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To change where the Xbox app installs PC games, open the Xbox app, select your profile picture, and go to Settings > General. Find the default game-installation control—described in Microsoft Q&A guidance as “Change where this app installs games by default”—and select a drive and folder. If you mean download speed or peer-to-peer delivery rather than storage location, use Windows 11’s Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization instead. These are separate controls.
First decide which “download setting” you need
The Xbox app has an installation-location setting, while Windows has network-delivery settings. Changing one does not automatically change the other.
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| What you want to change | Where to change it | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Where new Xbox PC games are stored | Xbox app > profile picture > Settings > General | The default drive and folder for future game installations |
| Whether you choose a location for each game | Xbox app > Settings > General, near the default-install option | Whether installation prompts appear for individual games |
| Bandwidth limits or downloads from other PCs | Windows Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization | Network delivery behavior for Windows updates, Store apps and other Microsoft products |
Searches such as “change your default install location,” “game install options” and “locked at 10mb/s download speed” can refer to either category. Start with the storage steps if your problem is a full system drive or a preferred games drive. Use Delivery Optimization only when the issue is network behavior.
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Change the default Xbox game-install location
The following route is documented in a Microsoft Q&A answer dated November 23, 2023. Microsoft has not published a current, step-by-step Xbox settings page that guarantees the same wording in every app build, so treat the labels as landmarks: the names or placement can differ after an update.
- Open the Xbox app on Windows. Sign in to the account that you use for PC Game Pass or purchased games. The account matters because the app must be able to see the games you are entitled to install.
- Select your profile picture. It is normally in the app’s upper-right area. If the window is narrow, the profile control can be represented by an account icon rather than a photograph.
- Open Settings, then General. The installation controls are in the General section in the documented route.
- Find the default installation control. The Q&A describes it as “Change where this app installs games by default.” Your build may use shorter wording such as a default install location or game-install options.
- Select the destination drive and folder offered by the app. Choose the drive with enough available space and a folder you can recognize. The Q&A uses an
XboxGamesfolder as an example; that name is not a universal requirement. - Confirm the change if the app asks. Some builds apply the selection immediately, while others return you to the General page after you close a picker.
- Close Settings and start a test installation. On the install dialog, check that the proposed location matches your selection before confirming. This verifies the setting without relying on an old screenshot or a different app version.
Use a destination that stays connected and available whenever you play. A removable or intermittently connected drive can be a poor default because the app may be unable to update or launch a title when that drive is absent. The setting also does not create free space: check the drive in Windows before choosing it, especially for large Game Pass installations.
This setting applies to future installations. It does not necessarily relocate games that are already installed. Existing titles may have a separate move command, and eligibility can depend on the game, the storage format and the Xbox app version.
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Choose a location every time or use one default
In the same General area, the Xbox app may offer a prompt that asks for installation choices on every install. The community answer calls the setting “Ask me for install options on every install.” Current wording may vary.
| Choice | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Use one default destination | People who want every new game placed on the same drive automatically | Less interruption, but you must return to Settings when you want a different drive |
| Ask for install options each time | People who divide games among an internal drive, secondary drive or removable storage | More control, but an extra choice appears during every installation |
If you want to stop being asked, turn off the option whose wording refers to asking for install options on every install. If you want a destination choice for each title, leave the prompt option enabled. Read the current label carefully before changing it because the 2023 wording is not a guarantee of the live interface.
These options are not competing speed modes. Choosing a secondary drive can prevent the system drive from filling, but it does not inherently make the download faster. Conversely, leaving the prompt enabled does not force you to pick a different folder; it simply gives you the opportunity to do so for each title.
What to do when the Xbox app will not change the location
A folder-in-use message appears
The Microsoft Q&A that documents the settings path is titled around a “You can’t change your default install location while that folder is in use” error. If you see that message, the app is indicating that the selected folder is currently being used by an installation or another Xbox-related operation.
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- Cancel or finish any installation, update or verification currently using that destination.
- Check the Xbox app’s queue for a paused download as well as an active one; a queued operation can still retain the folder.
- Return to General and select a different folder on the target drive.
- If you create a new folder, use a simple name such as
XboxGamesas an example, then select it through the app’s picker rather than typing an unverified path. - Reopen the Xbox app and test the setting with a small or already-owned title before starting a large download.
Do not manually rename, move or delete a folder that an active installation is using. Doing so can leave the app with an incomplete registration even if some files remain on the drive. Do not assume that changing the default will move files already present in the old folder. Treat a new default and an existing-library move as separate operations.
The drive or folder is not offered
Use only destinations that the Xbox app presents in its own selector. If a drive is missing, check that Windows can access it and that it remains connected, then reopen the app. Make sure the drive has a stable drive letter and enough free capacity. The available choices can differ by app build and by the games installed on the system; the documented Q&A does not establish a universal list of supported folders.
A folder that works for ordinary documents is not automatically a folder the Xbox app will accept. Let the app create or select the destination where possible, and avoid guessing at protected Windows or application directories. If the selector still omits a drive after reconnecting it and restarting the app, use another offered destination rather than forcing a path through File Explorer.
The setting changed but a game still proposes the old location
Check the install dialog for that specific game. A per-install prompt can override the default, and an installation already in progress may retain the location selected when it began. Canceling and restarting an install after confirming the General setting can show whether the new default is being used.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAlso check whether the title is being installed through another Microsoft storefront or a shortcut that bypasses the Xbox app. The Xbox setting described here governs the Xbox app’s own installation flow; it does not promise to rewrite destinations selected by unrelated installers.
Change download-speed and peer-sharing behavior in Windows 11
If “download settings” means a speed cap, bandwidth schedule or downloads from other PCs, use Windows Delivery Optimization rather than the Xbox app’s install-location control.
- Open Windows Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Open Advanced options.
- Select Delivery Optimization.
- Review the controls for download bandwidth and for obtaining or sending download pieces from other PCs.
Microsoft describes Delivery Optimization as a Windows service used for Windows updates, Store apps and other Microsoft products. Its controls concern how content is delivered over the network; they do not select the drive or folder where an Xbox game is installed.
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When to review bandwidth limits
Review the bandwidth controls if Windows has a configured limit and your downloads appear constrained. A limit can be expressed as an absolute amount or as a percentage, depending on the Windows version and the policy exposed in Settings. Some systems also expose separate foreground and background behavior or scheduling choices. Remove or adjust a limit only if it matches your network plan and household needs, and note the old value before changing it.
Delivery Optimization settings are not a promise of a particular Xbox download rate: server load, your internet connection, Wi-Fi conditions, router traffic and other downloads can still determine the observed speed. A setting that permits more bandwidth cannot overcome a slow broadband plan or a congested wireless connection.
When to review downloads from other PCs
Delivery Optimization can allow Windows to obtain pieces from other PCs or share pieces with them, subject to the options shown on your system. The exact scope can depend on the Windows edition and organizational policy. If you turn off peer downloads, Microsoft Support says that Windows can still download content directly from Microsoft. Disabling peer sharing therefore changes the source policy; it does not block Microsoft’s own delivery path.
Use these controls when your concern is network participation or data usage. They cannot move an installed game to another drive, and changing the peer setting does not make the Xbox app ask for a new folder.
Why changing Delivery Optimization may not fix a slow Xbox download
A message such as “locked at 10mb/s download speed” does not by itself prove that Windows Delivery Optimization is enforcing a 10 Mbps cap. First determine whether the number is a configured limit, a temporary measurement or a ceiling imposed elsewhere. Also distinguish megabits per second from megabytes per second when comparing an app’s display with a network plan; do not assume that two differently labeled rates are identical.
- Check Delivery Optimization for an explicit bandwidth limit.
- Check whether another device or application is using the connection.
- Compare the rate at different times; a fluctuating rate is different from a fixed configured cap.
- Confirm that you are not trying to solve a storage-location problem with a network setting.
- Check whether the Xbox app is installing, verifying or unpacking files while it reports activity; disk work can make the visible network rate change.
Microsoft’s technical Delivery Optimization documentation also notes that closing an app may not stop a download, depending on the app. Do not use closing the Xbox app as proof that all related network activity has ended; inspect the Windows download state and the app’s own queue instead. If you changed a policy for testing, restore the original value after the comparison so the PC is not left with an unintended data-use rule.
Move or repair an installed game
Changing the default affects new installations, not automatically every title already on the PC. Xbox Wire described move and repair commands in a November 18, 2021 announcement about advanced installation and management features for Xbox app Insiders. That announcement is historical context, not a guarantee that every current game and app build exposes identical commands.
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- Open the Xbox app and go to your installed games.
- Open the management menu for the game, commonly represented by an overflow button or a right-click menu.
- Look for a Move or similar storage command. If it is absent, that title or your current app version may not support moving through the Xbox app.
- If a Repair command is offered, use it only when the game has a verified installation problem. Repair availability and behavior can vary.
- Keep the PC powered and the destination connected until the operation reports completion.
- After the operation, launch the game from the Xbox app and verify that saved data and add-ons are recognized.
Do not delete the original folder simply because you changed the default location. Wait until the app reports that a supported move has completed and the game launches from its new location. A repair command is not a relocation command; it addresses the installation state and may take time without changing the selected drive.
Common mistakes and the correct setting
| Symptom | Likely setting | Correct next step |
|---|---|---|
| New games fill the system drive | Xbox app installation destination | Use profile picture > Settings > General and select another offered drive or folder |
| The app asks where to install every time | Per-install prompt | Change the General-area option referring to install choices on every install |
| Downloads appear capped | Delivery Optimization bandwidth policy, or another network condition | Open Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization and review limits; do not expect a guaranteed speed increase |
| You want to stop sharing pieces with other PCs | Delivery Optimization peer settings | Adjust the peer-download option; direct Microsoft downloads can still work |
| An installed game must move | Game management feature | Open that game’s management menu and look for Move; support is title- and version-dependent |
| A folder is reported as in use | Active or queued installation operation | Finish or cancel the operation, then choose an available folder through the Xbox picker |
| A selected drive disappears | Disconnected or unavailable storage | Reconnect the drive, verify Windows can access it, reopen Xbox and select an offered destination |
Version and label differences to expect
The clearest documented route for the Xbox app is the November 23, 2023 Microsoft Q&A answer: profile picture, Settings, General, then the default-install control. Because it is community guidance rather than a current first-party product manual, exact labels, button locations and available folders may change. If your app uses different wording, look for the General-page control that combines install, default, location or drive terms rather than relying on an old screenshot.
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Windows Delivery Optimization is a Windows feature, not an Xbox-only panel. Its path and available bandwidth or peer-sharing choices can also vary by Windows release, administrator policy and device configuration. The distinction remains stable: Xbox General settings select game storage, while Delivery Optimization governs network delivery behavior.
A safe order for changing both settings
If you need a new storage location and are also investigating slow downloads, change one category at a time so you can identify the effect.
- Set and verify the Xbox app’s default installation folder.
- Start or resume one installation and confirm its proposed destination.
- Only then inspect Delivery Optimization for a bandwidth limit or peer-sharing choice.
- Record the original Delivery Optimization values before changing them, so you can restore the previous policy if network behavior becomes less suitable.
- Test the download again under comparable conditions. A different rate does not prove that the storage-location change caused it.
This sequence prevents a common diagnostic error: changing a drive setting and a network policy simultaneously, then attributing every change in download behavior to the wrong control.
Key points
- Use the Xbox app’s profile menu and Settings > General to choose where future games install.
- The default destination and the “ask every install” choice are separate decisions: convenience versus per-game control.
- Use Windows 11’s Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization for bandwidth and peer-sharing behavior.
- Delivery Optimization also serves Windows updates, Store apps and other Microsoft products, and turning off peer downloads does not block direct Microsoft downloads.
- Moving or repairing an existing game is a separate, eligibility-dependent management feature; changing the default does not guarantee that existing files move.
- Menu labels are subject to Xbox app and Windows version changes, so verify the current wording on your PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing the Xbox app default move games I already installed?
No. The default normally affects future installations. An existing title may have a separate Move command in its management menu, but Xbox Wire’s November 18, 2021 feature announcement does not guarantee that every current game or app version supports moving.
How do I stop the Xbox app from asking where to install every game?
Open the Xbox app’s profile menu, choose Settings and General, then turn off the option whose wording refers to asking for install options on every install. Labels can differ by build, so confirm the description before saving.
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Does Delivery Optimization control the Xbox game-install folder?
No. Delivery Optimization controls network delivery, including bandwidth and peer downloads for Windows updates, Store apps and other Microsoft products. Choose the game folder in the Xbox app under Settings > General.
Will disabling peer downloads stop Microsoft downloads?
No. Microsoft Support says Windows can still download content directly from Microsoft when peer downloads are disabled. The change affects whether download pieces are obtained from or sent to other PCs.
Why is my Xbox download still slow after I change Delivery Optimization?
A configured limit may not be the cause. Internet service capacity, Wi-Fi conditions, router traffic, other devices, server load and disk activity can all affect the displayed rate. Check for an explicit limit, compare rates at different times and test one change at a time.
What should I do about a folder-in-use error?
Finish or cancel any installation, update or verification using that destination, then return to Xbox app Settings > General and choose an available folder. Do not rename or delete an active installation folder manually.
Can I use any folder on any drive?
Use the drives and folders the Xbox app offers in its own selector. The Microsoft Q&A example names an XboxGames folder, but that is an example rather than a universal requirement. Available destinations vary by app build and system configuration.
The Bottom Line
For storage, use the Xbox app’s profile picture > Settings > General controls and choose either one default folder or a prompt for every install. For speed caps and peer delivery, use Windows 11’s Delivery Optimization settings. Changing the network policy will not move games, and changing the install folder will not guarantee faster downloads.
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