If the option dont work anymore either its a bug or steam has disable them options.
you are not allowed to prevent game devs update anymore.

ask steam support or try steam beta maybe, ( its not your game files its game devs )

other option do not have game installed you dont play, no more updates to them games.

When the devs of a game release an update Steam is required by the contract they have with the devs to push out the update to you.
The only choice you have is to not download the update and be unable to play.
Or download the update.
If you don't play the game anymore, uninstall it and you won't get updates for it anymore.

I understand that Steam won't let me play a game if an update exists and I haven't downloaded it.

However, I need to control when they're downloaded. I've had all my games set to 'update on launch' for years and it's always worked that way; going to Downloads would show a list of updates as 'Unscheduled' and I could start them appropriately.

Now I'm getting them as 'scheduled' even if they're set to 'update on launch'.

I just checked and it's doing this on all my systems, including my Steam Deck. I've opened a support request.

Could you resolve the issue?

Sometimes the Update system will try to schedule the update, but it won't actually update it as long as you keep it set to Update on Launch.

waw

I think steam get caught in things not update, and game devs has the muscle here, and we have steam user dodge updates, to exploit a hole in the games or even offline game mode to prevent updates.

You might think you have rights to do that. you are wrong you have a game license to play it and game devs has all right to fix whatever game bug as they see fit.

So technicaly you brake the rules in how game devs, see games should be.
this require you know steam EULA rules and games and client can require updates from time to time.

Might be the reason why update on launch option get removed if this is away to prevent updates, steam is caught between own rules about it, and OP and us here as steam user think option is a bug then it dont work anymore.

if steam dont fix this then rethink they did it on purpose, thats my point here.
user are getting cleaver and cleaver with dodge or use games that dont get update, and thats was never part of game devs view in users own resposibility with updates.

We other came from box games not get update so we know there is a side of this many forget, play a game that will bug out and you forgot to update games yourself.

This is why many of us use schedule cue as guide in missing updates.
and why option with prevent opdate can be a issue in offine mode.

Dont expect other will see both side of the issue here. but then you have wasted hours in games that patch bug already has been fixed, you will learn game devs know best. and own option or steam option to prevent updates is equal wrong.

This is now ½ year later, whatever steam has fix it or not i still dont use that options and will not test it anyway, and if steam will ever fix it, i do not know.


also why i make the post rockstar just trigger mass update to several titles and why i let steam update them when it fit steam, so yes things about has change alot, with cued updates with games, and i play other atm , or update will be fetched.

And what prevent you make schedule time slot with 1 minute to prevent update anyway until you click play them games. ( from 01:00 to 01:00 ) or as i do 01:00 to 05:00 update my crap then steam server has time for it. ( because i dont care when it happend in my snooze time.

Learn to take advantage of this, IT company update system in off hours why will games not do same then you have learn this from IT companys, why are you as gamer want to see patch get update, i use the words like see paint dry , or olds days see deframmentations running, what a waste of my time to play a game.

ps.
yes i know its hard to let go of old habits, to be in controll over it. ( it takes time to learn )

i from DOS age, we had to be master in what they did back then, it was a nessary things to do , or you will have many issue with order and how it was installed and patched.

i hope it can help other in learn to accept how things is now if you can leanr the new ways good for you, if not, nothing i can do about it. gl with make steam ticket.