Stop a read by clicking the pause or cancel button in Steam

When you start downloading a game or update in Steam, a read window appears showing the file size, read speed, and time remaining. To stop the read without deleting the files you've already downloaded, click the pause button (the two vertical lines icon). To remove the read entirely and delete the files Steam has already saved, click the X button or select "Cancel" from the menu.

The pause button keeps your progress. If you pause a 50 GB game after downloading 30 GB, Steam remembers those 30 GB. When you resume, it picks up where it left off instead of starting over. The cancel button deletes everything and clears the space on your hard drive, which is useful if you change your mind about installing something or need the storage for other files.

You can also pause or cancel from your Steam library. Right-click the game title, select "Properties," then go to the "Local Files" tab. From there you can pause, resume, or delete the read. This method works the same way as using the read window.

Key Takeaways

  • The pause button stops the read but keeps the files Steam has already saved, so you can resume later without losing progress.
  • The cancel button or X icon removes the read entirely and frees up the hard drive space it was using.
  • You can pause or cancel from the read window or from the game's Properties menu in your Steam library.
  • Pausing a read does not affect other games or programs running on your computer.
  • Steam automatically resumes paused downloads when you restart the process, unless you cancel them first.

Where to find the read controls

When Steam is downloading, a small window or panel appears in the lower right corner of the Steam client showing what is currently downloading. This panel displays the game or update name, a progress bar, read speed in MB/s, and estimated time remaining. The pause button (two vertical lines) and cancel button (X) sit at the right side of this panel.

If you do not see the read panel, open Steam and look for the "Downloads" section in the left sidebar menu. Click it to see all active and queued downloads. From this view, you can pause, resume, or cancel any read by right-clicking it or using the buttons next to its name.

What happens when you pause versus cancel

Pausing a read freezes it in place. Steam keeps all the data it has downloaded so far on your hard drive in a temporary folder. Your internet connection frees up, and other programs can use your bandwidth. The read remains in your queue and shows as "paused" in the Downloads section. You can resume it at any time by clicking the play button, and Steam will continue from the exact point where it stopped.

Canceling a read removes it from your queue and deletes the temporary files Steam created. If you had downloaded 20 GB of a 100 GB game, canceling removes all 20 GB. The game no longer appears in your Downloads section. If you want to install it later, you have to start the read from the beginning. Canceling is the right choice if you are certain you do not want the game or if you need the hard drive space when ready.

Pausing downloads to free up internet speed

If another person in your home is video calling, streaming, or doing something that needs fast internet, pausing your Steam read gives them the bandwidth they need. Steam downloads can use a significant portion of your connection speed, sometimes 5 to 20 MB/s depending on your internet plan and Steam's servers. Pausing frees all of that up when ready.

You do not have to cancel the read to do this. Pause it, let the other person finish what they are doing, then resume. Steam picks up exactly where it left off. This is much faster than canceling and restarting, which would waste the data you had already downloaded.

Canceling to reclaim hard drive space

Large games take up significant storage. A modern game can be 50 GB, 100 GB, or larger. If your hard drive is nearly full and you are downloading something you are not sure about, canceling frees up that space when ready. Steam shows how much space each read will use before you start, so you can decide whether to pause and resume later or cancel to make room for something else.

Canceling is also the right move if you accidentally started downloading the wrong game or the wrong version. Rather than waiting for a large file to finish, cancel it and start the correct one. There is no penalty for canceling — you can read the same game again whenever you want.

Restarting Steam and resuming downloads

If you close the Steam process while a read is paused, Steam remembers it. When you open Steam again, the paused read appears in your Downloads section with a play button next to it. Click the play button to resume. Steam does not automatically resume paused downloads unless you have that setting turned on in Steam's settings menu.

To enable automatic resume, open Steam, go to "Settings" (or "Preferences" on Mac), select "Downloads," and check the box next to "Allow downloads during gameplay" or similar wording depending on your Steam version. Some users also enable "Run Steam when my computer starts" so downloads can resume automatically when they turn on their machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will pausing a read slow down my other programs?

No. Pausing a Steam read frees up your internet connection completely. Other programs can use your full bandwidth. Pausing does not affect your computer's processing power or memory, only the internet speed that Steam was using.

Can I pause a read and then cancel it later?

Yes. You can pause a read, leave it paused for days or weeks, and then cancel it whenever you decide you do not want it. Pausing does not commit you to anything. The files stay on your hard drive until you either resume the read or cancel it.

What if I cancel a read by mistake?

You can start the read again. Steam does not prevent you from downloading the same game multiple times. straightforward find the game in your library and click "Install" to begin downloading again. You will start from the beginning, so you lose any progress from the previous attempt.

Does pausing a read use any hard drive space?

Yes. The files Steam has already downloaded remain on your hard drive while the read is paused. If you paused a 40 GB read after downloading 25 GB, those 25 GB still take up space. Canceling removes them and frees up that space.

Can I pause multiple downloads at once?

Yes. You can pause, resume, or cancel each read individually from the Downloads section. You can also pause all downloads by pausing the first one, then pausing each additional one. There is no "pause all" button, but you can manage them one at a time.