How to Fix Steam Wont Download Games or Stuck at 0 Bytes/sec

When downloading games on Steam, users might encounter a drop in download speed to 0 bytes per second, indicating a pause in progress. This issue is typically related to local storage or processing delays rather than a weak internet connection or problematic network settings. A common factor contributing to this problem is the write cache on the disk where the game is being installed.

The most common cause of Steam download speed issues is “drive throttling,” where the hard drive or CPU slows down during data processing, particularly on slower or heavily used drives. Other factors include network issues, busy download regions, or Steam server problems.

Additionally, the write cache, which temporarily stores data to speed up writing, and the download cache can cause delays, leading to the download speed dropping to zero. In this article, we will discuss several strategies to resolve these issues and improve your Steam download experience.

1. Check Your Disk Usage

A sudden stop in Steam download speed often occurs when your disk is overloaded with processing data. Steam downloads, especially large games, require the drive to process, unpack, and write data continuously. If your Task Manager shows high disk usage, it means your drive is struggling, causing the download to freeze or slow down.

Steam pauses downloads to unpack and arrange files, leading to the 0 bytes per second issue. This is a normal part of how Steam installs games to ensure everything works correctly. To improve this, reduce other background disk activities or use a faster drive.

2. Disable Write Caching on the Device

Disabling the write caching option on the device allows the system to write data directly to the drive rather than storing it in the cache first, and then writing it to the drive. This eliminates the delay that often causes the Steam download speed to drop to 0.

1. Open Windows Explorer by pressing Win + E simultaneously.
2. Right-click the disk and select Properties.
3. Go to Hardware and click Properties.
4. Select Volumes from the top and click Populate.
5. Go to Policies and uncheck Enable write caching on the device.
6. Once done, see if the issue is resolved.

3. Change Your Download Region & Clear Download Cache

Sometimes, the closest download server might not be the fastest because of heavy traffic or server problems. By changing the download region, Steam uses a different server, which can reduce congestion and improve download speeds, especially if the original server is overloaded.

1. Open Steam and click Steam in the top-left corner, then choose Settings.
2. Go to the Downloads section.
3. Under Download Region, choose a different region closer to you.
   
4. See if the issue persists. If it does, you can try to clear the Download Cache.

Steam saves the update and game files that are being downloaded in the cache. As you download the game or update, Steam stores the data in the cache to manage the installation efficiently. However, sometimes the data in the cache becomes corrupted, resulting in slow download speeds. Therefore, make sure to clear the download cache to see whether this resolves the issue.

1. Select Downloads from the left and click Clear Cache.
2. Once done, verify if the issue is resolved now.

4. Set Proxy Settings to Automatic

Setting your proxy to automatic helps Steam avoid connection issues and improve download speeds by using the best network route.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type “inetcpl.cpl” and press Enter to open Internet Options.
   
3. Go to the “Connections” tab and click “LAN Settings”.
4. Ensure “Automatically detect settings” is checked and press OK.
   
5. Restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

5. Use a Google DNS

Google DNS provides faster DNS resolution, enhancing stability and reliability, which reduces the chances of interruption when Steam accesses its servers. Additionally, Google DNS is more secure and provides better routing, potentially resolving issues when connecting to servers.

1. Open the Run Program using the keyboard shortcut Win + R keys.
2. Type Control and hit Enter to open the Control Panel.
3. Navigate to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center and click Change adapter settings.
4. Right-click the network adapter and select Properties.
5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
6. Choose Use the following DNS server addresses and type the Google DNS addresses:

   8.8.8.8
   8.8.4.4

   

7. Once done, click OK to save the settings and see if the download speed stabilizes.

6. Reset Your Network Configuration

If Steam downloads stop because of network issues, resetting the network settings can fix it. This clears old or faulty settings and restores the network to default, solving problems with connectivity and speed.

1. Hold the Windows Key and press X. Select Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Enter these commands one by one to reset your network settings:

   netsh winsock reset
   netsh int ip reset
   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew
   ipconfig /flushdns
   

3. Restart your computer.
4. Check if the issue persists.

Note: It is also recommended that you try to change your DNS server.

7. Allow Steam through Firewall

Background security settings can block Steam’s downloads. Allowing Steam through the firewall removes these blocks, ensuring smooth downloads and preventing stops due to restricted access.

1. Press “Windows” + “R” to open the Run prompt.
2. Type “firewall.cpl” and press “Enter” to open Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click on “Allow an App or Feature through Firewall” in the left pane.
   
4. Click “Change Settings” and check both Private and Public options for Steam.
5. Save your settings and launch Steam.
6. Sign in and check if the issue persists.

If the issue persists and your internet is working properly, the problem likely lies with your drive, preventing Steam from writing the data. Therefore, we recommend downloading the game to another drive, which should resolve the issue. If the issue is resolved, there might be a hardware problem with your drive. You can simply run diagnostics on your drive to check if there are any issues with it.