You can't completely disable automatic updates on Steam, but you can control their timing and frequency. Here's how:
1. Controlling Update Timing:
- Open Steam: Launch the Steam application on your computer.
- Go to Settings: Click on "Steam" in the top menu bar and select "Settings."
- Navigate to Downloads: In the Settings window, select "Downloads" from the left-hand menu.
- Configure Update Behavior: Under the "Downloads" tab, you'll find options to:
- "Keep Steam Updated": This option ensures Steam itself is always up-to-date.
- "Download Updates While Playing": This option allows you to continue playing games while downloading updates.
- "Download Updates When Idle": This option downloads updates only when your computer is idle.
- "Download Updates Only When I'm Online": This option limits downloads to times when you're actively using Steam.
2. Managing Individual Game Updates:
- Right-click on a game: In your Steam library, right-click on the game you want to control.
- Select "Properties": Choose "Properties" from the pop-up menu.
- Navigate to Updates: In the Properties window, select the "Updates" tab.
- Choose Update Options: Here, you can select one of the following:
- "Always keep this game updated": This is the default option and ensures the game is always up-to-date.
- "Only update this game when I launch it": This option only updates the game when you start it.
- "Never update this game": This option disables automatic updates for the selected game, though manual updates are still possible.
Remember that disabling updates might prevent you from accessing new features, bug fixes, and content. However, these options provide you with more control over your Steam update process.
