Steam Download Stuck at 0 Bytes
Steam is a popular gaming platform providing its users with access to thousands of game titles. It also features a neat set of social features, and ways to share achievements and experiences from games. If you use Steam, then it is very likely that you have already encountered some bugs with this app. Sometimes it may crash randomly, or certain features might not work as you would expect them to work. There are also bugs related to downloads – such as the Steam download stuck at 0 bytes issue.
Typically, this happens when you are trying to download a new game, or update a one you already have. The download seems to be stuck at 0 bytes, and you cannot launch the game because of this. Even waiting 10-15 minutes does not resolve the issue. What do you do in this situation to not lose the content you already downloaded? Here are some of the best tips to fix the Steam download stuck at 0 bytes problem.
Table of Contents
Stop and Start the Download
Temporarily pausing the download, and then resuming it again immediately seems to work for many users. This is likely to restart the connection to the download server, potentially fixing the speed being stuck at 0 bytes.
Restart Steam
Another fix you could try is to reboot Steam completely. Do not worry about your download progress – it will be saved. Right-click the Steam icon in the taskbar or notification area, and select Quit. Then, open the app like you usually do, and log in with your account.
Switch the Download Region
Steam serves downloadable content from multiple servers around the world. Of course, the app automatically selects the one best suitable for your network connection and location. In theory, this should optimize speed and connection quality. However, it is possible that you might be experiencing an issue with a particular download region. To fix this, do the following:
- Go to Steam -> Settings.
- Access Downloads and find the Download Region menu.
- Use the drop-down options to select a nearby region, and then click OK.
Force Steam to Check the Game Files
Steam has a built-in tool to check the condition of game files. A missing or corrupted file could be the cause of the Steam download stuck at 0 bytes issue. To force this check, you will need to follow these steps for the download causing the issue:
- Open Steam -> Library.
- Right-click the troublesome game, and go to Properties.
- Access the Local Files tab, and press Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Keep in mind that this check might take a few minutes or more to complete – it depends on the size of the game’s folder.