Steam has become one of the most popular services for PC gamers since its launch in 2003. The biggest reason is that Steam offers an incredible selection of games, with new titles being added regularly. There are also frequent sales and discounts on games, making it easy to build a library of titles without spending lots of money. Steam also offers a great social experience, including friends lists, chat rooms, and leaderboards. This makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and see how you rank against their progress in games. The community aspect of Steam is one of its strongest features.
It’s also one of the things that keep people coming back for more. Sadly, since the gaming community is growing day by day, there are many issues you may face while using this service. One of them is not being able to auto-update game states. If you also have such issues, there are a few ways to get them fixed. Steam is not auto-updating games for a variety of reasons.
Reasons why Steam is not updating
Steam is a popular gaming platform, as we all know, but sometimes it fails to perform as expected, which in this case is not auto-updating. There might be different reasons behind it, a few of which we have discussed here:
1. Steam Servers are Busy
One of the main reasons why Steam fails to update is directly related to the server. It so happens that Steam tries to relieve some pressure on the server by delaying auto-updates for players in baths.
Thus, if you are in line for an update, but it is not happening, then chances are it’s mostly due to server stress and has nothing to do with the application or your system. You might want to wait it out and give the servers some time to be back online, after which your updates will work just fine.
2. Low Storage
Next, you might have problems with the storage, which can also affect auto-updates. If there is no local storage available, any updates will be halted. First, ensure that you have the necessary storage available, then try to update manually. To solve this, you can follow our guide on fixing not enough disk space on Steam.
3. Steam Auto Update is disabled
Sometimes you might also have to face an issue where the Steam auto-update has been disabled. You need to go to the Steam app and then check whether the auto-updates are on. After that, you might also need to change some settings, such as “Only auto-update between (time)”. Once done, you can proceed with the Steam updates.
Methods to Fix Steam Not Auto Updating Issue
The most common reason why Steam is not auto-updating is that your computer cannot connect to the Steam servers. This can be due to a problem with your internet connection, firewall, or router. If you are having problems with Steam games not auto-updating, try the following methods to fix it:
1. Restart Your Computer
It’s usually a good idea to restart Steam and your computer before doing anything else. After the computer restarts, all system states and caches are cleared while other programs are reset. Also, locks on files and resources are released.
2. Check Your Network Settings
If you cannot connect to the Steam servers, your internet connection might be a problem. First, try disconnecting and reconnecting to the network or restarting your router. If that isn’t it, your Firewall might be blocking Steam from automatically updating games.
First, try disabling your Firewall and see if that fixes the issue. Didn’t work? Your router might block auto updating of Steam games. First, make sure Steam is allowed through your router’s firewall settings.
3. Clear Steam Download Cache and Repair Library Folder
Steam might have a problem downloading updates for games. Try clearing the download cache and see if that fixes the problem. To clear the Steam download cache, follow these steps:
Go to Steam → Settings → Downloads → Clear Download Cache.
The library folder might be also corrupted. Try repairing the library folder and see if that fixes the issue. To fix the Steam library folder, follow these steps:
Go to Steam → Settings → Downloads → Steam Library Folders → Right-click on the folder → Repair Library Folder.
4. Verify Your Local Files
Corruptions in files on hard disks and other storage devices are quite frequent. Because of faulty hardware, software crashes, power surges, and other causes, files on hard drives and other storage devices can become damaged.
If necessary, Steam may check the validity of game files installed to confirm their accuracy:
Find Game in Library → Right-click game title → Properties → Local Files → Verify Integrity of Game Files.
5. Change Download Region
The Steam content management system is divided into geographical regions. The Steam client automatically detects its current location and connects to content servers from that area for optimum performance. However, server speeds in a certain region may be sluggish, overloaded, or down due to a hardware failure.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to temporarily change the download region to use another set of content servers:
Open Steam → Settings → Downloads → Download Region.
You may need to test several regions other than yours.
6. Refresh the Local Network Hardware List and Update System Drivers
Sometimes your computer might not be able to connect to the Steam servers because of a problem with your network hardware.
If you have problems connecting to the Steam servers, you might need to update your system drivers:
- For Windows: Start → search “update” → run Check for Updates.
- For Mac machines, drivers cannot be updated separately; only the operating system can be updated
7. Disable Overclocking
Some users overclock their CPU and push their GPU to improve performance, even when their system is set beyond the manufacturer’s recommended parameters. Unfortunately, this can cause memory and file corruption, which should be avoided by turning it off, typically in the computer BIOS.
8. Test Online Connection
Several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) cache or compress online information (particularly cellphone networks) to save bandwidth. This might lead to problems with Steam. It’s good to use a different network and service provider to see whether the problem persists.
9. Check the Hard Drive for Errors
Corrupted files may affect any storage devices/devices, especially if they are older or under heavy use. To look for possible Hard Drive problems, you’ll need assistance from a technical support professional.
- Windows: This PC → Right-click on Drive → Properties → Tools → Error checking
- macOS X: Disk Utility → Click on Drive → Click First Aid (For older OS X versions, click Repair Disk Permissions)
10. Check RAM for Errors
Minute memory errors can lead to problems with the Steam installation process and gameplay. You can check it by running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool:
Go to Start → Find “mdsched” and run Windows Memory Diagnostic.
11. Uninstall and Reinstall Steam
If all else fails, you might need to uninstall and reinstall Steam. To do this, open the Control Panel and uninstall Steam. Then download and install the latest version of Steam from “www.steampowered.com”, sign in with your account information, and try updating games again.
Attention: Uninstalling Steam will delete all game content, so make sure you have a backup or can afford to download them again.