if you follow a single point from the previous section very minutely. But, if even after following all the points on the above section you still cannot able to deactivate the auto-update feature on Steam application, then do not worry. Just, provide the details of your problem on the comments section, at the bottom of this page.
