Steam update stuck on Windows PC

Steam is among the popular gaming platforms. If you are a gamer, you might have used the Steam platform to download and play games. Any interruption in gaming services is one of the worst experiences for gamers. One common issue gamers may experience with Steam is updates installing for an indefinite time. According to users who experienced this issue, the Steam update stuck at 100% while patching, verifying, resuming, or pausing. If you experience such a problem with Steam, this article may help you fix it.

Why does Steam update keep pausing?

There are many reasons why the Steam update keeps pausing, like unstable internet connection, Steam server issues, etc. To get rid of this problem, try some fixes, such as running the Steam Client as an administrator, clearing the download cache, verifying the integrity of the game files, etc.

Below, we have explained these fixes in detail.

Fix Steam update stuck on Windows PC

If Steam Update is stuck at 100% on patching, on verifying, on resume, or on pause, here’s what you need to do to fix the issue.

Run Steam as administrator
Delete the Downloading or Package folder
Clear the download cache
Change the Download Region
Create an empty text file
Verify the integrity of the game files
Reinstall the game you are experiencing the issue with

Below, we have explained these fixes in detail. But before you proceed, we suggest you wait a while and try again, as problems sometimes occur due to server issues. If you are experiencing this problem due to server issues, you will be able to install the update after some time.

Also, Steam takes some time to unpack the files. The time taken by Steam in this process depends on the file transfer speed of your Hard Drive. Therefore, if Steam is stuck at 100% with the Patching text, wait for some time and let Steam complete the process.

Sometimes, the issue occurs due to a minor glitch which can be fixed by restarting the computer. Restart your computer and see if it helps. If the issue still occurs, try the following fixes.

1] Run Steam as administrator

Sometimes Steam requires administrative rights to install the update. Therefore, we suggest launching Steam with administrative privileges and see if that fixes the problem. Launching the Steam app as an administrator is easy. Simply right-click on Steam and select Run as administrator. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.

If this fixes your problem, you can set the Steam app to always run as administrator to avoid the same problem from occurring in the future.

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2] Delete the Downloading or Package folder

One possible cause of the issue is the corrupted local download cache or update packages. If this is the problem with you, deleting the Downloading or Package folder will fix it.

Follow the steps below:

Pause your download.
Exit the Steam Client.
Launch the Task Manager and end all the Steam processes running in the background.
Open the folder where Steam is installed on your C drive. If you do not know the installation path of Steam, right-click on its icon on your desktop and select Open file location.
Now, open the Steamapps folder and copy the Downloading folder to another location. If something goes wrong, you could restore the Downloading folder.
Delete the Downloading folder.
Restart Steam. This should fix the issue.

If the problem still persists, delete the Package folder. But before deleting it, copy it to another location. After deleting the Package folder, restart Steam and see if it brings any changes.

3] Delete the download cache

Try deleting the download cache and check if this fixes the problem. The following steps will help you with that:

Launch the Steam client.
Open Settings and select Downloads from the left side.
Click on the CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE button.
Click OK in the confirmation box.
Restart Steam.

After clearing the download cache, you have to log in to Steam again.

Read: Fix Steam Guard not showing Code.

4] Change the Download Region

Changing the Download Region in Steam Client has fixed the issue for many users. You can also try this trick and see if it works for you. The steps to change the Download Region are written below:

Launch the Steam Client.
Go to “Steam > Settings.”
Select Downloads from the left side.
Click on the Download Region drop-down menu and change your region. The Argentina download location has worked for many users. Therefore, first, switch to the Argentina location and see if it works. If not, then try another location.
Click OK to save the changes.

Restart Steam Client and see if installation gets completed this time.

5] Create an empty text file

Some users have received a message stating that a readme.txt file is missing in a certain folder. If you receive this message, go to that folder and create an empty readme.txt file. The process is explained below:

Close Steam Client.
Launch the Task Manager and end all the Steam processes running in the background.
Open Notepad and save the empty file as readme.txt.
Open File Explorer and go to the folder named in the prompt message.
Move the readme.txt file to that folder.
Start the Steam Client and continue the update.

Read: How to Reset Steam password and Recover Steam account.

6] Verify the integrity of the game files

If the above method does not fix the issue, try verifying the integrity of the game files. The instructions for the same are explained below:

Launch the Steam Client and select the Library tab.
Right-click on the problematic game and select Properties.
Select the Local Files tab.
Now, click on the VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES button.

Check if the issue is fixed.

7] Reinstall the game you are experiencing the issue with

If none of the above fixes work for you, deleting and reinstalling the game is the last option. It should fix the issue.

How do I fix my Steam download stuck?

If Steam download is stuck on your system, first check your internet connection. If your internet speed is good, you can try some other fixes to fix it, like: