When we decide to organize our digital libraries, moving games to new locations can be an essential task for optimizing performance and space management. With Steam, the process is streamlined for a seamless transition. Games can take up significant space on our hard drives, and as our collections grow, our original storage decisions might not work anymore. It’s not uncommon to want to transfer games to a different drive to help with faster load times or to free up space on your primary drive.
Perhaps we’ve upgraded our hardware with a new SSD and want to take advantage of speedier launch times for our favorite titles, or maybe we’re reorganizing our files to keep our system tidy. Steam’s built-in ability to move game installation folders makes these tasks something we can accomplish without much hassle. This feature helps us avoid the tedious process of uninstalling and reinstalling games, which not only saves time but also preserves our game progress and settings.
Steam requires us to define new library folders before we can move installations. Once that’s set up, moving game files is straightforward—an integrated function within Steam’s interface. Moving games properly ensures that they continue to function correctly and allows Steam to manage updates and game saves without any interruptions. It’s a process built with convenience in mind, simplifying PC gaming maintenance and giving us control over our digital environment.
Contents
Preparation Before Moving a Steam Game
Moving a Steam game to a new drive can be a smooth process with the right steps. We’ll go over how to ensure your game is ready to be transferred, from locating its current install folder to confirming sufficient space on the new drive.
Locate Current Install Folder
Ensure Game Is Not Running
Check Available Space on New Drive
| New Drive Type | Available Space Required | File System |
| HDD / SSD | At least the size of the game | NTFS (recommended) |
| Space to Spare | Extra for updates | Avoid FAT32 for large files |
Assess the space available on the new drive; it must have enough room not only for the game but for future updates and expansions. Ideally, the new drive should be an SSD for improved load times. If you’re utilizing Steam’s built-in Storage Manager, it will assist in determining whether the destination drive has adequate space for the move. If not, you will need to manually check this in your system settings.
Moving Steam Games to a New Drive
Moving Steam games between drives doesn’t have to be complicated. We can use built-in Steam features to transfer games efficiently without re-downloading, maintain seamless performance, and organize our game library.
Using the Steam Client Feature
First, Steam’s own client has a straightforward option to move games. In the Settings menu, under the Downloads tab, we can find Steam Library Folders. Right-clicking on a game in our library allows us to access its Properties, and under the Local Files tab, we can use the Move Install Folder option to transfer it to a different drive.
Adding a New Steam Library Folder
Before moving games, it’s essential to set up a new destination. We do this by creating a new Steam library folder on the desired drive. This is done within the Storage Manager, reachable from the Settings menu. By keeping several library folders, we give ourselves more organizational control and flexibility.
Transferring Game Files
When we move the game files, Steam updates its references to the new location—no need to worry about losing game progress. This process doesn’t duplicate data, keeping our drives tidy and conserving space. However, remember to ensure that the new drive has sufficient space for the game being moved.
Setting New Drive as Default
For future installations, we might prefer to set the new drive as our default. In the Steam settings, under Downloads, we can designate which Steam library folder should be the primary installation target. This action simplifies the game installation process by automatically selecting our preferred drive.
| Action | Location in Steam | Purpose |
| Create new library folder | Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders | To establish a new location for game files |
| Move install folder | Library > Right-click game > Properties > Local Files | To transfer existing game files to a new drive |
| Set default installation drive | Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders | To prioritize a specific drive for new games |
Post-Move Considerations
After moving your Steam game installations, it’s crucial we take specific steps to ensure everything operates smoothly. Proper verification and checks can prevent any disruptions during gameplay.
Verify Integrity of Game Files
- Launch the Steam client and go to your game library.
- Right-click on the game and select Properties.
- Navigate to the Local Files tab and click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Steam will then start verifying all the files and replace any missing or corrupt files with fresh ones.
Manual Check of Game Launch
Testing the game manually ensures that the move was successful and there aren’t any residual issues impacting performance. We should:
- Attempt to launch the game from the Steam Library.
- Look for any errors that pop up or performance issues.
If the game doesn’t start, we may need to troubleshoot further, checking the userdata folder for discrepancies or repeating the verification process. It is important to pay attention to details during this step to swiftly identify and rectify problems.