Apart from being an excellent platform for gaming enthusiasts where they can derive pleasure from playing an army of games, Steam is also infamously known for leaving users stranded when they try to download games on it. Steam freezes when installing game is instead a common occurrence that can result from different reasons. If you are wondering about these reasons and want to know why is Steam crashing while installing game, then this guide brings you a perfect answer. Please read our guide till the end and get familiar with the Steam freezing error and different ways to fix Steam games keep crashing on Windows 11.
How to Fix Steam freezes When Installing Game
You must be wondering why is Steam crashing while installing game. You can try to ensure that you have a proper network connection and repair the download cache of Steam. Here, you will get to know about the troubleshooting methods to solve this problem in detail.
Quick Answer
If you’re experiencing freezes while installing a game on Steam, try the following steps:
1. Clear the download cache.
2. Disable antivirus software.
3. Verify game files.
4. Move the installation folder
Why Does Steam freezes when installing Game?
While you can download and enjoy playing your favorite games on Steam, it can become a task if Steam keeps freezing or crashing midway and gets stuck in a seemingly unending start-and-stop loop. Several reasons can trigger this issue on your PC, including:
- Issues with internet connectivity
- Outdated graphics driver
- Bandwidth-hogging third-party apps
- Corrupt Steam cache
- Outdated Steam app
- Outdated Windows software
- Corrupt Steam installation files
These are the reasons that are responsible for your why is Steam crashing while installing game query.
Being a gamer can be quite a bumming experience if you cannot download your favorite game. But to your relief, you are not alone in this. Steam freezing is an issue faced by a sizeable number of community members. Now that you already know the reasons behind Why is Steam crashing while installing game, it is easy to troubleshoot this error with a variety of possible solutions listed below:
Method 1: Troubleshoot Network Connectivity
Usually, when an app freezes or crashes midway through a download, it is simply a case of a bad network connection. A good and stable internet connection is required to download games on Steam, especially if the game size is big. So, check your internet connectivity strength before moving on to other troubleshooting steps. You are also advised to check our guide on Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems in Windows 10 to get more insight on how you can strengthen your network.
Method 2: Change Download Region
Steam freezes when downloading games and can result from selecting the wrong download region. Therefore, try changing the download region to continue downloading your game on Steam and fixing the freezing error with the help of the following steps:
1. Press the Windows key, type Steam app and click on Open.
2. Now, click on the Steam tab at the top left corner of the home page.
3. Next, select Settings from the drop-down menu of Steam.
4. Now, click on Downloads from the left pane.
5. Finally, under Download Region drop-down menu, pick a different region.
Also Read: Where is Steam Data Stored?
Method 3: Run Steam Client as Administrator
If Steam games keep crashing Windows 11 on your PC, you can try running Steam Client as administrator. Doing so will help you resolve any permission issues affecting its performance.
1. On your Desktop, right-click on Steam Client.
2. Next, click on Properties in its menu.
3. Now, switch to the Compatibility tab in Steam Properties.
4. Select the box left to the Run this program as an administrator option.
5. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the changes.
Method 4: Run Steam in Compatibility Mode
You must also check Steam Client’s compatibility mode in case Steam not responding Windows 11 error persists. If so, try changing its compatibility mode to Windows 11 on your PC using the following steps:
1. Press the Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer on your Desktop.
2. Now, locate the Steam.exe file by navigating to the given path,
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe
3. Right-click on the Steam.exe file and select Properties from the menu.
4. Next, navigate to the Compatibility tab.
5. Now, under Compatibility mode, click on the box left to Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
6. Then, select Windows 11 from the drop-down menu.
7. Finally, save the changes by clicking Apply and OK.
Also Read: Fix Steam Client Bootstrapper Not Responding in Windows 10
Method 5: Update Graphics Driver
Updating the graphics driver is necessary if you are experiencing Steam freezes when installing game, the screen turning on or off, the display not working, and other glitches. Therefore, you must regularly update the graphics driver on your PC. If these are not updated automatically, try doing it manually with the help of our guide on 4 Ways to Update Graphics Driver in Windows 10.
Method 6: Close Bandwidth Hogging Apps
There is also a possibility that Steam freezes when downloading games due to third-party software conflicts when multiple applications are open. In this case, some apps can cause interference with Steam downloads. To prevent such a problem, you must close all the background apps and attempt downloading your favourite games without Steam freezing again. Learn more about How to Disable Background Apps in Windows 10.
Also Read: Fix Steam Client Bootstrapper High CPU Usage on Windows 10
Method 7: Adjust Steam Bandwidth
Failed downloads along with Steam keeps freezing and not responding issue can also arise due to bandwidth settings. You can quickly rectify this setting within the Steam Client itself by following the steps below:
1. Open Steam Client and click on the Steam tab in it.
2. Now, select Settings and open Downloads.
3. Next, click on Limit Bandwidth which will allow you to adjust your bandwidth settings according to the internet connection speed of your system.
4. Finally, save the changes by clicking on OK.
Method 8: Clear Steam Cache
Downloaded games cache on Steam is another reason Steam games keep crashing on Windows 11. This error further causes issues in updating and downloading Steam game files, and therefore, it should be cleared manually.
1. After opening Steam Client, launch its Settings.
2. Go to the Downloads section and click on CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE.
3. Then, select OK on the pop-up message.
After clearing the Steam cache, try downloading the same game and check if Steam games keep crashing on Windows 11 issue has been resolved.
Also Read: Fix Steam Game Randomly Uninstalled Itself on Windows 10
Method 9: Reinstall Steam
Finally, try uninstalling and reinstalling Steam Client on your PC if none of those mentioned above seems to be fixing Steam not responding Windows 11. Doing so will help clear out any corrupt game files from Steam on your device. You can follow the step-by-step instructions for reinstalling Steam below:
1. Launch the search menu of your PC to open the Control Panel.
2. Set View by > Large icons, then click on Programs and Features from the list of available options.
3. Next, select Steam from the list and click on the Uninstall option, as shown in the picture.
4. Now, select the Uninstall button to complete the process.
5. Then, navigate to the Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) path and remove the Steam folder by pressing the Delete key.
6. To reinstall Steam, open its official website and click Install Steam.
7. Next, click on Install Steam button to download the app on your desktop.
8. Now, click on the downloaded SteamSetup.exe file at the bottom to launch it.
9. In the Steam Setup window, click on Next.
10. Then, select your chosen language and click Next.
11. Click on the Browse… button to select the destination folder, and finally, select the Install button.
12. Move forward by clicking on the Finish button.
13. Login to your existing account by filling in your credentials.
Once done, download the game of your choice again on Steam and check if the app freezing issue has been resolved.
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This brings us to the end of our guide on Steam freezes when installing game. We hope different methods to fix the freezing issue on Steam have helped you thoroughly. Please let us know your opinions, and if you have more queries, please leave your comments below.
