Disabling all games from auto-updating when launching steam?

[Picobello]

As the title says, is there a way to disable auto updates for all the games in your library?

My current internet is limited by usage and I don't want to waste it on automatically updating games that I rarely play every time I launch Steam.

What I'm trying to do would be similar to the "Only update this game when I launch it" option but for the entire library.

[V3LTA]

I
f you'd like to stop Steam from automatically updating a game, select "Only update this game when I launch it" from the game's Library page > Properties > Updates.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Picobello:

My current internet is limited by usage and I don't want to waste it on automatically updating games that I rarely play every time I launch Steam.

Uninstall all those games you are not currently playing as the issue is self inflicted.

Alternatively back up those games using the built in tool on Steam, or copy the game folders to an external HDD before uninstalling

FREE POINTS - Thank you.

[xarvn]

To add to NX Machina's excellent suggestion, instead of uninstalling the games, you can move all the appmanifest files from the steamapps folder (except the ones that correspond to the game(s) you are currently playing) to a folder outside of the Steam folder. This will make the games appear uninstalled and will therefore stop them from being updated. When you wish to play any of these games, exit steam, move the appropriate appmanifest file(s) back to the steamapps folder and then restart Steam.

[pgames-food]

btw @xarvn, your spoilertext mini-maze was very cool ;) (that thread got locked via the auto locking system but it was a mistake because that thread was the best place for "spoilertext" related posts

[pgames-food]

i sometimes have to rename game folder names and workshop names, but didnt know about the app manifest files.
do you know if they can be edited, so that i can achieve the following?

1) i had a game on my local c drive steam/common area
1b) with steam closed, i cut and paste it to a usb drive to free up space (which also has a steam library folder on it)
1c) i now want to actually play that game via steam, but steam wants me to "update and move" the local file to another location. (or i have to uninstall the game and reinstall and download it all, and then overrite the local files with the data from the usb.

is there a way to simply edit 1 local file so that steam thinks the installation folder actually is the usb?
(i thought about using a windows Subst command but am not that familiar with it)

[Picobello]

Originally posted by V3LTA:

I
f you'd like to stop Steam from automatically updating a game, select "Only update this game when I launch it" from the game's Library page > Properties > Updates.

is there a way to do this to all games simultaneously?

[xarvn]

Originally posted by pgames-food:

...is there a way to simply edit 1 local file so that steam thinks the installation folder actually is the usb? :lunar2019piginablanket:
(i thought about using a windows Subst command but am not that familiar with it)

Glad you liked the mini-game. Now if I understand you correctly, you moved game files from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common" to another Steam Library in an external USB drive. Did you move the game files to the corresponding place such as "X:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common?" If so then do the following:

1. Exit Steam
   
2. Make a list of the games whose files you moved to the external USB drive.
   
3. Look for each moved game in your Library and go to the store page for each game.
   
4. You should see a URL at the top of the store page. For example the URL for Team Fortress 2 is "https://store.steampowered.com/app/440/Team_Fortress_2." The app ID in this example is "440."
   
5. Write down each App ID number.
   
6. Now go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps and look for the appmanifest file for each game, for example TF2 has the file "appmanifest_440.acf."
   
7. Move the appmanifest files over to X:\SteamLibrary\steamapps.
   
8. Start Steam
   
9. If done correctly, the games should now appear installed in your Steam Library.

There is no single file that you can edit to correct this problem. However in future, you can avoid this altogether by moving files to the external drive using Steam instead of doing things manually: Go to Steam > Settings > Storage and then check the boxes to the right of the games in the list you want to move and then click "Move" at the bottom-right of the window.

[xarvn]

Originally posted by Picobello:

Originally posted by V3LTA:

I
f you'd like to stop Steam from automatically updating a game, select "Only update this game when I launch it" from the game's Library page > Properties > Updates.

is there a way to do this to all games simultaneously?

There is no easy way to do this. There have however been discussions about this topic and workarounds which may or may not still work. If you don't mind running scripts then see the following thread:

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/135509024341132664/?ctp=2

[pgames-food]

Originally posted by xarvn:

Originally posted by pgames-food:

...is there a way to simply edit 1 local file so that steam thinks the installation folder actually is the usb?
(i thought about using a windows Subst command but am not that familiar with it)

Glad you liked the mini-game. Now if I understand you correctly, you moved game files from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common" to another Steam Library in an external USB drive. Did you move the game files to the corresponding place such as "X:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common?" If so then do the following:

1. Exit Steam
   
2. Make a list of the games whose files you moved to the external USB drive.
   
3. Look for each moved game in your Library and go to the store page for each game.
   
4. You should see a URL at the top of the store page. For example the URL for Team Fortress 2 is "https://store.steampowered.com/app/440/Team_Fortress_2." The app ID in this example is "440."
   
5. Write down each App ID number.
   
6. Now go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps and look for the appmanifest file for each game, for example TF2 has the file "appmanifest_440.acf."
   
7. Move the appmanifest files over to X:\SteamLibrary\steamapps.
   
8. Start Steam
   
9. If done correctly, the games should now appear installed in your Steam Library.

There is no single file that you can edit to correct this problem. However in future, you can avoid this altogether by moving files to the external drive using Steam instead of doing things manually: Go to Steam > Settings > Storage and then check the boxes to the right of the games in the list you want to move and then click "Move" at the bottom-right of the window.

ok many thanks for the info :)