How do you delete Steam? If you’re looking to remove the Steam application from your computer, whether it’s due to a change in gaming preferences, privacy concerns, or simply to free up space, you’ve come to the right place. Deleting Steam is a straightforward process, but there are a few steps you should follow to ensure that all your data is properly removed and that you don’t encounter any issues in the future.
Deleting Steam involves more than just uninstalling the application from your computer. It’s important to understand that Steam stores a significant amount of personal data, including your game library, purchase history, and user profile. To completely remove Steam from your system, you’ll need to delete these files and also ensure that your account is no longer linked to your Steam profile.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete Steam from your computer:
1. Backup Your Data: Before you proceed, it’s a good idea to backup any important data, such as game saves or custom configurations. Steam does not provide an automatic backup feature, so you’ll need to do this manually.
2. Uninstall Steam: To remove the Steam application, you’ll need to uninstall it through the Control Panel on Windows or the Applications folder on macOS. Here’s how to do it on both operating systems:
– Windows: Go to the Control Panel, select “Programs and Features,” find Steam in the list, and click “Uninstall.”
– macOS: Open the Applications folder, find Steam, right-click on it, and select “Move to Trash.”
3. Delete Steam Folders: After uninstalling Steam, you’ll need to delete the remaining folders and files associated with the application. These can typically be found in the following locations:
– Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam or C:\Program Files\Steam
– macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam
Be sure to delete all the contents of these folders, including subfolders.
4. Remove Steam from the Start Menu: If you’ve added Steam to your Start Menu or taskbar, you’ll need to remove it. Right-click on the Steam shortcut and select “Unpin from Start.”
5. Delete Steam from the Taskbar: If Steam is pinned to your taskbar, right-click on the Steam icon and select “Unpin this program from the taskbar.”
6. Delete Steam from the Login Items (macOS): If Steam was set to open automatically when you logged into your Mac, you’ll need to remove it from the Login Items list. Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups, click the lock icon, enter your password, and then click the “+” button to add a new Login Item. Select Steam and click the “-” button to remove it.
7. Delete Steam from Your Account: To ensure that your account is no longer linked to Steam, you can delete your profile. Go to your Steam account page, click on “Account Details,” and then scroll down to the “Delete Account” section. Follow the instructions to delete your account, which will also remove your profile from the Steam platform.
By following these steps, you should be able to successfully delete Steam from your computer and manage your personal data. Remember to double-check that all Steam-related files and folders have been removed to prevent any issues with your system or future installations.
