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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →You can move installed Steam games from one Windows partition to another—such as C: to D:—without downloading them again. The safe method is Steam’s built-in storage manager: create a Steam Library folder on the destination, then use Steam to move the selected games. Steam remains installed where it is.
Before you move anything
- Confirm that the destination partition is connected, writable and has enough free space for the games plus update and patch overhead.
- Keep its drive letter stable. If
D:later becomesE:, Steam may temporarily show those games as uninstalled. - Finish or pause downloads and updates, and close running games.
- Back up important saves and mod-manager profiles. Moving the game directory does not guarantee that every save or profile is in that directory.
- Do not format or repartition a volume unless its contents are backed up. Formatting destroys data.
A partition is a logical volume; two letters can belong to the same physical disk. Moving between partitions on one hard drive usually frees space rather than improving speed. Moving from a hard-disk drive to a solid-state drive can reduce loading or streaming delays, depending on the game and hardware.
Add a Steam Library on the destination partition
The destination must be a Steam Library root, not the game’s steamappscommon folder. A typical new location is D:SteamLibrary.
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Click the + button to add a library location.
- Choose the destination partition and create or select a folder such as
D:SteamLibrary. - Confirm the new library. Exact labels can vary by Steam client build or language.
Steam commonly installs to C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon, but your client may be elsewhere. Do not select only D:SteamLibrarysteamappscommon when adding a library; select the library root, D:SteamLibrary.
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- Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption.(3)
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Avoid OneDrive or other cloud-synchronization folders and network shares for a normal local library. An internal volume with a permanent drive letter is the least troublesome arrangement.
Move one or more installed games with Steam
Use the Storage manager for several games
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Select the source drive containing the installed games.
- Check one or more games.
- Click Move and select the destination library.
- Wait for Steam to finish copying and updating its library metadata. Do not forcibly terminate Steam while it is writing.
Steam’s official relocation instructions describe this process at Steam Support: Moving a Steam Installation and Games.
Move a single game from its properties
- Open Library and right-click the game.
- Select Properties, then Installed Files.
- Choose Move Install Folder….
- Select the destination library and confirm.
This per-game wording can differ slightly by client version. Steam’s related instructions are in Managing Steam Downloads & Updates.
Make the other partition the default for future installs
Adding a library does not necessarily make it the default. In Steam > Settings > Storage, select the destination library and use its options menu to choose Make Default (the label may vary). New installations will then be offered that library first; existing games stay where they are until you move them.
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Verify the moved installation
- In the game’s Properties > Installed Files, confirm that the listed library is the destination.
- Check that the old game folder is no longer consuming space on the source partition.
- Launch the game once and confirm that updates target the new library.
- Check mods, configuration and controller settings if the game is customized.
- If files are missing or the game will not start, choose Verify integrity of game files on the same Installed Files page.
Steam compares the local installation and downloads only files it cannot validate. It should not require a complete redownload when the library and manifest are intact.
Saves, mods and third-party launchers
The installation folder and your save data are separate concerns. Steam Cloud synchronizes saves only for games that support and use it. Other titles may store saves in locations chosen by their developers, commonly:
%USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy Games%APPDATA%or%LOCALAPPDATA%<Steam-library>userdata
Back up the game’s documented save folder before moving. Do not assume that copying steamapps or the game directory captures every profile.
Workshop content is associated with Steam, but manually installed mods and mod managers can keep downloads, profiles or deployment links elsewhere. Back up those profiles and check the mod manager after the move. Games that use EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar or another launcher may retain authentication, settings, saves, redistributables or anti-cheat services outside the Steam directory and may ask you to sign in again.
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- Easily manage files and automatically free up space with the SanDisk Memory Zone app.(5) (Download and installation required.)
If Steam says the game is uninstalled
- Reconnect the destination volume and restore the drive letter it had when the library was created.
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage and click +.
- Add the existing library root, such as
D:SteamLibrary, not itscommonsubfolder. - Allow Steam to scan it. Installed games should reappear.
- Verify the game’s files after it is recognized.
Steam documents this recovery at Installed Games Appear as Uninstalled. As a fallback when recognition still fails, start an installation of the same game into that library, pause it after Steam creates the expected structure, close Steam normally, compare the existing files and manifests, then restart and resume or verify. This is a recovery technique, not the first-choice move method.
Common causes of a second full download
- The wrong folder level was added.
- Only
steamappscommonGameNamewas copied and the associated app manifest was omitted. - The drive letter changed or the volume is unavailable.
- The library metadata is damaged, or the files belong to a different installation record.
- The destination is not writable because of permissions or security software.
Try adding the correct library root, restarting Steam, and checking whether antivirus or Windows Controlled Folder Access blocked Steam. Run Steam normally rather than routinely as administrator.
Moving the entire Steam installation
If your goal is simply to free space, move individual games or add a second library instead. Relocating the client is more invasive and requires a backup and your Steam login credentials.
- Exit Steam completely.
- Back up the
steamappsfolder (and importantuserdatadata). - Open the current Steam directory, commonly
C:Program Files (x86)Steam. - Follow Steam’s documented procedure: retain
steamapps,userdataandsteam.exeas instructed, remove the other files and folders, then move the Steam folder to the new location. - Launch
steam.exe, sign in if requested, and verify the installed games.
Use the full instructions at Steam Support; the exact contents to retain matter. Verify each library afterward.
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Creating a new partition is optional
You do not need a new partition if a suitable local volume already exists. To inspect or manage volumes, press Win + R, enter diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Windows Disk Management can assign drive letters, create and format volumes, and shrink or extend them:
- Microsoft: Disk Management in Windows
- Microsoft Learn: Shrink a Basic Volume
- Microsoft Learn: Extend a Basic or Dynamic Volume
Back up data before changing partitions. Shrinking can be limited by files Windows cannot move, and extending generally requires contiguous unallocated space immediately after the volume on the same physical disk. NTFS is the conservative choice for a Windows Steam library; formatting is not required for an already usable volume.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.External drives and interrupted moves
An external drive may work as a game library, but disconnection, drive-letter changes, sleep behavior and slower access make it less reliable as a permanent primary location. Steam specifically warns about potential performance issues when the Steam client itself is installed on an external hard drive.
If a move is interrupted, restart Steam rather than repeatedly force-closing it. Check whether the game remains installed, then run Verify integrity of game files. Restore the library or manifest from a backup if it is missing. Steam warns that forcibly terminating the client during disk writes can corrupt installation or library information.
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Advanced fallback: a Windows junction
A junction preserves an old path by redirecting it to a folder on another local volume. It is a Windows filesystem workaround, not Steam’s normal move feature, and is appropriate only when a game or external tool requires the original path.
- Exit Steam.
- Move the original game folder to its destination and confirm the old folder no longer exists.
- Open an elevated Command Prompt and create the junction with
mklink /J "C:GamesExampleGame" "D:SteamLibrarysteamappscommonExampleGame". - Restart Steam and test the game.
Microsoft documents the syntax at mklink and junction behavior at Hard Links and Junctions. The target drive and path must remain available. Be careful when deleting links: careless commands can delete the actual target data.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Best use | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Storage manager | Most users and multiple games | Requires both libraries to be recognized |
| Per-game Move Install Folder | One or a few games | Repetitive for a large collection |
| Manual copying | Recovery or unusual layouts | Easy to omit manifests or trigger a duplicate download |
| Junction | A program requires the old path | Advanced maintenance and path-failure risk |
| Full Steam move | Relocating the client itself | Most invasive; backup and sign-in precautions |
The Bottom Line
For a normal Windows partition move, add D:SteamLibrary under Steam > Settings > Storage, move the games through Steam, and verify them. Keep saves and mod profiles backed up separately, and use full-client moves or junctions only for a specific need.
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