One of the main functions of Steam is to help users locate and download the latest games on the market. For regular users of the platform, who have downloaded multiple games over time, the “Allocating Disk Space” message is too familiar. Although the message appears during each installation, there have been several instances where it has stayed longer than usual, bringing the process to a complete shutdown.
If your installation has been disturbed by this message, here's how you can to fix Steam stuck in disk space allocation in case of Windows error.
- How to view your subscriptions on Steam
- How to use Steam Cloud saves for your games
- How to view Steam's built-in FPS counter
- 8 Solutions for When Steam Won't Download Games to Your Computer
Fix Steam stuck on disk space allocation in case of Windows error
Why does Steam show the "Allocation of disk space" error?
Interestingly, this error is not always caused by improper disk space allocation, but by other factors that deplete Steam's processing power. One of the main reasons behind this problem is the download cache which has accumulated over time.
These files take up a lot of storage space in the Steam folder, making the installation process difficult. Also, factors such as incorrect download servers and problematic firewalls could hinder the process.
Regardless of the cause of the problem, Steam's blocking of disk space allocation can be resolved.
Method 1: clear the download cache
Cached files are an inevitable part of every download. Aside from slowing down your Steam application, they serve no other important purpose. You can delete these files from the Steam app itself, to fix Steam stuck on disk space allocation.
1. Open the Steam application on your PC e click on tape "Steam" in the upper left corner of the screen.
2. From the displayed options, click Settings per I will proceed.
3. In the Settings window, or a Download.
4. At the bottom of the Downloads page, click su Clear Download Cache and then click Ok.
5. This will clear any unnecessary cache memory that slows down your PC. Restart the process di installation of the game and the problem of allocating disk space on Steam should be resolved.
Method 2: grant Steam admin privileges to allocate disk files
Granting Steam administrator privileges has become a viable option for the error in question. There are instances where Steam is unable to make changes to a certain drive on your PC. This is because drives such as drive C require administrator authentication to log in. Here's how you can grant Steam admin privileges and resume the download:
1. Before proceeding, it is important to completely shut down Steam. Right-click on the Start menu and, from the options displayed, click Task Manager.
2. In Task Manager, select Steam and click sul pulsating End operation to properly close the application.
3. Now open the Steam application from the original file location. On most PCs, you can find the Steam application at:
C: Programs (x86) Steam
4. Find the Steam app and click il right mouse button on it. From the options, click on Properties down.
5. In the Properties window that opens, switch to the Compatibility tab. Here, skills the option that says "Run this program as an administrator" and click Apply.
6. Open Steam again and in the administrator request window, click Yes.
7. Try reopening the game and see if the installation process runs without the “Steam stuck in disk space allocation” issue.
Method 3: change the download region
To ensure the proper functioning of the app in areas around the world, Steam has various servers that adhere to different locations around the world. A general rule of thumb when downloading anything via Steam is to make sure the download region is as close to your real location as possible. That said, here's how you can change your download country in Steam:
1. Following the steps mentioned in Method 1, open download settings on your Steam application.
2. Click on section entitled Download region to view the list of Steam servers around the world.
3. From the list of regions, select the area closest to your location and click Ok.
4. Once you have specified the download region, restart Steam and go through the installation process for the new application. Your problem should be solved.
Method 4: Update installation files to fix Steam stuck on disk file allocation
The Steam installation folder is filled to the brim with old and extra files that just take up some unnecessary space. The process of updating the installation files involves deleting most of the files in the Steam source folder to allow the application to create them again. This will delete any corrupt or damaged files that interfere with the Steam installation process.
1. Open the Steam source folder by going to the following address in the File Explorer address bar:
C: Programs (x86) Steam
2. In this folder, select all files except the Steam.exe application and the steamapps folder.
3. Right-click the selection and click Delete. Open Steam again and the application will create new installation files that fix Steam stuck on disk file allocation error.
Method 5: disable antivirus and firewall
Antivirus applications and Windows security features are there to protect your PC from dangerous viruses and malware. However, in an effort to secure your PC, these features tend to slow it down and take away access to other crucial applications.
You can temporarily disable your antivirus and see if it fixes the Steam problem. Here's how to turn off real-time protection in Windows as well fix Steam stuck on disk space allocation.
1. On your PC, open the Settings app and or to the option entitled Update and security.
2. Go to Windows security in the left side panel.
3. Click Actions su viruses and threats per I will proceed.
4. Scroll down to find the Virus & threat protection settings e click Manage settings.
5. On the next page, click the toggle switch next to the “Real-time protection” function to disable it. The disk space allocation error on Steam should be fixed.
Final report: if you have third-party antivirus software that manages your PC's security, you may need to manually disable it for a while. Some apps can be temporarily disabled via the PC taskbar.
Click the small arrow in the lower right corner of the screen to show all apps. Right-click on the antivirus app and click on " Disable automatic protection ". Depending on your software, this feature may have a different name.
Method 6: stop overclocking your PC
Overclocking is a technique used by many people to speed up their computers by changing the clock speed of the CPU or GPU. This method usually makes your PC run faster than it was intended.
While overclocking sounds great on paper, it is a highly risky process that is not recommended by any computer manufacturer. Overclocking uses your hard drive space to run faster and leads to disk space errors like the one encountered when installing Steam.
to fix Steam stuck on allocating disk space on Windows 10, stop overclocking your PC and retry the installation.
FAQ
Q1. How can I fix Steam stuck on disk space allocation?
To resolve this issue, try the following troubleshooting techniques: Clear the download cache; change the Steam download region; run the app as an administrator; update installation files; disable antivirus and firewall and finally stop PC overclocking if you do.
Q2. How long does it take to allocate disk space?
The time it takes to complete the disk space allocation process in Steam varies for different PCs and their computing power. For a 5GB game it can take only 30 seconds or exceed 10 minutes. If the problem persists for more than 20 minutes in a smaller game, it's time to try the troubleshooting methods mentioned in this article.
Errors on Steam can be very annoying, especially when they occur on the verge of an installation process. However, with the steps mentioned above, you should be able to tackle all these issues with ease and enjoy the newly downloaded game.
We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to fix Steam stuck on disk space allocation in case of Windows 10 error. If the problem persists after all methods, please contact us via the comments and we will help you.
Further Reading:
- How to fix Steam damaged disk error on Windows 10
- How to hide Steam activity from friends
- Fix: Steam is having problems connecting to servers
- How To Fix Unallocated Hard Drive On Windows 10
- How to format a hard drive
