Steam Not Downloading Games? Here’s How to Fix It

Quick Tips

• For most people, this problem will be a network connection issue, and fixing the network problem should fix it.
• You should clear a corrupted download cache, which may be why games will not download.

Basic Fixes:

• Reboot the home network and fix other network problems: You should restart your home connection since this problem mainly points to a network issue.
• Ensure Steam is set to Go Offline: Click the Steam option at the top left. Under the Change account, you should see Go Online or Go Offline. Set it to Go Offline if not already.
• Reinstall Steam: Reinstalling Steam will also be effective since it fixes all corruption triggering the problem.
• Use Google DNS: Switching to Google DNS is an easy fix; this will resolve the underlying network issues, causing the Steam problem.

Fix 1: Turn off Limit IP Tracking in the Network Settings (Mac)

This first solution is very effective but only works for Mac users. Many users have claimed it was the ultimate solution.

Step 1: Click the Apple logo at the top left > click on System Settings.

Step 2: Click on Network on the left pane > Wi-Fi on the right.

Step 3: Click on the Details option > toggle off Limit IP address tracking, > click OK.

Fix 2: Clear Download Cache

Here, we are not referring to your Windows or macOS computer cache. We are talking about the Steam client cache, and there is a way to clear it from inside the app.

Step 1: Open the Steam client > select Settings under Steam.

Step 2: The Clear Download Cache button is under the Downloads tab. Click on it and confirm in the pop-up that follows.

At this point, you don’t need to reboot your computer or sign back into the Steam client, as it has the option built into it.

Fix 3: Change Download Region

Steam has download servers worldwide and will automatically choose one based on your IP address. One that’s closest to you to provide optimal speeds. Changing the server location can help improve download speeds or fix downloading errors.

Step 1: Open the Steam client again and go to Settings > Downloads tab.

Step 2: Choose a new download location from the Download Region drop-down menu.

I suggest choosing a location that’s closer to where you live. That will give you better download speeds. Try a couple of locations before moving on to the next method. Multiple servers could be affected.

Fix 4: Verify Game Files Integrity and Repair Library Folders

Steam downloads all the required game files to ensure your favorite game runs smoothly. However, these files could get corrupted, and updates cannot be downloaded via the Steam client. Steam knows this, so it offers a way to check files’ integrity.

Step 1: Open Steam client > go to Library where you will find all your downloaded games > right-click to select Properties.

Step 2: Under the Local Files tab, click on Verify Integrity of game files to begin the process.

Now, proceed to repair library folders following the steps below:

Step 1: Open the Steam client > go to Steam > Settings.

Step 2: Click on Steam Library Folders under the Downloads tab.

Step 3: In the following pop-up, right-click on the Steam folder location where files are saved > select Repair Library Folder.

Steam will check for corrupt files and repair them or re-download them. Check if you can now download game updates via Steam.