SteamCMD Stuck on "Update State (0x61) Downloading, Progress: 0.00

SteamCMD printing Update state (0x61) downloading, progress: 0.00 (0 / 0) over and over is often normal for the first minute or two: it is fetching the manifest and working out which chunks it needs, and the byte counter stays at zero until real data arrives. If it is still at 0.00 after five to ten minutes, the download is genuinely stuck. The usual fixes are clearing SteamCMD's download folders, fixing a connection problem (DNS, IPv6, firewall), freeing disk space, and as a last resort reinstalling SteamCMD itself, which community reports show clears a corrupted cache.

What the update states mean

While app_update runs, SteamCMD prints a state code with each progress line. These are progress steps, not errors:

0x61 is just the downloading step. Seeing it is fine. Seeing it at 0.00 forever is the problem.

When to wait

Give it time in these cases before you change anything:

• Big first installs. For servers that are tens of GB, SteamCMD can sit at 0.00 while it processes a large manifest.
• Right after a major patch. Content servers are busy and the first bytes can take a while.
• Slow disks. On spinning disks and cheap VPS storage, preallocating and verifying can take minutes and the counter does not move.

One thing that confuses people: SteamCMD only prints a new progress line every few seconds, and on some builds the numbers update in bursts. A jump from 0.00 to 40 percent in one line is normal.

Fix 1: stop and clear the download folders

If it has been stuck for ten minutes:

1. Press Ctrl+C to stop SteamCMD (or end the process).
2. Delete these inside your install folder, if they exist:
   • steamapps/downloading/<appid>
   • steamapps/temp/<appid>
3. Run the command again with validate:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/pz +login anonymous +app_update 380870 validate +quit

That is the Project Zomboid dedicated server (app 380870). Use your own game's ID.

Fix 2: check the network path

A download that never receives a byte usually means SteamCMD can talk to Steam's login servers but not the content servers.

• DNS: check the machine resolves Steam's content hosts. getent hosts steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net on Linux, Resolve-DnsName steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net on Windows.
• IPv6: a host with an IPv6 address but no working IPv6 route can hang downloads. Test with curl -6 -I https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net. If it fails, fix the route or turn IPv6 off on that interface.
• Firewalls: allow outbound TCP 80 and 443. Some locked down servers block everything outbound by default.
• MTU problems on VPNs and tunnels: large packets get dropped silently and downloads stall at 0 bytes. Try without the VPN.

Fix 3: disk space and permissions

If the drive is full or the folder is not writable, the download can stall instead of failing with a clear error.

df -h /home/steam/pz
ls -la /home/steam/pz/steamapps

Make sure the user running SteamCMD owns the install folder. On Windows, avoid C:\Program Files and check that antivirus is not blocking writes to the folder. If you do end up with a clear error afterwards, our guides on error 0x202 and disk write failure cover them.

Fix 4: reinstall SteamCMD

SteamCMD keeps a cache of package data in its own folder. When that cache is damaged, every download can hang at 0x61. Players on the Project Zomboid Steam forum reported the stuck 0.00 download only cleared after deleting both the SteamCMD folder and the server install folder and starting fresh.

Try the gentler version first:

1. Back up your saves and config files.
2. Delete only the SteamCMD folder (for example ~/steamcmd and ~/Steam on Linux, or the folder holding steamcmd.exe on Windows).
3. Download SteamCMD again from Valve and let it update itself on first launch.
4. Run app_update <id> validate against your existing server folder.

Only wipe the server folder if that still fails, and copy your saves back afterwards. Our guide on how to back up a game server shows where the common games keep their world files.

Fix 5: try a different time or machine

If nothing on your host looks wrong, test the same command on another machine or network. If it downloads instantly there, the problem is your host's network. If it hangs everywhere, Steam's content servers are likely having trouble, and waiting an hour is the fix.

Not wanting to watch a progress bar

A stuck SteamCMD at 0.00 is a classic home hosting time sink. With a GamezServers server the game is already installed when your server goes live, settings from the game's server template sit in the control panel, and support answers by email 24/7. You can also split the bill with friends so nobody carries the cost alone.

FAQ

Is "Update state (0x61) downloading, progress: 0.00" an error?

No. 0x61 is the normal downloading step. It only becomes a problem if the progress stays at 0.00 for many minutes with nothing else happening.

How long should SteamCMD stay at 0.00?

For small servers, seconds. For big servers on busy patch days, a few minutes. Ten minutes with no movement means you should stop it and work through the fixes above.

Does Ctrl+C damage the server install?

Stopping during the download step leaves partial chunks in steamapps/downloading, which SteamCMD can resume or you can delete. Stopping during the committing step can leave mixed files, so run validate afterwards.

Why does it work on my PC but not my server?

Your PC and server sit on different networks with different DNS, firewalls and IPv6 setups. A download that works at home and stalls on a VPS almost always points to the server's network configuration.