Steam has its metric for measuring the download speed. While network providers use bits per second as a metric to be able to make it look like an inflated measure of internet connection, Steam uses the metric of “bytes” per second instead of bits. The parent company Valve and stream as a service has been one of the most successful services ever seen. It is a common perception among people that Steam download is slow but the Internet connection is fast, but it is not true because of the metric chosen by Steam.

When comparing Steam’s download speed with your internet connection, you need to make sure that you are doing so on the same scale or metric. For example, Steam showing 768KB/s as its download speed while your network is showing around 6144Kb/s. It is the same speed as a group of 8 bits makes a byte.

However, if you are sure that there is a massive distortion in the speed of your Steam download as compared to that of the network, we have come up with easy to follow methods to deal with the problem at hand.

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How to Fix Steam Download Slow in Windows 10, 8 and 7

Solution 1: Run Steam As An Administrator

If you are absolutely sure that your internet connection is up to the mark, then it is Steam itself restricting your download speed. Updating Steam by downloading additional files.

Step 1 – First of all, use Windows + R shortcut to open Run application.

Step 2 – In the dialogue box write “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam” and press enter or write the address of the location of your installed Steam and proceed to the next step

Step 3 – Then, navigate to the following folders:

Steam.exe (Application)

SteamApps (Folder)

Step 4 – Delete all the other files/folders/applications except the ones mentioned above.

Step 5 – Now Steam downloads all the remaining folders and files

Step 6 – Lastly, restart your PC and run Steam as an administrator.

Solution 2: Disconnect All other Connected Devices From Your Network

If you are connected to a WiFi router for your connection, and you realize that the same network is used by many systems, that may be one of the reasons for your slow network speed. It is a preconceived notion that the network divides its speed om a first-come, first-serve basis while it isn’t so. The speed of your network depends on the following factors:

1. Distance from the access point: Distance is one of the most important factors. The systems near the access point get an advantage over faraway networks. Moving closer is the best solution to this problem.

2. Protocol: Everything works according to a rule. All the data packets are prioritized by routers themselves according to strictly followed protocol. Some packets have higher grading as compared to others, therefore it is imperative we realize the activities for these higher priority packets and ask the other system users to stop using those packets.

3. Torrents: If a torrent is running on your network, you have to realize that you are sacrificing your bandwidth.

4. Geographical factors: The further away you are from the host server, the less good connection there will be. We have discussed this factor in detail below.

Solution 3: Change your Download Location

One of the predominant solutions to slow network speed is to change your download location. Steam is accessible worldwide, and the system is divided into different regions. The client detects the network you use and selects it as default, and servers in a specific region may be overloaded or have an issue with the hardware. Whatever might be the reason, changing the download location can work wonderfully and increase your system’s internet speed. Follow this simple guide to change the download location:

Step 1: Open Steam and click ‘Settings’ on the drop-down menu in the top left corner.

Step 2: Select ‘Downloads’ and scroll to the ‘Download Region.’

Step 3: Choose regions other than your own.

Step 4: Restart your system.

Solution 4: Clear Your Download Cache

Some of the downloaded files go corrupt because of incomplete downloading or missing parts. Clearing your cache gets rid of these bad files without affecting your current games in any way. However, you have to remember your username and password because you have to login again after clearing the download cache.

Step 1 – Open your Steam client and find “Settings” in the top left corner of your window.

Step 2 – Scroll to find “Downloads” in the Settings Panel.

Step 3 – Click on “Clear Download Cache.”

Step 4 – Confirm by selecting OK and re-login with your details.

Step 5 – Check whether Steam still has a low internet speed.

Solution 5: Check your Antivirus

Antiviruse have only one goal to ensure that the system remains safe from malware and other threats. It bypasses optimization to guarantee safety. They may make your system slower and may sacrifice your download speed to ensure safety. It is recommended to add Steam in the exception list to exempt it and return to its faster self. You would have to do it for all browsers, but we have an example for you in Windows Defender; however, you would have to do a similar process like this one with all your security software:

Step 1 – Firstly, open Windows Defender.

Step 2 – Then, choose the “Windows Defender Security Centre.”

Step 3 – Find “Virus and Threat Protection” and select the same.

Step 4 – Navigate to Virus and Threat Protection Settings and right-click on it and choose open as an administrator option

Step 5 – Selecting “Add or remove exclusions” would give you the menu where you can edit exclusions. You can add various exclusions in the form of folders, extensions, or even files.

Step 6 – Add Steam to the list of exclusions. Click on the option which says “Exclude a folder” and find the location to your Steam directory. If you can’t find your Steam directory, the default location for your steam folder might be “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam” unless you have it installed anywhere else on the system. On reaching there, select the folder and save changes.

Step 7 – Restart your system and run Steam as an administrator.

Solution 6: Change the Download Limit

It must be bizarre to think that limiting the download speed can solve the Steam Download Slow issue at hand. However, in an unstable connection of network, there can be a hindrance in download because of the limitless bandwidth. It can result in frustratingly slow download speeds. The steps below will help you set a download limit:

Step 1 – Open Steam with administrator privileges

Step 2 – Find “Settings” in the top left corner of your window and navigate to “Downloads.”

Step 3 – Search for a window that allows you to “Limit your bandwidth”

Step 4 – Choose a decent range and resume your download.

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Final Words

Steam has widely been accepted the best in business as a digital distribution service. Almost all people prefer to buy services using Steam instead of going through the actual process of buying services manually.

It is really frustrating when there is a possibility that your internet connection isn’t providing you with the promised speed. However, there might be a chance that your metered connection isn’t at fault. At last, we have come up with this article to help you know better about your system and solve the problem of slow internet download when using Steam.

Thank You For Reading!