How to move a Steam game to another drive without downloading it again
Use Steam’s Storage settings to move an installed game between library folders on the same PC, then check that Steam recognises it on the destination drive.
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Running out of room on your system drive while another drive has space? Steam can move an installed game between library folders on the same PC, so you can keep its downloaded files instead of reinstalling the whole title. The steps below cover the Steam desktop client on Windows. Moving the Steam client itself or transferring saves to another computer uses a different process.
This is a documentation-based guide that follows Valve’s published Steam Support instructions; it is not an independently tested Steam-client walkthrough.
Check the destination drive
Close the game and let any active update finish. Make sure the destination drive is connected, has enough free space for the game, and will stay available while Steam works.
An internal drive is the simplest destination. Valve warns that external drives can disconnect unexpectedly and may cause performance problems with Steam games. If you need to use one, keep it connected and let Steam close normally before shutting down Windows.
Add the new location to Steam
If the destination drive is not already a Steam library:
- Open Steam → Settings → Storage.
- Select the + control near the top of the Storage page.
- Choose the destination drive and create or select a Steam Library folder there.
- Check that the new library appears in the Storage view.
If the destination library is already listed, you can skip this setup. Valve’s guide to moving a Steam installation and games explains how to add another library and move existing game installations without uninstalling them first.
Move one game
From Settings → Storage, select the drive that currently holds the game. Select the game in the list, choose Move, then follow Steam’s prompt to choose the destination library.
Let Steam finish before closing the client or disconnecting either drive. Moving one game first gives you a simple check that the destination is correct before you move more of your library.
The move uses the existing installation files. Steam may still need to download a later game update, but you should not have to download the entire game again just to change its library location.
Confirm the game is on the new drive
Return to Settings → Storage and select the destination drive. The game should appear in that drive’s list. Launch it once before making other changes. If it opens, Steam recognises the moved installation and the game is ready to use from its new location.
If Steam reports that the game is not installed, leave the existing game folder in place. First check that the destination drive is connected and that its Steam Library appears in Storage. If the folder was moved outside Steam, use the + control to add the existing library path. Valve’s recovery guidance for games that appear uninstalled describes how Steam can rediscover an installation in a recognised library.
Keep game saves in mind
This move is for a game’s installation on the same PC. It does not move the Steam client, and a successful game move does not prove that a save has synced to another computer. Steam Cloud is configured per game, and developers choose which files their games synchronise. Check the game’s Steam Cloud support and its developer’s save instructions before changing PCs or reinstalling Windows; Valve explains the limits in its Steam Cloud FAQ .
