How to Move Steam Game on Another Drive: Step-by-Step

Steam is the best thing for gamers. It is an online platform where you can play RPG, sports, action, MMO, Virtual Reality, or FPS games, among countless others, with thousands upon thousands of titles. You can also buy the latest popular games such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption. Most Steam users install games on a single drive which makes it easier for them to search and play anytime. But this is where the problem begins. 

How can I Move Steam Games to Another Drive?

When you install several games on a single location on your computer, bad things happen. The games may stop working for some reason or show an error message when you try to load them. To overcome this problem, some people move games to another drive on their computer like taking game files from C: drive to D: drive. This is the best possible solution to ensure the games you install keep working and you don’t get bored. It will also save the trouble of installing big game files again.    

Another reason why some people move Steam games to another folder is to clear space. Freeing up space on your drive may enhance playing speed and performance. But you have to manually move files on your computer. Steam automatically installs new games on your C: drive, and over time, the folder will grow larger and larger until it is full of files, many (possibly most) of them games. This is also the reason why you should move game files to another drive.  

How to Move Steam Games on Your Computer (3 Simple Methods)

There are quite a few methods to move your precious Steam games to another drive. We will share the three easiest methods in this guide so you can start playing your favorite games once again. 

Move Steam Games Using Add Library Folder Option (1st Method)

There is an easy option on Steam that can move or install games to a completely different drive. You can use the Move Install Folder option to shift games from one drive to another on your computer. 

To move more game files to another drive, you can use the Steam Library Manager or the Steam Mover. The best part is that you can use this built-in Steam tool to add a game to a specific library. 

Here’s the best way to do it:

1. Choose Steam.

2. Select Settings.

3. Click Downloads.

4. Select Steam Library Folders.

5. Choose Add Library Folder.

 6. Select a folder of your choice or create a new one by selecting New Folder.

7. Every new Steam game will be stored in this folder from now onward. To move pre-installed games to another folder, select Local Files.

8. Choose Library from the top menu. Right-click on your preferred game and select Properties.

9. Choose the Move Install Folder.

10. Select Move Folder option and move several games files to any other drive location.

Move Steam Games Using Steam Library Manager (2nd Method)

You can easily manage your Steam libraries using the Steam Library Manager tool. Use this tool to see the complete list of Steam libraries on your computer. You can even move your games to another drive and backup pre-installed games using the Steam Library Manager.

All you have to do is select drag a game file and drop it to another folder. There is a Task Manager option that can move multiple game folders at the same time. Here are the basic steps that you need to follow:

1. Install Stream Library Manager via the main website.
2. Select the Library option to see your Steam library and all the games that you have installed previously. You can drag and drop any game folder to this section.
3. Click on the Task Manager option to check the destination folder of your Steam games. Select the Start button to start moving games to another folder on your computer.
4. See the backlogs of the games that you are moving to a different folder.

Moving Your Whole Steam Folder (3rd Method)

Follow the steps below:

1. Open your Computer drive where the Steam folder is located. Select C: > Program Files(x86) > Steam.
2. Right-click your Steam folder, copy it, and paste it to another drive.
3. You can either delete the previous folder or rename it for future use.
4. Now, choose the new Steam.exe folder and run the file.
5. Create a new shortcut folder on your computer.

What to do if There is an Error When Moving My Steam Folder?

Common problems and fixes while moving Steam games to another drive

When moving Steam games to another drive, you might encounter some problems. Let’s discuss the problems with their solutions.

Insufficient Space on Destination Drive: If the destination drive doesn’t have enough space for all your games, consider moving games in batches or uninstalling less frequently played games to free up space.

Game File Integrity Errors: Sometimes, during the transfer, game files may become corrupt or get missing. To resolve this, you can use Steam’s built-in file verification feature to check and repair the game files.

Symbolic Link Errors: If you manually move the game folders and encounter issues with symbolic links, you can use third-party tools like Steam Mover or Steam Library Manager to create proper symbolic links.

Incorrect Game Location in Steam: Steam might not recognize the new game location if you move games manually. To fix this, use Steam’s built-in “Move Install Folder” feature, which allows you to specify the new site.

Game Shortcuts Not Working: Desktop shortcuts might not work after moving games. To resolve this, create new desktop shortcuts from the Steam client or use the “Create Desktop Shortcut” option within Steam.

Game Save Data Lost: If you haven’t enabled Steam Cloud synchronization, moving the games might lead to losing your saved data. To avoid this, ensure Steam Cloud is enabled for the games you want to transfer.

Game Not Showing Up in Steam Library: If the game doesn’t appear in your Steam library after moving it, try restarting the Steam client or using the “Add a Game” option to add the game to your library manually.

Download/Update Issues: After moving the games, Steam might try to redownload or update them. To prevent this, pause all downloads and updates in the Steam client before moving the games.

Moving Steam folders on your computer may not always work. You might run into a problem and have no clue how to get out of it. We haven’t given up on you yet, and will assist you in every way possible. If you are stuck with an error while moving game files to another drive, follow these steps:

Step 1: Close or exit Steam.

Step 2: On your computer folder, select drive D: > Games > Steam.

Step 3: Drag the SteamApps folder from the Installation folder to your desktop.

Step 4: Follow the instructions to uninstall Steam games and then reinstall them on your computer.

Step 5: Now, move the SteamApps file to the new folder. In this way, you can transfer all your pre-installed Steam games to another location without any trouble.

Step 6: Log in to your Steam account for confirmation.

Step 7: To play any pre-installed games, you have to show that the cache file exists on your computer and you are ready to play.

Things You Need to Know Beforehand

• Log in to your Steam account before you move pre-installed games on your computer
• Link your existing email address to your Steam account in case you have to change the password
• Avoid moving Steam games to another external drive because external hard drives are typically slower and thus will cause performance issues
• Create a backup folder for your Steam games
• Move your My Games folder to the same destination on your hard drive where you are installing new games to save games.

How Do I Move the Steam Library from C Drive to D Drive?

There are many popular games that you wish to play on Steam, but games like Ark: Survival Evolved require 400 GB or 235 GB for Call Duty: Modern Warfare in your default drive C, which can cause your PC to lag or freeze. It’s better to use an external drive, such as a D or E drive, to store your Steam games. Here are the steps on how you can do it:

1. Go to Steam software and select Steam from the top left corner.
2. Choose Settings and navigate Downloads.
3. Click on the Steam Library Folder below the Content Library.
4. Select Add Library Folder.
5. Tap on the Drive D option and click Make Default Folder by right-clicking on it.

How do I change the install location of a Steam game?

Suppose you want to move Steam games to another drive. What will you do? It’s simple. Go to Steam client and use the following steps:

1. Click on Library at the top left corner.
2. Right-click on the game you want to change location and select Properties.
3. Tap on Move Install Folder and choose Drive.
4. Select Move Folder.

How to Move Multiple Steam Games at Once to Another Drive

Suppose you want to move multiple games at once. You cannot use the steps mentioned in the articles which transfer individual games. Here are the steps to do it:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Search for steam software in your C drive [typically stored in Program File (x86)]
3. Locate SteamApps and UserData.
4. Copy both folders and paste them into another drive.
5. Now, change the default library folder in Steam with the steps mentioned in the article.

Can I Install Games on Another Drive Folder? 

If you don’t have enough space to install games on default drive C, then you can directly install them in an external drive with the following steps:

1. Go to Steam and buy the Steam game.
2. Select Library and tap the game you bought.
3. Click on Install and choose External Drive.
4. Select Next, and downloading will start.
5. Done! You can now enjoy the game.

Final thoughts

Gamers are crazy about Steam. Having problems while moving Steam games to another drive is familiar but with this guide, you will indeed find your way through. Try PureVPN port forwarding for gaming like a pro with secure access over all platforms.

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