Can Steam auto-updates be turned off?

[PoorOldSpike]

Hi, is there any way to turn off Steam auto-updates for DCS and all other Steam games?

I'm fed up sitting down to start a game, only to get the message "Updating, game will be ready to play in X hours".

Ideally there should be an option saying "Update ready for download, click if willing to proceed now", so that we can ignore it and download it at a more convenient time of our choosing like overnight while we're asleep, but I can't find any such option.

[Mars Exulte]

Nope, not afaik. If you use Steam, that's just one of the downsides. Some games you can start the .exe manually, but usually you're screwed. DCS has a standalone version and it's possible to transfer Steam keys to it, if that's any help to you.

[VampireNZ]

Yes, there are several different options for if and when you would like to update Steam games. Sounds like you have 'Only update game when I launch it' option currently selected.

 

R/Click game in Steam list and select properties, update settings and select the option you would like. Always, at launch or never.

[Fri13]

Yes, there are several different options for if and when you would like to update Steam games. Sounds like you have 'Only update game when I launch it' option currently selected.

 

R/Click game in Steam list and select properties, update settings and select the option you would like. Always, at launch or never.

 

Did you read your on screenshot? Steam doesn't offer by default any denying for updates.

 

1) Always keep this game up to date. = When update comes, it is pushed in queue to it when you are online. Restarting steam makes checking for all games what are to be updated.

 

2) Only update this when I launch it. = The game doesn't get checked for update before you try to launch it. On launch update is checked and if there is one, it gets downloaded and installed. You need to wait download to come before playing.

 

3) High priority - Always auto-update this game before others. = If you get multiple updates, this game gets priority over non-priority games.

 

There is no "never update" like there use to be by text, but it was false implication.

 

You can try to overcome it by selecting "Only update this when I launch it", and then launch it when steam is offline or using a launcher itself (dcs.exe) so steam doesn't check updates.

 

There as well could be a way to make the steam only download updates at given time period, like at night when PC is shut off. So it wouldn't update it at other times. I don't know does it work at all, like does it push it just to next time you launch steam or does it truly keep you from updating games if steam is shut off / offline at that period.

[Mars Exulte]

Yes, there are several different options for if and when you would like to update Steam games. Sounds like you have 'Only update game when I launch it' option currently selected.

 

R/Click game in Steam list and select properties, update settings and select the option you would like. Always, at launch or never.

 

Note the absence of ''don't'' or ''no'' in your screenshot.

 

Fri's suggestion of playing offline is probably the only real workaround, but that's a ''short term fix'' at best.