How to Stop a Download on Steam
Stop a Steam Download in Progress
To stop a Steam download immediately, open the Steam desktop app and select Downloads near the bottom of the window. You can also open Library and select the download status shown at the bottom.
- Find the game under Downloading.
- Select the pause button beside the progress bar. Depending on the Steam client version, it may appear as two vertical lines.
- Wait until the status changes to Paused or the game moves into the queue.
This is how to pause a download on Steam without giving up the progress already shown. Pausing stops the current network transfer, but it does not cancel the installation or remove the game from the queue.
If several items are active, use Pause All when that control is available. Check each item afterward because Steam can also process game content, updates, Workshop items, or shader data.
Cancel and Remove the Download
If you want to stop downloading a game on Steam completely, pause it first. Then look for the X or remove control beside the game on the Downloads screen. Select it and confirm the removal if Steam asks.
The exact control can look slightly different after a Steam client update. Point to the icons beside the title and read their labels before selecting one. Use the control labeled Clear, Cancel, or Remove from Queue rather than the resume button.
Canceling and pausing are different:
- Pause keeps the download listed so you can resume it later.
- Cancel or Remove from Queue takes the pending job out of the Downloads list.
- Removing a download does not remove the game from your Steam library.
If the title remains partly installed and you do not want its local content, open Library, right-click the game, select Manage, and then select Uninstall. Review the confirmation carefully. This is the in-app option to use when your goal is to remove the partial installation, not merely stop Steam download activity.
Stop a Queued Steam Download
A queued game is waiting for another download to finish or for its scheduled time. Open Downloads and look below the active item for the Queued section.
- Locate the game you do not want Steam to start.
- Select its X or remove control.
- Confirm that the title disappears from the queue.
Do not select Download Now or the upward-priority control, because that can move the game ahead of other items. If you only want to delay it, leave it queued and pause all downloads. If you want to remove a download from Steam queue entirely, use the individual remove control instead.
Afterward, return to Library and check the game. A button labeled Install indicates that no installation is currently scheduled. A paused progress display indicates that the job is still present and can resume.
Prevent the Download From Restarting
A paused download is designed to be resumable. Steam may keep it available after the app or computer restarts. To prevent an unwanted game installation from restarting, remove the item from the queue instead of relying only on Pause.
For automatic updates to games that are already installed, open Steam Settings and select Downloads. Review the automatic-update schedule and any option that permits downloads during gameplay. A schedule can keep routine updates outside the times when you need the connection, but it does not cancel a specific pending job.
You can also right-click an installed game in Library, open Properties, and review its Updates setting. If available, choose the setting that waits to update until the game is launched. Remember that launching the game can then trigger the update.
Before closing Steam, return to Downloads and confirm that the unwanted title is absent rather than merely paused. If Steam immediately adds it again, check whether you selected Install, started the game, or left an update pending.
If the Steam Download Will Not Stop
If the pause or cancel control does nothing, give Steam a moment to finish its current disk operation. The Downloads screen may show network use at zero while Steam is unpacking or moving local data.
If the controls remain unresponsive:
- Close any game currently running through Steam.
- Open the Steam menu and choose Exit. Do not only close the window if Steam remains active in the background.
- Start Steam again, open Downloads, and try Pause or Remove from Queue once more.
- If the screen is still stuck, restart the computer and check Downloads before launching any game.
- Open Steam Settings, select Downloads, and use Clear Download Cache only as a later troubleshooting step.
Clearing the download cache can require Steam to refresh download information. Read the confirmation shown by the app before continuing. Do not manually change or delete files in Steam folders.
If one game repeatedly returns to the queue, open its Library page and inspect its update status. Also make sure another person using the computer has not started the installation again.
What Happens to Partially Downloaded Files
When you pause a download, Steam normally retains the recorded progress so it can continue later. The displayed amount may change after resuming because Steam can verify, unpack, or replace data before downloading more.
Canceling a queue item and uninstalling local content are separate actions. Do not assume that selecting an X always removes every local file. Steam may retain content that belongs to an existing installation, shared components, or other managed data.
Before removing anything, check the game’s Library page and note whether it says Install, Resume, Update, or Play. If storage space is the concern, use Manage and Uninstall inside Steam, then review the storage information in Steam Settings. Avoid deleting folders yourself, because Steam may need those files for another installed title or may redownload content after its records no longer match.