There can be nothing more frustrating than your game download stopping in the middle on Steam. You end up resuming the download, and it keeps pausing or stopping in the middle, with you stuck in an infinite loop. All you want is to fix the issue and play the new game peacefully. Well, worry not, as you are not the only gamer facing this issue, and there are multiple fixes you can try out! The first step on the road to fixing the issue, is to figure out why Steam keeps pausing your download?
There can be multiple reasons for Steam pausing or stopping your download midway. You might be downloading the game while playing one, in which case Steam pauses the download. Or, it can be that your system drivers are outdated, or your internet connection is unstable. Now, merely knowing why this problem is occurring isn’t enough; you need to know how to fix the issue too.
All The Ways You Can Fix Steam Pausing Your Download:
- Allow Downloads While Playing:
As mentioned, a primary reason for Steam pausing your downloads can be that you are trying to download something while playing another game. In this case, Steam prefers network activity for the game playing rather than the one downloading. To fix this, go to Settings -> Downloads and check Allow Downloads During Gameplay.
- Reconnect To Steam:
If Steam keeps pausing or stopping your download midway due to a poor internet connection, reconnecting to Steam will fix the problem. Open Steam, and click Steam in the top left corner. From the dropdown menu, select Go Offline and then select Restart In Offline Mode on the screen displayed. After a few minutes, click Steam in the top left corner again and select Go Online. Click Restart and Go Online from the screen displayed.
- Change Download Region:
Open Steam and click Steam in the top left corner. From the dropdown menu, select Settings and then select Downloads. Click on Download Region, and from the screen displayed, select a region other than yours and select OK.
If your issue isn’t fixed, you can change the download restrictions. Go back to Settings and Downloads, and go to the Download Restrictions settings. Change Limit Bandwidth to No Limit and select OK.
- Disable Your Antivirus
Your antivirus may be disturbing your Steam downloads. In this case, you need to disable it. Go to the Start menu and search for Windows Security. Click on it, and when the dropdown menu opens, select Virus and Threat Protection. Scroll down till you see Virus and Threat Protection settings and go to Manage Settings. Turn off Real-Time Protection and click OK.
- Match Your Time!
Sometimes, your downloads not working might be a resultant of your system time not being synced with a server. For this, go to the settings of your PC -> Time and Language -> Date and Time. Go to Related Settings, and click on Add clocks for different time zones. Under Internet Time, click on Change Settings. Check Synchronize with an internet time server and choose a server from the list. Click OK, and voila, you are done.
Now you are aware of why Steam keeps pausing your download and how to fix the problem too! So, get to work!
