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Where Is Steam Storage? Find Your Steam Games and Library Folder

Steam’s default Windows game folder is under steamappscommon, but Settings > Storage shows the libraries actually configured on your PC. On Steam Deck, storage is managed in the same menu.
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On Windows, Steam installs games by default in C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon, while the Steam app itself is in C:Program Files (x86)Steam. Those are only default locations: to see where Steam stores games on your PC, open Steam > Settings > Storage. On Steam Deck, use the same Storage menu to view built-in and connected storage.

Steam client folder vs. game storage folder

The Steam client and your installed games do not occupy the same folder. Steam’s default Windows client location is C:Program Files (x86)Steam. The default location for installed games is its steamappscommon subfolder: C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon. Steam explains these Windows defaults in its Moving a Steam Installation and Games guide.

These paths may not match your PC. If you added another library or chose a different install location, the Steam client’s Storage screen shows the libraries and drives configured on that machine.

How to find your Steam library on a PC

  1. Open the Steam client.
  2. Select Steam > Settings > Storage.
  3. Review the listed drives and library locations to see where your games are installed.

For Linux and macOS, Steam’s cited moving-installation guide does not establish a definitive default filesystem path. Check Steam > Settings > Storage rather than relying on a path that may not match your installation.

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Where Steam stores games on Steam Deck

On Steam Deck, open Steam > Settings > Storage to manage built-in and connected storage. The Deck uses built-in storage by default, according to Steam’s Basic Use & Troubleshooting Guide.

To prepare a microSD card for use, open Steam > Settings > System > Format SD card. Formatting is a separate system setting from managing storage locations.

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How to move a game to another Steam library

If a drive is full, you can move an installed game to another Steam library instead of downloading it again. First make sure the destination Steam Library path exists.

  1. Open Steam > Settings > Storage, select the game, and use the move option to choose another library; or open the game’s Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder.
  2. Select the destination library and confirm the move.

Steam documents the per-game workflow in its Managing Steam Downloads & Updates support page. Moving a game’s installation is different from moving the Steam client itself.

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If a library is missing or a game will not work

  • Library folder unavailable or unusable: Open Steam > Settings > Storage, open the library’s options, and choose Repair Folder to refresh its permissions. See Steam’s Update & Installation Issues guidance.
  • Game files may be damaged: Open the game’s Properties > Installed Files and select Verify Integrity of Game Files.
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Moving the Steam client is not the same as moving a game

Steam’s Windows procedure for relocating the entire client installation is separate from the per-game move option. If you follow that procedure, Steam says to back up steamapps and retain the steamapps and userdata folders and steam.exe. Steam also cautions that installing the client on an external hard drive is not recommended because of potential performance issues. These instructions apply to moving the client installation, not simply relocating one game.

A game move also does not guarantee that every save file moves with the game. Some third-party games that do not use Steam Cloud store saves elsewhere, often in the user’s Documents folder; each game’s developer determines the save location.

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