Downloads take way too long on Computer.

Troubleshooting Slow Download Speeds on Your Computer

If you’ve recently experienced sluggish download speeds on your computer, you’re not alone. Many users find themselves frustrated by prolonged download times, especially when it comes to large game updates. One user recently shared their struggle with painfully slow downloads on Steam, specifically noting that even a relatively small 1GB update could take hours to complete. They conducted tests and ruled out several common issues, which could also serve as a helpful guide for anyone encountering similar problems.

User’s Setup and Initial Observations

After relocating, this user noticed a marked decrease in download speeds. They attempted to install the game “No Man’s Sky” (a hefty 21GB download), only to experience a frustrating speed of just 5.3 Mbps. Despite transitioning from Wi-Fi to a more stable Ethernet connection, the results remained unchanged.

In contrast, when they tested the download speed on their sister’s computer using a 4G connection, the results were significantly faster. This pointed to the possibility that the issue might lie within their own computer rather than in the internet service itself.

Steps Taken to Diagnose the Issue

The user undertook several troubleshooting steps, including:

Network Adapter Check: They confirmed that their network adapter settings were optimized, set to 1.0 Gbps full duplex.
Testing with Other Platforms: Downloads on Epic Games were also sluggish, confirming their suspicions that it wasn’t just a Steam-specific issue.
Virus and malware Scans: The user ran comprehensive checks for viruses and potential malware, as well as performing a disk cleanup to free up space and improve performance.
Regional Download Adjustments: They experimented with changing their download region on Steam from Paris to Marseille, but without any positive effect.
Cache Settings: They unchecked the “Enable write caching on this device” option, hoping it would enhance performance, but this didn’t yield any change either.

Despite having over 100GB of free space on their hard drive, the slow download speeds persisted.

System Specifications

For context, the user’s PC is powered by an AMD Radeon RX 6600 graphics card, equipped with 16GB of RAM (operating at 3200MHz), and an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 6-core processor. Given these robust specifications, it’s understandable why the slow download speeds were particularly perplexing.