My computer behaves oddly after downloading Steam.
My computer behaves oddly after downloading Steam.
Hello, I'm facing some trouble with downloading games on Steam. I'm unsure if the problem lies with the service or my computer's hardware. I'm trying to install Skyrim and it seems to work fine at first—downloads start smoothly, moving from 5.9GB to 6.3GB. Once it pauses, the progress resets back down. Additionally, my computer becomes very sluggish; apps take longer to open and sometimes freeze for 10-20 seconds when switching tabs. Steam support suggested it might be a hardware issue, but their diagnostics show everything looks normal. I'm not sure what to do next and would really appreciate any advice.
It’s now chosen to change its approach entirely. It has cut back to essentially 0b/s and is currently doing nothing, while steam confirms the download continues.
It seems the issue is related to Steam updates. When I start updating Last of Us, things work fine for a short time but then the download slows dramatically. Disk space nearly disappears, and after a brief recovery, it restarts the process repeatedly. This causes a 25 gigabyte file to take much longer—like 10 to 15 minutes—compared to other platforms such as Xbox, Ubisoft, or EA. The speed drops consistently on Steam.
It appears the process follows typical Steam behavior. The Skyrim files are compressed, and decompression is slow due to HDD write speed limitations. When writespeed reaches its limit, Steam halts downloads since there’s no space to store new data. The drive becomes completely full after unpacking, which usually occurs when your download speed is adequate. This often causes Windows to slow down noticeably, even if installed on a different drive. The issue stems from the Windows filesystem still relying on the HDD, leading to stuttering performance. To resolve it, consider using a faster storage device or reducing download speeds in Steam.