How To Download Game From Steam Library

How To Download Games Without Steam
How To Download Game From Steam Library
How To Download Game From Steam Library On Pc
How To Download Game From Steam Library Games

Game Downloadable Content (DLC) is now a part of life and we all have to embrace it. Steam tends to work well enough with downloadable content as it manages it in much the same way as the initial installation but sometimes it hangs or doesn’t install properly. Today’s TechJunkie post is going to walk you through how to install DLC in Steam and what to do if your purchased DLC doesn’t install as it should.

Also see our article The 55 Best Games on Steam

We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Select the 'Downloads' tab in the Settings menu and then click 'Steam Library Folders'. Click here and follow the steps to install Steam and download some games. Understand what will happen when you install SteamOS. I want to download a steam game since they're on sale, but my computer is good enough to run it, so i want to download it to my steam library, but not have it on my computer. Anyone know how to do.

Once upon a time not long ago, a game was a game. You paid your money, you got your game. It was a complete package and was ready to play to the end. Then came DLC, downloadable content to shake the games industry up. Even a decade or so later, DLC is still a contentious issue and industry only has itself to blame.

On one hand, DLC is good because it allows developers to add new features, maps, and content while also fixing bugs in existing games. If DLC adds genuinely new content, most don’t mind paying for it. I certainly don’t mind paying for DLC that adds real content if it seems worth the cost.

On the other hand, some developers do use DLC as a cash cow to nickel and dime gamers without adding any real value to the game. They either push out a game before it is truly finished only to offer missing content as paid DLC or use DLC to divide those gamers who pay extra to those who are not willing pay to be season pass holders.

Either way, DLC is now a part of gaming and we now just have to live with it. DLC seems to be here to stay in the gaming world.

Installing DLC in Steam

As mentioned, DLC is managed in the same way the base game purchase is managed. You can buy DLC from the game page under the DLC banner or directly from the Steam store. Once purchased, it should appear in your Steam Library on the game page. I find it easier to purchase from the Library. You can purchase DLS from the Steam Library following these steps:

Access your Steam game library and select the game you want to expand.
Select Find More DLC in Store from the center pane.
Select the DLC you want to buy in the Store page that opens. The purchase process is exactly the same as buying a base game.
Go back to your library and the DLC should appear in the center under DLC.
Once downloaded, it should say Installed in the DLC pane.

If you don’t yet see Installed, it may be downloading. Select Library from the top menu and then Downloads. You should see your DLC downloading there.

Depending on your connection or the size of the DLC, this may take a while but there is a progress indicator in the downloads window. Once downloaded, its status should change in the DLC pane of the game window.

You can also view installed DLC from the game properties window.
Right, click the game in your Steam library and select Properties.
Select the DLC tab in the popup window to see what just was installed.

Troubleshooting DLC in Steam

Steam is a reliable platform that rarely seems to go wrong but it does occasionally refuse to play ball when using DLS in Steam. Usually, if something goes wrong when you buy a new game or DLC and are desperate to play it. If that happens there are a couple of things you can do to ‘encourage’ Steam to load it.

Be aware though that some downloadable content doesn’t download automatically. Some games require third-party apps to authorize DLC, such as Uplay or even the game’s website.

Some smaller game studios will ask Steam to email you a code which you have to add to your account on the game’s website before it will authorize the DLC. Check that the DLC you bought doesn’t have this kind of setup as the first step in troubleshooting a problem.

If the troubleshooting step above doesn’t resolve the problem, here are some ways to troubleshoot DLC in Steam:

How to download game from steam library on computer

Make sure Steam isn’t in the process of downloading the DLC first.
Restart Steam and give it a chance to download the DLC.
Wait an hour or two in case the Steam servers are having issues.
Right click the game in your Library, select Properties then the Local Files tab and Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Log out of Steam and then log back into Steam again.
Reboot (restart) your computer.
Check that the game itself isn’t having issues loading DLC. Use the Community Hub or News for information.

I have used all of these methods at one time or another to address delays or issues with DLC. Sometimes it’s just a matter of waiting a little while until the servers catch up. Sometimes, checking out the game developer’s forum can let you know if it’s a game problem or not.

If you enjoyed this article about DLC in Steam, you might also like this TechJunkie article, How To Appear Invisible/Offline in Steam.

Do you know any other tricks or tips for anyone who wants to install DLC in Steam? Or troubleshooting tips for if things don’t go according to plan? Please tell us about your DLC experiences in the comments below if you do!

Steam allows you to remotely install games from your smartphone, just like you can with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. You can download games to your gaming PC from anywhere, ensuring those big downloads are complete and the game is ready to play when you get home. You can also do this from any web browser.

What You Need to Know

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This only works if you’re signed into Steam on a PC and if Steam is currently running on that PC. The PC must be powered on, and not in sleep or hibernation mode. Many PCs are configured to automatically sleep and hibernate by default, and that’s a good setting for saving power. So you’ll have to decide whether this is worth disabling a useful power saving setting.

To ensure your PC doesn’t go to sleep or hibernate when you’re away from it, head to Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Change when the computer sleeps. Set it to “Never”. You can still manually initiate Sleep mode from the Start menu.

How to Install a Steam Game From Your Phone

You can access this feature using Valve’s official Steam mobile app, available from Google Play for Android, Apple’s App Store for iPhone, and even the Windows Store for Windows Phone. Install the Steam app on your smartphone and sign in with the same account you use in Steam on your desktop PC.

How To Download Games Without Steam

Once you’ve signed in, tap the menu button at the top left corner of the app and tap “Library” to view your game library.

At the top of the Library page, you’ll see your “Current Steam Login”, which tells you which PC you’re currently signed into Steam with. This is the PC you’ll be installing games on. You can use the filter box to search for specific games or sort them by name or playtime and look through your entire library.

If a game is currently installed on your PC, you’ll see it as “Ready to Play”. If a game isn’t yet installed, you can click the download button to the right of the game’s name to begin installing it.

Once you’ve begun a download, you’ll see the download progress on this page. You can also pause and resume downloads using the buttons here.

You can also buy games in the Steam mobile app and immediately begin downloading them in Steam on your PC.

How To Download Game From Steam Library

If you have a product key from a physical game or a website that sells Steam keys, you can now even activate these while away from Steam. Head to the Activate a Product on Steam web page and provide the CD key or product code. You’ll have to do this in your web browser because the option isn’t integrated into the Steam mobile app, but you can always do it via the web browser on your phone.

How To Download Game From Steam Library On Pc

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The Steam app also provides other useful features, like a code-generating feature that works with Steam Guard to secure your Steam account. You can configure Steam to require a code generated by the app on your phone each time you sign in, in addition to your password. It’s also required for confirming trades on the Steam Community Market, which is essential when you’re selling your Steam trading cards for Steam credit.

How to Install a Steam Game From a Web Browser

You can also do this from the Steam website in any web browser. Be careful to only sign into Steam on PCs that you trust.

To do this, head to the Steam website and sign in with the same account you use in Steam. Hover over your name at the top of the Steam page and click “Profile”.

Click “Games” at the right side of your account profile page.

You’ll see a page showing the name of the PC you’re currently signed into Steam with and listing the games on your library. It works just like the Steam mobile interface. You can filter your games or sort and scroll through them. Installed games read “Ready to play”, while games you can install read “Not installed”. You can install them by clicking the download button to their right and they’ll immediately begin installing. The download progress will appear on this page, too.

In the future, you can bookmark this page and come directly here. The address is steamcommunity.com/id/NAME/games/?tab=all , where “NAME” is your Steam name.

You can also purchase Steam games from the Store on the website and immediately begin downloading them, or activate product keys on your Steam account using the the Activate a Product on Steam web page and immediately begin downloading them.

How to Remotely Install Non-Steam PC Games

How To Download Game From Steam Library Games

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Services like EA Origin, GOG Galaxy, and Blizzard Battle.net don’t offer a similar feature. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It just means you have to set up a remote desktop tool on your PC. You can then remotely access it from another computer—or even your phone, if you’re prepared to navigate your phone’s desktop on a small screen.

Once you’ve set up remote desktop, you can do anything on your PC remotely, including downloading and installing games. Of course, it is a lot less convenient and streamlined.