Unscheduled Downloads for Uninstalled Games

[Ventus]

This is happening constantly, all of the sudden.

These just clutter up the queue, and sometimes appear to try to install the entire game itself.

Its not even recent games. I played Wartales when it first came out and uninstalled back then too (well over a year ago).

I do not keep many active installs (e.g. I uninstall when I finish) so I only ever have 2-4 major titles (space wise) and an additonal 8ish smaller installs or so.

Is there a way to tell Steam Downloads, "This game is not installed, piss off with your updater?"

[HikariLight]

Uninstalled games will never receive an update download.
Are you positive you uninstalled it?
I have many games uninstalled and the NEVER receive update downloads if I don't install them.

[Ventus]

Originally posted by HikariLight:

Uninstalled games will never receive an update download.
Are you positive you uninstalled it?
I have many games uninstalled and the NEVER receive update downloads if I don't install them.

I am positive. Been on steam for a couple decades, first time ive seen this =D
i right click on the Game in the download page, 'INSTALL' is at the top (which i think is the case for all updates) but the game also appears in the library with install options (e.g. no option to uninstall, and not on the installed content filter list either).

I even thought 'weird, maybe there is a leftover file somewhere' and restarted steam and such.

A quick google search shows this has occurred before with people describing the exact same issue ("steam trying to reinstall games with unscheduled download that were uninstalled" but of course, this is the internet, so grains of salt and all that).

2020 https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/3004430047194834482/
2016ish https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/3gbchp/steam_still_trying_to_update_uninstalled_games/ (though this appears, from their SS, to be all games, not just some)

I have tried some of the suggestions.

Im guessing I will have to install and uninstall every damn time, unless someone has some expertise here. (I wont consider turning off auto update, though i suspect its near the cause).

[Ventus]

I can confirm that starting the install (as if installing), pausing right after, then clicking uninstall and restarting steam did remove the items from download page (no longer there).

I suspect it will be back (this has been ongoing for a week), but I will try to update either way, on the off chance this helps others.

[Drab]

Google - Steam shader cache. Might be the problem.