How to Stop Steam from Opening on Startup?

How to stop steam from opening on startup? You can buy, download, and play your favorite PC games using Steam, whether they’re AAA blockbusters or indie classics. If you’re a Steam newbie, you might be annoyed by some of the quirks of the platform, such as how Steam automatically launches when you turn on your PC.

By disabling it in the Steam client or by plugging it into Windows Settings or Mac System Preferences, you can stop this from happening. In order to stop Steam from starting on startup automatically, particularly if you’re concerned about slow boot times, follow the steps below.

Reforming Steam Startup Settings in the Steam Client 

As soon as your PC starts up and you log in, Steam automatically launches on Windows. After signing up, you may notice that your friends’ list or the central client window opens up. Macs don’t automatically enable this setting, but when it’s enabled, the feature works the same way.

To reduce the demands on your PC or Mac when you boot up (and speed up the boot-up process) you can stop Steam from opening automatically. If you disable this setting, Steam will only open when you manually launch the client app.

1. In order to perform this, make sure the Steam client is working-if it isn’t, begin it from the Start menu (on Windows) or Launchpad (on Mac). Once you’ve signed into Steam, select Steam > Settings in the client window. Mac users should choose Steam > Preferences instead.
2. Select the Interface option in the Steam Settings menu on the left. Uncheck the Run Steam when my computer starts checkbox there, then select OK to save.

After you disable this setting, your Steam client should simply begin when you launch it yourself, for instance to play a game. If you update or reinstall the client, these settings may be reset, causing Steam to start up again when your PC or Mac boots up.

It may be necessary to repeat those steps again to stop it or to follow the further instructions below to ensure that Steam won’t open automatically, even if the Steam client’s setting allows it.

Stopping Steam from Starting on Startup Using Task Manager

Most users should be able to prevent Steam from automatically starting at startup by following the steps above. You can also disable Steam from launching up in the Task Manager application if you’re operating Steam on Windows.

Whenever Steam settings are reset, for instance, when updating or reinstalling the client, you should disable it in Task Manager so that it does not open automatically when your PC boots up again.

1. You can open Task Manager by right-clicking the Start menu icon or the taskbar and selecting the Task Manager option.
2. Select the Startup tab in Task Manager. Right-click Steam in the list, then select Disable. Steam will not launch, overriding any settings in the Steam client.

Disabling Steam Services on Windows 10

The methods above should prevent Steam from starting automatically when you boot up the Windows computer, but you can ensure that Steam does not run by disabling certain Steam services. This feature requires the Steam Client Bootstrapper service (also known as the Steam Client Service).

You can prevent Steam from launching when your PC first boots up by disabling this service. This setting may override other related settings, including the boot-up setting.

In the long run, however, disabling this service can cause other Steam issues. You may need to repeat the steps to restore and re-enable Steam if you cannot open Steam or it does not update properly after disabling the service.

• You can do this by right-clicking the Start menu or taskbar and selecting Task Manager.
• Select the Services tab in the new Task Manager window. Find the Steam Client Bootstrapper or Steam Client Service entry in the list. Select Open Services from the right-click menu of the entry (or entries).
• You should see the selected service in the Services window; if not, look through the list. Right-click the Steam entry and select Properties.
• Choose Disabled from the Startup type drop-down list in the Properties screen. This can cause some issues with Steam’s automatic updates, so you may need to restore this service later if you encounter any problems. If the service is currently running, choose OK to save your selection after selecting the Stop button.

Using System Preferences, you can prevent Steam from opening on startup

Steam can be disabled in the System Preferences app instead, if you want to guarantee that it won’t automatically open on your Mac. It will override any Steam client settings you’ve enabled, preventing Steam from starting.

• On the menu bar, select the Apple logo > System Preferences.
• Select Users and Groups from the System Preferences window.
• Authenticate with your password or Touch ID credential by selecting the lock icon at the bottom of the window.
• Select the Login Items tab after unlocking System Preferences. Steam will appear here if it is set to open automatically when your Mac boots. Select Steam from the list, and then click the minus icon at the bottom to prevent this from happening again.

Final Words

The steps above should cover all your options for stopping Steam from opening on startup if you’re trying to figure out how to do so. Steam will open on your terms when you want it to, but don’t forget to speed up Steam downloads if they seem slow at first.

If you’re experiencing problems with Steam, you may need to run Steam as an administrator on Windows so it has access to your files. Another option would be to use the Steam Link feature to play PC games remotely through Android devices or other devices.