Download Steam directly from Valve's website, then run the installer and follow the on-screen steps

Steam is the launcher and store made by Valve. To get it on your PC, you visit steampowered.com, click the green "Install Steam" button near the top right, and run the file that downloads. The installer takes about five minutes and walks you through choosing where to put Steam on your hard drive, creating a Valve account if you don't have one, and setting up your library.

You don't need to buy anything to download Steam itself — the launcher is free. Once it's installed, you can browse games, add free titles to your library, and buy games whenever you want. Steam runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, though the Windows version has the most games available.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to steampowered.com and click "Install Steam" to download the installer file to your computer.
  • Run the installer file and choose where on your hard drive you want Steam to live — the default location works fine for most people.
  • Create a Valve account or sign in with an existing one during setup; this account holds your game library and settings.
  • After installation finishes, Steam launches automatically and you can start browsing and adding games to your library.

Step-by-step installation on Windows

Open your web browser and go to steampowered.com. In the top right corner, you'll see a green button that says "Install Steam". Click it. Your browser will download a file called SteamSetup.exe — this is the installer.

Find the SteamSetup.exe file in your Downloads folder (or wherever your browser saves files). Double-click it to run it. A window will open asking where you want to install Steam. The default location is usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam, which works for almost everyone. Click "Next" to continue.

The installer will unpack files and then ask you to create a Valve account or sign in. If you already have a Steam account, use those login details. If not, click "Create a new account" and fill in a username, password, and email address. Make sure you use an email you can access — Valve will send a confirmation link there.

After you sign in or create your account, Steam will finish installing and launch automatically. You'll see the Steam library window, which is empty at first. You're now ready to browse games and add them to your library.

What to do if the installer won't run

If you double-click SteamSetup.exe and nothing happens, try right-clicking it and selecting "Run as administrator". This gives the installer permission to make changes to your system. Windows may show a security prompt asking if you want to allow this — click "Yes".

If that doesn't work, your antivirus software or Windows Defender may be blocking the installer. Temporarily disable your antivirus, run the installer, then turn it back on. If you're not comfortable doing that, add steampowered.com to your antivirus's safe list instead — most antivirus programs have a settings menu where you can whitelist websites or files.

On rare occasions, a partially downloaded file causes problems. Delete SteamSetup.exe from your Downloads folder and download it again from steampowered.com.

Installation on macOS and Linux

On macOS, the process is nearly identical. Visit steampowered.com, click "Install Steam", and run the downloaded file. Steam will ask where to install and guide you through account setup. The launcher works the same way as on Windows, though fewer games are available for macOS.

On Linux, Steam is available but requires more setup. Visit steampowered.com and look for the Linux installer. You'll need to open a terminal and run a command to install it, rather than double-clicking an installer file. The Steam website has detailed Linux installation instructions if you go that route.

Setting up your library and account after installation

Once Steam is installed and you're signed in, you'll see your library on the left side of the window. At first it's empty. To add games, click the "Store" tab at the top. You can browse by category, search for a specific game, or look at what's on sale.

Free games show an "Install" button. Paid games show a price and an "Add to Cart" button. Click either one, and the game gets added to your library. You can install it right away or wait until later — it stays in your library either way.

In the top left, click your account name to access settings. Here you can change your password, set up two-factor authentication (which adds a security layer to your account), and choose where Steam stores game files on your hard drive.

Choosing where Steam stores your games

By default, Steam puts all your games in the Steam folder on your main hard drive. If you have a second hard drive or an external drive with more space, you can tell Steam to use that instead. This is useful if your main drive is getting full.

Open Steam and click "Steam" in the top menu, then "Settings". Go to the "Storage" tab. You'll see your current drive listed. Click "Add Drive" to add a second location, or click the folder icon next to your current drive to change it. Steam will remember this choice and install future games there by default.

You can have games spread across multiple drives — when you install a new game, Steam asks which drive you want it on. Games don't need to be on the same drive as the Steam launcher itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for Steam itself?

No. The Steam launcher and store are free to download and use. You only pay for games you choose to buy. Many games on Steam are free to play, so you can start using Steam without spending money.

Can I use Steam on more than one computer?

Yes. Install Steam on each computer using the same Valve account. Your game library appears on all of them. You can play on one computer at a time with a single account, though Steam has a feature called Family Library that lets you share games with other people on the same computer.

What if I forget my Steam password?

Go to steampowered.com and click "Login" in the top right. Below the password field, click "Forgot your password?" Enter your account name or email address, and Valve will send a password reset link to your email. Click the link and create a new password.

Is it safe to download Steam from steampowered.com?

Yes. steampowered.com is Valve's official website. Only download Steam from there or from your computer's app store (Microsoft Store on Windows, App Store on macOS). Downloading from other websites risks getting a fake or malicious version.

How much hard drive space does Steam need?

Steam itself takes about 2 gigabytes. Individual games vary widely — some are under 1 gigabyte, others are 100 gigabytes or more. Make sure you have enough free space before installing large games. You can check how much space a game needs on its store page before you install it.