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To make room for a large PC game, first find which drive is full, then move a game you want to keep to another drive or uninstall one you no longer need. If the system drive is the problem, Windows Storage Sense can also remove selected temporary files and Recycle Bin contents. Use the game launcher for game installs rather than deleting library folders by hand, and check how the game stores saves before uninstalling.
Find out which drive is full
In Windows, open Settings > System > Storage to inspect space use on the system drive. To check another drive, use Storage settings’ advanced options for storage on other drives. If your games are in Steam, open Steam > Settings > Storage to see library drives and the games installed in each one.
This matters when, for example, your C: drive is nearly full but your games are on a second drive: cleaning the game library on the second drive will not free space on C:. Look at the drive where you plan to install or update the game, then decide whether to relocate an installation, remove one, or clean eligible Windows files. The space reclaimed varies with each game, optional content, updates, and files already on the drive; there is no reliable universal gigabyte estimate.
Choose the right way to make room
| Option | Best when | What it does | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a game | You want to keep it installed and have another suitable drive. | Relocates the installation to another library. | The destination needs enough free space; the game itself does not become smaller. |
| Uninstall a game | You do not need the game installed right now. | Removes its installation from the drive. | You may need to download it again later; save handling can be separate. |
| Windows Storage Sense or temporary-file cleanup | The system drive has eligible temporary files or Recycle Bin contents. | Removes selected Windows-managed files. | It does not uninstall games. Review the selections and settings before cleanup. |
| Add a storage drive | You regularly run short of installed-game capacity. | Provides another possible game-library location. | Check capacity, connection compatibility, and where the library will live. |
Move a Steam game to another drive
Steam’s library folder is where installed games are kept on disk. Steam supports creating a library on another drive and moving an installed game to it; follow its Moving a Steam Installation and Games instructions.
#1 Best Overall
- Customize your drive’s RGB lighting with the downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard (Windows only) to show off your style and make every play personal.
- Kick loading into overdrive with a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface and speeds up to 2,000MB/s. (Based on read speed. 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.)
- Compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. {Compatible with PlayStation 4 Pro or PS4 with system software version 4.50 or higher, PlayStation 5 (Play and store PS4 games; archive PS5 games), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S (Play and store Xbox One games; archive Xbox Series X|S games).}
- Keep more of the latest and largest titles installed and ready to launch with capacities of up to 2TB. (1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.)
- Built with WD_BLACK toughness thanks to a shock-resistant structure, this durable drive can survive a drop of up to two-meters.
- Connect or select a destination drive with enough free space for the game.
- In Steam, open Settings > Storage. Create or select a library location on the destination drive.
- Select the installed game and use Steam’s move control to choose that library.
- After the move, launch the game to check that it works. If files seem damaged or missing, use Steam’s Verify integrity of game files procedure.
Moving relocates the installation; it does not reduce the game’s footprint. An external SSD may be an option if internal capacity is limited, but whether it works for your setup depends on the computer’s ports and the drive. Choose based on usable capacity and connection compatibility rather than assuming every drive suits every PC.
Uninstall a game you do not need installed
Use the game’s launcher or Windows app-removal controls to uninstall it, then check free space on the affected drive. For a Steam game, use the game-level uninstall control. Steam warns that uninstalling Steam removes installed game content; uninstalling the client is a different task from removing one game. If you intend to remove the Steam client but keep game files for later, Steam advises moving the steamapps folder first. See Steam’s uninstall guidance.
Rank #2
- MADE FOR THE MAKERS: Create; Explore; Store; The T7 Portable SSD delivers fast speeds and durable features to back up any endeavor; Build your video editing empire, file your photographs or back up your blogs all in an instant
- SHARE IDEAS IN A FLASH: Don’t waste a second waiting and spend more time doing; The T7 is embedded with PCIe NVMe technology that brings fast read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s¹, making it almost twice as fast as the T5
- ALWAYS MAKE THE SAVE: Compact design with massive capacity; With capacities up to 4TB, save exactly what you need to your drive – from large working files to game data and everything in between
- ADAPTS TO EVERY NEED: Whether using a PC or mobile phone, count on the T7 for extensive compatibility²; It’s a true team player when it comes to heavy-duty application usage or file-saving
- HI RESOLUTION VIDEO RECORDING: Record Ultra High Resolution (4K 60fs) videos directly onto the T7 Portable SSD with your favorite camera or mobile devices; Supports iPhone 15 Pro Res 4K at 60fps video and more³
Use Windows cleanup for non-game files
Storage Sense can remove selected temporary files and Recycle Bin items. Review its checkboxes and schedule before enabling automatic cleanup. Microsoft says the default settings do not clean Downloads or OneDrive, but those settings can be changed, so inspect your configuration rather than assuming personal folders are excluded. Storage Sense operates on the system drive; use Windows storage controls for other drives instead of assuming it will clean them.
Open Settings > System > Storage to review Storage Sense and temporary-file options. Microsoft explains the feature’s behavior in Manage drive space with Storage Sense and describes other options in Free up drive space in Windows. Read the file categories before removing anything; Windows cleanup is not a substitute for managing game installations through their launcher.
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Rank #3
- MADE FOR THE MAKERS: Create; Explore; Store; The T7 Portable SSD delivers fast speeds and durable features to back up any endeavor; Build your video editing empire, file your photographs or back up your blogs all in an instant
- SHARE IDEAS IN A FLASH: Don’t waste a second waiting and spend more time doing; The T7 is embedded with PCIe NVMe technology that brings fast read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s¹, making it almost twice as fast as the T5
- ALWAYS MAKE THE SAVE: Compact design with massive capacity; With capacities up to 4TB, save exactly what you need to your drive – from large working files to game data and everything in between
- ADAPTS TO EVERY NEED: Whether using a PC or mobile phone, count on the T7 for extensive compatibility²; It’s a true team player when it comes to heavy-duty application usage or file-saving
- HI RESOLUTION VIDEO RECORDING: Record Ultra High Resolution (4K 60fs) videos directly onto the T7 Portable SSD with your favorite camera or mobile devices; Supports iPhone 15 Pro Res 4K at 60fps video and more³
Protect saves and troubleshoot separately
A game save is not necessarily stored in the installation folder. Steam notes that some third-party games without Steam Cloud may store saves in DocumentsMy Games, while other publishers use different locations. Before removing a launcher or manually changing game folders, check the game or publisher’s save guidance and back up saves you care about. Steam’s information on moving games and possible save locations is in its moving and installation guidance.
If a moved game fails to launch or behaves unexpectedly, file verification is a repair step, not a storage-cleaning method. Use Steam’s file verification procedure to check its installed files.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Get NVMe solid state performance with up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive(1) (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device & other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
- Up to 3-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance mean this tough drive can take a beating(3) (Previously rated for 2-meter drop protection and IP55 rating. Now qualified for the higher, stated specs.)
- Use the handy carabiner loop to secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind.
- Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption.(3)
- Easily manage files and automatically free up space with the SanDisk Memory Zone app.(5). Non-Operating Temperature -20°C to 85°C
Rank #4
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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