The fastest way to move Epic Games

You can move Epic Games to another drive by uninstalling it from your current location, then reinstalling it to your new drive. Epic Games Launcher will detect your existing game installations during the reinstall process and relink them without re-downloading. This takes about 20 minutes of active work, though the actual file moving happens in the background.

The key is that Epic Games Launcher stores game files separately from the launcher itself. When you reinstall the launcher on your new drive, you can point it back to where your games actually live—whether that's an external drive, a second internal drive, or a different partition. Your game library, save files, and settings all stay intact.

Key Takeaways

  • Epic Games Launcher and your game files are separate installations, so you can move them independently without losing your library.
  • The safest method is to uninstall the launcher, reinstall it on your new drive, then let it detect and relink your existing game folders.
  • You can also move individual games by cutting their folders from your old drive and pasting them into a new location, then adding that location to the launcher's library path.
  • Before moving anything, note the exact folder path where your games currently live—usually something like D:\Games\Epic Games—so you can point the launcher back to it.
  • If the launcher can't find your games after the move, you can manually browse to the new folder location and Epic Games will recognize the installations.

Uninstall and reinstall the launcher on your new drive

Start by opening Windows Settings and going to Apps > Installed apps. Search for "Epic Games Launcher" and click the three dots next to it, then select Uninstall. Windows will walk you through removing it. This removes only the launcher program itself, not your games—they stay on your old drive untouched.

Once the uninstall finishes, read the Epic Games Launcher installer from epicgames.com. Run the installer and when it asks where to install, choose your new drive. Let it finish completely. When you launch the launcher for the first time, it will ask you to sign in with your Epic Games account.

After you sign in, go to Library in the left sidebar. The launcher will scan your computer for existing game installations. If your old drive is still connected, it should find your games automatically and show them in your library with a cloud icon next to them. Click the three dots on any game and select Verify—this confirms the launcher has found the correct files.

Move individual games without reinstalling the launcher

If you want to move only some games, or if your old drive is no longer connected, you can move game folders manually. Open File Explorer and navigate to where your games currently live. Each game has its own folder—Fortnite, Unreal Engine, or whatever you installed. Select the game folder you want to move, right-click, and choose Cut.

Navigate to your new drive and paste the folder there. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the game size and your drive speed. Once the paste finishes, open Epic Games Launcher and go to Settings > General. Scroll down to Epic Games Installation Folder and click Browse. Navigate to the new location where you just pasted the game folder and select it.

The launcher will now look in that new location for your games. Go back to your Library and the game should appear with a checkmark, meaning the launcher found it. If it still shows as missing, click the three dots on the game and select Verify to force the launcher to scan that folder again.

Add multiple game locations to the launcher

Epic Games Launcher can watch multiple folders at once. This is useful if you have games spread across several drives or if you're moving them gradually. Go to Settings > General and look for Epic Games Installation Folder. You'll see a folder path listed there.

Click the folder icon next to it to add another location. Browse to a different drive or folder where you want to keep games, and select it. The launcher will now scan both locations for game installations. Any games in either folder will show up in your Library. You can add up to five different locations this way, which is helpful if you're using multiple external drives or have games split between an SSD and a larger mechanical drive.

What happens to your save files and settings

Your game save files are usually stored separately from the game installation itself. Most Epic Games titles save progress to the cloud automatically, so your saves will be there no matter which drive the game lives on. When you launch a game after moving it, it will sync your cloud saves back to your computer.

Some games store saves locally in your Windows user folder instead—typically under C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Local or C:\Users\[Your Name]\Documents. These stay on your C drive even if you move the game files. Your launcher settings, library organization, and installed game list all stay in your Epic Games account, so they follow you across any computer where you sign in.

Troubleshooting when the launcher can't find your games

If you move a game folder but the launcher still shows it as missing, the most common cause is that the launcher is looking in the wrong location. Go to Settings > General and verify that the Epic Games Installation Folder path matches where you actually moved the games. If you moved games to E:\Games but the launcher is still pointing to D:\Games, it won't find them.

If the path is correct but the launcher still doesn't recognize the games, click the three dots on a missing game and select Verify. This forces the launcher to scan the folder you specified and rebuild its file list. If that doesn't work, try clicking Browse next to the game name and manually navigate to the game's folder on your new drive. The launcher will then re-index that installation.

If you're moving games to an external drive, make sure the drive is connected and powered on before you launch the launcher. External drives that are unplugged will show games as missing until you plug them back in. Also check that the drive has enough free space—moving a 100 GB game requires at least 100 GB of empty space on the destination drive.

When to move games versus keeping them where they are

Move games to a secondary drive if your C drive is running low on space or if you want to speed up your system. Games don't need to be on your fastest drive to run well—a large game on a secondary mechanical drive will play just as smoothly as one on your main SSD. The only performance difference is load times, which are usually only a second or two slower.

Keep games on your C drive only if space isn't a concern and you want the fastest possible load times. If you're using an external drive, keep it connected whenever you play—disconnecting it will make games unplayable until you reconnect it. For most people, moving large games like Fortnite or Unreal Engine to a secondary drive frees up valuable space on the C drive where Windows and your other programs live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose my games if I uninstall Epic Games Launcher?

No. Uninstalling the launcher removes only the launcher program, not your games. The game files stay on your drive. When you reinstall the launcher, it will find your games again and relink them to your account.

Can I move games while they're installed on my old drive?

Yes, but the launcher needs to know about both locations. Add your new drive as a secondary installation folder in Settings > General, then move games there. The launcher will watch both drives and show all your games in one library.

What if I move a game but forget where I put it?

Open File Explorer and search your drives for the game's folder name—usually the exact name it shows in your Epic Games library. Once you find it, go to Settings > General in the launcher and point the Epic Games Installation Folder to that location.

Will moving games to an external drive slow them down?

Load times will be slightly slower on an external drive compared to an internal SSD, usually by one to three seconds. Gameplay performance stays the same. External drives are fine for games you don't play constantly, but use an internal drive for games you play daily if speed matters to you.

Can I move games between different computers?

You can copy game folders to an external drive and move them to another computer, but the launcher will need to verify the files before you can play. Plug in the external drive, add its location to the launcher's installation folders, and let it scan. Verification usually takes a few minutes per game.