It is one of the most used gaming clients for gamers to download and store all their gaming libraries. Though it is used often, one can face errors sometimes, particularly during the use of update techniques. It is common for people to face an error saying, “An error occurred while updating Steam”. It is quite irritating that such an error hinders users from getting back to their game list or playing multiplayer. To learn more about the possible causes of this error and methods you can use to deal with it, please read further in this article.
Understanding the Error: Why Does It Happen?
Steam updates are important to provide stability to the platform, and change adds new features and fix bugs. When the error appears during an update, it means there is something stopping Steam from updating correctly.” The causes can vary, but some of the most common reasons include:
- Network Connectivity Issues: Many users complained that due to unstable connections, Steam failed to download the files that were needed for the update.
- Server Problems: Sometimes, its servers are down or they are too busy, which may lead to failed updates from online accounts to Steam.
- Corrupted Files: Files within the Steam directory may be corrupted and prevent the update from going through.
- Firewall or Antivirus Interference: Firewall settings on its extreme level might interfere with Steam update downloading or applying updates.
- Disk Write Errors: There could be a problem with your hard drive or if Steam is attempting to write on a secured folder to update it, then this error can occur.
- Outdated Drivers: Sometimes there can be software conflicts with some of your hardware drivers, like your network adapter or graphics driver, to name just but a few.
Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix the Issue
Below are some possible steps that you have to take to try troubleshooting and fix the problem.
1. Check Your Internet Connection
Another simultaneously obvious and effective is related to checking connection to the Internet. If you are unsure whether your internet is working properly, you can perform a speed test.
If your connection is slow or dropping, try the following:
- Restart your router.
- If you are browsing on Wi-Fi, change to the wired connection.
- If your ISP is down, there is little that you can do other than wait until the issue resolves itself.
If you are using a VPN connection, try disconnecting it and see whether Steam is capable of updating itself. At other times, a VPN can hinder the downloading speeds or prevent Steam from connecting to update servers.
2. Restart Steam as Administrator
It is also important to note that when running Steam with administrative rights, some obstacles may be disallowing the update from going through.
Steps:
- Close Steam completely.
- Open the shortcut for Steam and right-click it on the desktop or the Start menu.
- Right-click and further-click on the option that says Run as Administrator.
- Try updating Steam again.
This step makes sure Steam has all the permissions it requires to apply the update such as for writing to the respective directories.
3. Change Your Download Region
Steam can deliver updates in the form of content through the use of many servers located in various parts of the world. At other times, the region that one is connected to may be having problems which may lead to the error.
Steps:
- Launch Steam and click on the Settings.
- Go to downloads again.
- Below Download Region, select a different region from the pull-down menu.
- Quit Steam and launch it again and then update it.
In case the download servers in your current region have issues or many users and your game is not getting downloaded, try changing the region.
4. Clear Steam Download Cache
Download cache files may also be corrupted or incomplete, failing the update process. Most of the time, users can solve this problem by clearing the download cache without deleting installed games.
Steps:
- Launch the Steam client application and click on settings.
- Go to the Downloads section.
- Press Clear Download Cache at the bottom.
- It will interact with Steam, and then it restarts and requires logging back in again.
Having done the cache clearance, try the update process again and check if the problem persists.
5. Verify Integrity of Game Files
At other times, the problem manifests when updating a particular game as opposed to the Steam client. In this case, checking the game data for corruption is useful.
Steps:
- The first step is to open up your steam and then navigate to your library.
- They right-click on the game which is to be updated.
- Navigate to Select Properties, then tab to Local Files.
- Next, click on Verify integrity of game files.
Steam will scan if some files are missing or corrupted and download them again. This can be especially helpful if the update error is unique to the game.
6. Disable Firewall and Antivirus Temporarily
They may also prevent Steam from downloading updates, just like a firewall or an antivirus solution would perform. Suspending them for a while can clear the doubt if they are the culprits.
Steps:
- You could also suspend your antivirus or firewall if you’re using one.
- Try updating Steam.
If this resolves the problem, you might need to add a Steam exception on Antivirus or Firewall settings to stop this from being a recurrent problem.
7. Check for Disk Write Errors
A disk write error is one among them that hinders Steam from updating files in your hard drive. To check for and fix disk write errors:
- Navigate to your Steam and click on the library.
- Select Properties by right-clicking any game that has failed to update.
- In Local Files, select Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Also, check that the drive where Steam is to be located has enough free space and that the drive is not write-protected.
8. Reinstall Steam
If the above methods prove inefficient, a complete rewrite of the application, which, in this case, is Steam, is a successful strategy for fixing severe problems in the program. Rest assured, reinstalling Steam will not delete your games since the profile and game data are stored in different locations.
Steps:
- Copy the Steamapps folder that contains your games).
- To uninstall Steam you go to the Add or Remove Programs under your operating system.
- Visit Steam and download the latest version available for download.
- Uninstall Steam, reinstall it and move back to the Steamapps folder.
This fresh installation can assist in fixing any existing issues with the Steam client application itself.
Conclusion
The “An error occurred while updating Steam” message is one of the most common Steam errors, and it is largely fixable using one of the above-mentioned solutions. If it is a network issue or perhaps a matter of permissions or the file itself is bad, this should put you back into your game in a few minutes. In case the issue is not resolved when using these remedies then it will be appropriate to consult Steam support.
Thus, learning what frequently leads to such an error and how it can be fixed may help you have a more enjoyable experience with using Steam updates.