Stop a download by clicking the pause or cancel button in the Downloads window
Open Steam and go to the Downloads section — you'll find it in the left sidebar menu. Look for the game or software that's currently downloading. You'll see either a pause button (two vertical bars) or a cancel button (an X) next to the download progress bar. Click pause to temporarily stop the download without removing the files you've already received. Click the X to cancel entirely, which will delete the partial download from your computer.
The pause button is useful if you need to free up bandwidth temporarily — your download will resume from where it stopped when you click the play button again. The cancel button is better if you've changed your mind about the download or need to clear space on your hard drive.
Key Takeaways
- The Downloads section in Steam's left sidebar shows all active and queued downloads with pause and cancel buttons next to each one.
- Pausing a download keeps the files you've already received and lets you resume later; canceling deletes the partial download entirely.
- If a download is queued but hasn't started yet, you can remove it from the queue by clicking the X button.
- Pausing one download does not affect other downloads in your queue — you can pause and resume individual games independently.
Pausing vs. canceling: which one to use
Pause your download if you want to resume it later. Steam will remember how much of the game you've already received and will pick up from that point. This is helpful when you need your internet bandwidth for something else, or when you want to stop the download temporarily but plan to finish it soon.
Cancel your download if you don't want the game anymore, or if you need to free up hard drive space immediately. Canceling removes all the files Steam has downloaded so far. If you change your mind later and want the game, Steam will start the download from the beginning.
Managing multiple downloads at once
Steam lets you download several games at the same time, but you can pause or cancel any of them individually without affecting the others. Open the Downloads window and you'll see a list of all active and queued downloads. Each one has its own pause and cancel buttons.
If you have multiple downloads running and your internet is slow, pausing all but one can speed up the remaining download. You can also rearrange the download queue by dragging games up or down in the list — the game at the top will download first once the current one finishes.
What happens to your files when you pause or cancel
When you pause a download, Steam stores the files it has received in a temporary folder on your computer. These files take up hard drive space, but Steam knows exactly how much of the game you have. When you resume, Steam checks those files to make sure they're not corrupted, then continues downloading the rest.
When you cancel a download, Steam deletes those temporary files. Your hard drive space is freed up, but if you want the game later, Steam will need to download it completely from scratch. The amount of space freed depends on how much of the game had already downloaded — a game that was 50% downloaded will free up roughly half the game's total size.
Stopping a download that's stuck or not responding
If a download appears frozen — the progress bar hasn't moved in several minutes — try pausing it first. Wait 10 to 15 seconds, then click the play button to resume. This often fixes temporary connection problems.
If the download still won't move, cancel it and restart. Open the Downloads window, click the X to cancel, then go to your Library, find the game, and click the download button again. Steam will verify the files it has and restart the download from where it left off. If the download keeps getting stuck at the same point, your internet connection may be unstable, or Steam's servers may be experiencing issues — try again in a few minutes.
Clearing space on your hard drive
If you're running low on storage and need to free up space quickly, canceling downloads is one option. But you can also pause a download, then uninstall a game you're not playing to make room. Once you've freed up space, you can resume the paused download.
Steam shows you how much space each download needs before it starts. If you don't have enough room, Steam will warn you and won't begin the download. In that case, you'll need to either cancel other downloads, uninstall games, or delete files outside of Steam to make space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my progress if I cancel a download?
No — canceling only removes the game files that Steam was downloading, not your saved game progress. If you had the game installed before and then canceled the download, your save files remain on your computer. When you download the game again later, your progress will still be there.
Can I pause a download and then download a different game instead?
Yes. Pausing one download doesn't stop you from starting another. Steam can download multiple games at the same time. You can pause one, start another, and resume the first one whenever you want.
What if I pause a download and then restart my computer?
The paused download will still be there when Steam starts again. Steam remembers all paused downloads and will show them in the Downloads window. You can resume it by clicking the play button, or cancel it if you've changed your mind.
Does pausing a download use any internet bandwidth?
No. When a download is paused, Steam is not using your internet connection at all. The files you've already received stay on your hard drive, and nothing is being transferred.