Use Steam’s Settings > Storage page to review your library locations and manage installed games. To move games without uninstalling them, first add a destination Steam Library, then move selected games from Storage or use a game’s Properties > Installed Files page. Moving the Steam client itself is a separate operation and needs extra care.
Check Steam game storage and library locations
Steam’s Storage page is the built-in place to see and manage the drives Steam uses for game libraries. Open the Steam client, select Steam > Settings, then choose Storage. The page shows the default installation drive and the library locations Steam knows about; it is also where you add a library, select installed games to move, and repair a library folder. Interface labels can change with client updates, so use the labels visible in your version of Steam.
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- Open the Steam client.
- Select Steam in the top menu, then Settings.
- Select Storage in Settings.
- Select the relevant drive or library to review the games installed there and the storage information Steam displays.
If you are checking space before installing a game, review the available capacity shown for the target drive in Storage and compare it with the space Steam says the game requires on its store page or installation screen. Leave room for updates and other files rather than planning to fill a drive exactly to capacity. The Steam support instructions establish Storage as the place to manage library locations; the exact storage details shown can vary as the client interface changes.
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When comparing a game’s stated space requirement with a drive’s available space, use the destination library you actually plan to install to. Having enough room on a different drive does not help if Steam is still set to install the game on a nearly full one. If you have more than one library, confirm which drive is selected before starting an installation or a move. The Steam support guidance does not provide a universal amount of extra free space to reserve, so allow a reasonable margin for updates and other files rather than relying on an exact threshold.
Choose whether to move games or the Steam client
“Move Steam to another drive” can mean two different things. Most people who need space want to move one or more game installations while leaving the Steam client where it is. A client move concerns the Steam program and its folders, so it is not the same as relocating a game through Storage.
| What you are moving | Scope | Preparation | What to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| One or more games | Selected game installations between Steam Library locations | Create or add the destination Steam Library first | Use Storage for several games or the game’s Installed Files page for a single title. The supported move feature does not require uninstalling first. |
| Steam client installation | The client installation and its associated folders, not just a game | Steam recommends backing up the steamapps folder before attempting the move |
A failed client move without a backup can mean reinstalling games. Check local-save needs separately for games that do not use Steam Cloud. |
If the immediate problem is that a drive is nearly full, start by moving game installations. Do not assume that moving a game’s library also relocates the Steam client, local save files, screenshots, or other data: the Steam game-move instructions cover installed games, while save locations depend on the game developer.
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Add a Steam Library on the destination drive
Steam must have a library location on the destination drive before you can move games there. Adding the library tells Steam where it may install and manage games; it does not itself move existing installations.
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Use the plus control in Storage to add another library location.
- Select or create the appropriate folder on the destination drive, then confirm the new location in Steam.
- Return to the Storage view and check that the destination appears as a library before starting a move.
Steam’s documentation describes the plus control for creating another path and adding an existing alternate library. If you are reconnecting a drive that already has a Steam library, add that existing library rather than creating a new empty folder and expecting Steam to discover it automatically. The available choices may differ slightly by client version.
A library folder and the Steam client folder are not interchangeable concepts. A library is a location for game installations; you can keep the client on one drive and put game libraries on another. Steam’s move functionality is intended for this game-library workflow.
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Before you begin, make sure the destination drive is connected and available to the computer, and that you have selected the intended library path. If the drive is external, do not disconnect it while Steam is moving files. Steam’s warning about external hard drives concerns installing the Steam client and possible performance issues; it does not identify a specific compatible drive or promise that every external setup will behave the same way.
Move several installed games with Storage
Use this route when you want to choose multiple games on one drive and move them to another Steam Library. The games remain installed; Steam transfers their installations through its own management interface rather than requiring you to uninstall and download them again.
- Confirm that the destination Steam Library exists in Steam > Settings > Storage.
- In Storage, select the drive or library that currently contains the games.
- Select the games you want to relocate. Check the selected titles carefully, particularly if the source drive contains games you intend to leave in place.
- Choose Move, then choose the destination library when Steam asks where to put the selected installations.
- Allow Steam to finish the move before closing the client or disconnecting either drive.
- Return to Storage and confirm that the games now appear under the destination library.
The exact selection controls and labels can vary by Steam client version, but the documented sequence is to select the source drive, choose games, and use Move. A destination library has to be set up first. Steam describes this as moving existing games without requiring an uninstall; the move is not a reason to delete game folders manually before Steam has completed its operation. See Steam’s moving-installation guide.
For a large group of games, consider moving a manageable selection at a time. This makes it easier to verify the destination and identify which move needs attention if an error appears. This is a workflow choice, not a Steam requirement.
Moving through Steam is different from copying or deleting game folders yourself. The supported process lets Steam manage the selected game installations between its library locations. Wait for the operation to finish, then check Storage to confirm the games are listed at the new location before removing or repurposing anything on the source drive. If a game is missing afterward, first check that the destination library is still available to Steam; use the repair and verification options below if the library or a particular game still has a problem.
Move a single game from its Library page
For one title, Steam also offers a move command on the game’s Properties page. This is useful when you know exactly which game needs to change drives and do not want to select it from the broader Storage list.
- Open Library in Steam.
- Right-click the game you want to move and select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Move Install Folder.
- Choose the destination Steam Library and confirm the move.
The alternate library folder must already be set up before it can be chosen. Steam documents this per-game route in its Managing Steam Downloads & Updates support article. If the destination is missing from the selection list, go back to Storage and add or reconnect the library first.
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Use this route when the decision is about one game, and use Storage when you want to select multiple installed games on a source drive. Both are Steam-supported ways to move a game installation. Neither is the procedure for relocating the client itself, and neither removes the need to check local saves separately when changing computers or reinstalling.
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Moving game installations through Storage is not the same procedure as moving the Steam client installation. Steam recommends backing up the steamapps folder before attempting a client move. Its support guidance warns that if the move fails and there is no backup, games may need to be reinstalled. Do not treat a drag-and-drop of the client folder as equivalent to the supported game-move workflow.
Steam’s cited client-moving guidance does not establish one universal step-by-step method for every operating system or client setup. If you need to relocate the client rather than its game libraries, follow the current instructions in Steam’s Moving a Steam Installation and Games page for your situation. Before changing folders, make a separate backup of steamapps somewhere that will not be affected by the move. A backup is protection against failure, not a guarantee that every game or save will be restored automatically.
Steam cautions against installing the Steam client on an external hard drive because of potential performance issues. This is a caution about performance, not evidence that every external drive will fail or that a particular internal drive is required. The support information does not compare drive types, specify a performance penalty, or identify a compatible model.
In other words, do not start a client move simply because one game or one library is taking up room. Moving selected games only changes where those installations live; moving the client affects a broader set of folders and calls for a backup first. If you are weighing a new drive, compare the usable free capacity you need, the computer’s physical and connection compatibility, and the cost of a compatible option. A purchase is not required to move games, and Steam’s guidance does not establish a required capacity, interface, or price.
Protect local saves before reinstalling or changing computers
Steam Cloud can sync supported saves, but some third-party games do not use it. Steam notes that these games may store saves or profiles under C:Users[Windows user name]DocumentsMy Games. Treat that as a place to check on Windows, not a guaranteed save location: each developer determines where a game stores its data.
A library move on the same computer is different from moving to another computer or reinstalling the operating system. If you are doing either of the latter, identify the game’s save location and backup needs before removing or overwriting files. Check the game’s own support information when Steam Cloud status or save storage is unclear. Steam’s Update & Installation Issues guidance describes the general save-location caveat.
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- Check whether the game uses Steam Cloud, but do not assume all titles do.
- For titles without Cloud support, look up the developer’s save location and backup instructions.
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DocumentsMy Gamesin the places you check, while remembering that the game may use another folder. - Keep the backup separate from the drive or folder you are about to move, reinstall, or replace.
The important distinction is between installed game files and personal progress. Steam’s game-move feature moves installations between libraries, while save locations are set by each developer. If you only move a library on the same computer, do not assume that this action is also a save migration. If you are moving to another PC or reinstalling, check each title’s Cloud support and local-save instructions first, then keep any needed backup somewhere that will not be erased as part of the change.
Fix a missing library or a game Steam will not recognize
If a drive or existing library does not appear in Steam, first check whether the drive is available to the computer. Then open Steam > Settings > Storage and use the plus control to add the existing alternate library. Steam’s troubleshooting guidance also documents a Repair Folder option in Storage and Verify Integrity of Game Files in a game’s Properties.
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Repair a Steam Library folder
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Select the library or drive with the problem.
- Open the available options menu and choose Repair Folder, if shown.
- Let Steam complete the check, then see whether the library and its games are recognized.
Verify one game’s files
- In Library, right-click the affected game and select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- Wait for the check to complete, then try launching the game again.
Repair Folder addresses a library-folder problem; Verify Integrity of Game Files checks an individual game’s installation. Steam notes that damaged files can have causes including hardware problems, crashes, and power surges, among others. One failed verification or move does not by itself establish that a drive is defective. If problems recur, preserve important saves and investigate the broader computer or drive issue rather than repeatedly moving the same files.
If the missing library is on a drive you have just reconnected, make sure the computer can access that drive before adding its existing library path in Steam. If Steam sees the library but one game still has trouble, use the per-game verification option rather than assuming the entire library needs repair. These are different troubleshooting scopes, and Steam documents both options. The menu names may vary as the client changes, so look for the matching Storage and Installed Files controls in your current version.
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No purchase is required to use Steam’s move feature. First check how much room the existing libraries have and whether moving a few large games solves the immediate problem. If you do need additional storage, confirm the computer’s physical and connection compatibility and choose capacity based on the installations you actually plan to keep. Steam’s cited guidance does not recommend a specific drive, size, interface, or model, and it does not compare internal SSDs with hard drives. Its stated caution is specifically that an external hard drive is not recommended for installing the Steam client because of possible performance issues.
For many users, keeping the client where it is and adding a game library on another compatible drive is the simpler choice. That avoids turning a storage-capacity problem into a client relocation and backup task.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThink of a drive purchase as an optional response to a capacity shortfall, not as a prerequisite for moving a game. Check the room currently available, the amount of space the games you intend to keep require, and whether the computer can physically accommodate and connect the drive. Consider cost alongside actual capacity needs; there is no supported price range or model recommendation to apply to every computer. If you use an external hard drive, keep Steam’s client-installation caution in mind rather than treating it as a universal performance guarantee.
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Quick decision guide
- Want to see where games are installed? Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Want to move several games? Add the destination library, select the source drive and games in Storage, then choose Move.
- Want to move one game? Use Library > right-click game > Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder.
- Want the Steam client itself on another drive? Treat it separately, back up
steamapps, and consult Steam’s current client-moving instructions. - Moving to another computer or reinstalling? Check each game’s save location, especially for titles that do not use Steam Cloud.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check how much space my Steam games are taking up?
Open the Steam client and go to Steam > Settings > Storage. Select the relevant drive or library to review the installed games and the storage information Steam displays. The interface can change, so use the labels shown in your client.
Can I move a Steam game to another drive without reinstalling it?
Yes. Add the destination as a Steam Library first, then select the game or games in Settings > Storage and choose Move. For one game, use Library > right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder. Steam’s move feature does not require uninstalling first.
How do I change where Steam installs games?
Open Steam > Settings > Storage and use the plus control to add another library path. Once it appears in Storage, you can select that library as the destination for moves and direct future installations there.
Does moving a game also move its save files?
Do not assume that it does. Steam’s move instructions cover game installations, while save locations are determined by each game’s developer. Many games use Steam Cloud, but some third-party games do not; check the title’s save location and backup instructions, especially before moving to another computer or reinstalling.
What should I do if Steam does not recognize a moved library?
First make sure the drive is available to the computer. In Settings > Storage, use the plus control to add the existing alternate library if necessary. Steam also documents Repair Folder for a library issue and Verify Integrity of Game Files under a game’s Properties > Installed Files for an individual game.
Should I move the Steam client or only the games?
If your goal is to free space used by games, move the game installations and leave the client where it is. A client move is a separate, broader operation; Steam recommends backing up steamapps first, and warns that a failed move without a backup may mean reinstalling games.
Do I need to buy an SSD or another drive to move Steam games?
No. Steam’s move feature works with library locations you already have. If you need additional storage, check the free capacity you need and your computer’s physical and connection compatibility. Steam’s support guidance does not specify a required drive model, size, interface, or cost.
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The Bottom Line
For most storage problems, leave the Steam client in place, add a destination library in Steam > Settings > Storage, and move selected games with Steam’s own Move command. Back up steamapps before attempting a client move, and check local saves separately when changing computers or reinstalling.
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