To free up space without downloading your games again, add another drive as a Steam library and move installed games to it. Use Steam’s Storage page to see where your library is and choose what to move; uninstall games you no longer need installed. Steam Deck owners can expand storage with a compatible microSD card.
Move installed games to another drive
Steam can move installed game files between library locations, so you can free space on one drive without removing the game and downloading it again. First add a library location on the destination drive, then move selected games.
- Add the destination: Open Steam > Settings > Storage, choose the destination drive, and add a library location if one is not already listed there.
- Choose games: In Storage, select the drive that currently holds the games and select the titles you want to relocate.
- Move them: Choose the option to move the selected games and select the destination library.
You can also move one title from Library > right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder. Steam describes alternate locations as places you can choose for future installs as well. See Steam Support’s guide to moving a Steam installation and games and its download and update guidance.
Choose what to move, uninstall, or leave in place
Start by checking Steam’s Storage page to see which library is using space. Move the largest games you still play, or titles you want installed but do not need on the current drive. If a game is unlikely to be played soon, uninstalling it frees its installed content; you can reinstall it later, but that requires downloading it again.
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- Move a game when you want to keep it installed and have another suitable drive available.
- Uninstall a game when you do not need its installed files and want to reclaim space without buying or connecting another drive.
- Keep it on the current drive when moving it is not worth the effort or the destination’s connection is a poor fit for how you play.
For future installs, choose the alternate library location in Steam’s install flow instead of filling the original drive again.
Decide whether an additional drive is a good fit
An existing second drive is the simplest no-purchase option. If you need more capacity, an internal SSD may be a practical upgrade, but check that your PC supports the drive’s form factor and interface before buying; Steam’s instructions do not establish compatibility for a particular computer.
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Steam cautions that external hard drives can bring performance problems and unexpected disconnections. That is a risk to weigh, not a guarantee that every external drive will fail. An external drive may be convenient for storage, but consider its connection reliability and how you use the games before making it your primary library. Steam’s advice is to avoid installing Steam itself on an external hard drive because of potential performance issues. Details are in Steam’s installation and games guidance.
Free space on a Steam Deck with a microSD card
On Steam Deck, open Steam > Settings > Storage to manage storage. To prepare a card, go to Steam > Settings > System > Format SD card. Formatting prepares the card for use and should be treated as a destructive step for data already on it.
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Steam specifies a UHS-I microSD card rated class 3 or better. The Deck does not support the faster transfer rates of UHS-II or UHS-III cards, so buying a higher bus speed does not provide that benefit on the device. See Steam Deck’s storage and troubleshooting guide.
Protect game files and saves before major changes
Moving individual games between Steam library folders is different from moving the entire Steam installation or uninstalling Steam. Before changing the full installation, back up the steamapps folder if you want to preserve installed game files. Steam warns that uninstalling Steam removes installed game content unless it is preserved separately; follow Steam’s uninstall guidance before proceeding.
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Check save data separately. Steam Cloud may synchronize a game’s saves, but some games store saves outside Steam Cloud. On Windows, one possible location is DocumentsMy Games; the precise location depends on the game. Verify the save location for the specific title and make a copy before uninstalling or making broad changes to the Steam installation. Steam’s moving-games guide describes the Windows save-location caveat.
Prevent updates from filling space unexpectedly
Update controls help manage when Steam downloads game updates, but they do not remove installed games or reclaim their existing space. In Steam > Settings > Downloads, you can limit automatic updates to specified hours. For a particular game, open Library > right-click the game > Properties > Updates and choose Only update this game when I launch it. Steam documents these options in Managing Steam Downloads & Updates.
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