How To Change Steam Game Launch Location

Steam may be facing stiff competition from Epic and Uplay, only it is even so a solid place to get for games right at present. Equally digital downloads take gradually taken over for game discs, Steam makes managing hundreds of games simple. Only what happens when you fill up up your storage? Can you change the game location in Steam? Tin you move games to a different drive?

While Steam does an excellent job of managing your library, you can control where games get installed and even move them if you lot upgrade your storage or desire different locations.

Irresolute Game Locations in Steam

For games that come on a disc, their size limit gets based on storage capacity. The games require updates that get stored on a drive. Downloaded games are massively huge, simply all files easily fit on hard drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) in one central location—with minor exceptions, of course. It's not unusual for a game to take up 60-120GB of storage, and with downloadable content (DLC), add-ons, mods, and save files, storage is very much at a premium.

Steam creates a game storage folder by default but does allow you choose where it makes information technology. You lot can as well create different game folders inside Steam and take them in other locations to conform your needs. Here's how to do it.

Launch Steam, and then click on "Steam -> Preferences" at the tiptop.
Select "Downloads" from the navigational bill of fare on the left.
Nether the "Content Libraries" section, click on "STEAM LIBRARY FOLDERS."
In the "STORAGE MANAGER" window that appears, add a new folder to download/install your games. Click the "+" icon.
Scan for a new folder and click on "SELECT" to add it. You can also add a new folder by clicking on the binder where y'all want a new one to reside and select "NEW Binder."

Now, whenever you add a new game, Steam will prompt y'all for the location to download and install it.

How to Move Game Downloads of Existing Steam Games

Many Steam users find that they run out of space on the currently used partition of existing storage or need to replace the bulldoze due to failure or upgrade it to get more infinite. If Steam already exists and you already have games at that place, you lot tin can movement them if y'all want. Here are some ways to change game download locations in Steam.

There is a clunky way to move your games and a sensible i. Every bit I tried both, I'll describe both. This first way is the inexact way, but it works.

For a replacement drive or upgraded bulldoze, have your operating system recognize the new device and format it. Mac uses the Apple File System (APFS) and Windows uses the New Engineering File Arrangement (NTFS).
In the existing games location, remove whatsoever games you no longer need installed to make the entire procedure faster.
Re-create your Steam binder to the new drive.
Get-go Steam, permit it load, and select a game.
Correct click the game and select "Properties."
Select "Local Files" and "Verify Integrity of Local Files."
Select the new location for Steam when it says it cannot notice local files.

Copying your Steam binder will take a while, which is why information technology makes sense to remove any games you don't need. This solution doesn't work with every game, so y'all may want to uninstall information technology from Steam and reinstall it in the new location. You won't have to download the files again. You can have Steam identify the game and add together information technology to your library.

A better way to motion games to a new drive is by creating a new games folder in that bulldoze.

How to Create a New Games Folder in Steam

Creating a new Steam game binder is arguably a better way to move games to other locations. The process is built into Steam and ways y'all tin add together games wherever yous want. This method is a better solution for irresolute a game'due south folder because information technology doesn't crave you to uninstall and rediscover games within Steam.

In Steam, click on "Carte du jour" at the meridian and select "Settings."
Choose "Downloads," then "Steam Library Folders" from the middle.
Select "Add together Library Folder" and point it to your new games location.
Proper name your folder and select information technology to add together information technology to your "Games Library."

How to Move Games between Steam Game Folders

One time you have multiple folders, y'all can move games between them. If you accept added an extra drive to fit more than games, you can add your new binder to the new drive and move games betwixt them. Here'south how.

Select the game, right click and select "Properties."
Cull "Local Files," then "Move Install Folder."
Select your new games folder and choose "Move Folder."

This process retains all Steam links for the motility and won't interfere with saved games or other settings.

Combine Multiple Disks as I Partitioning in Windows 10 for Steam Games

If you add a new drive to your system, rather than moving games, extend the book to include the existing game drive and the new i. Both Windows and Steam see a single partition, but it becomes spanned over two different HDDs or SSDs. You tin can do this multiple times, and it is a straightforward manner to manage disk infinite. Here's how to do it.

Add together your new drive to your computer and have Windows format information technology.
Select any drive in Windows Explorer, right click and select "Manage."
Select "Disk Management" from the left of the new window.
Convert your game disks from "Bones" to "Dynamic" by right clicking and selecting "Convert to Dynamic Deejay."
Select your original games disk, right click information technology, then select "Extend."
Select the new disk in the new window and click on "Add."
Enter a size of your new division on the right and select "Next."
Click on "Stop" to commit your changes.

The to a higher place procedure is a much more elegant mode to manage games in Steam. You lot can theoretically add together more disks when you fill them upwards and expand the partition as far every bit you like!