You can move Steam games between drives without downloading them again

Steam lets you move installed games from one drive to another using its built-in library manager. You don't have to delete the game and re-read it — Steam can transfer the files directly. The process takes a few minutes to set up, then runs in the background while you use your computer.

The method depends on whether you're moving to a drive that already has Steam installed, or to a completely new location. Both routes use the same Steam interface, but the steps differ slightly. Either way, you'll end up with the game on your new drive and freed-up space on the old one.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam's built-in transfer tool moves game files without re-downloading, which saves hours compared to uninstalling and reinstalling.
  • You must add the destination drive as a Steam library location before you can move games to it.
  • Moving a game pauses it on the source drive and resumes on the destination drive, so you can't play it during the transfer.
  • The transfer speed depends on your drive type and connection — moving between two internal drives is faster than moving to an external drive.

Add the destination drive as a Steam library location

Before Steam can move a game, it needs to know the destination drive exists as a valid library location. Open Steam, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), then select Storage from the left menu. You'll see your current library location listed — usually your C: drive on Windows or your main drive on Mac.

Click the plus icon next to "Storage" and browse to the drive or folder where you want to move the game. Steam will create a steamapps folder there automatically. Once you select the location, Steam adds it to your library list. You only have to do this once per drive — after that, any game can move to it.

If the destination drive is external, make sure it's formatted as NTFS (Windows) or Mac OS Extended (Mac). FAT32 drives won't work because Steam game files often exceed the 4 GB file size limit that FAT32 allows. Check your drive's format in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac) before you add it to Steam.

Move the game using the library manager

Right-click the game you want to move in your Steam library and select Properties. Go to the Installed Files tab and click Move Install Folder. Steam will show you a list of available library locations — select the destination drive from the dropdown menu.

Click Move and Steam will begin transferring the files. The game will show as "updating" in your library during the transfer. Don't close Steam or shut down your computer while the move is running. Depending on the game size and your drive speed, the transfer can take anywhere from a few minutes for a small game to several hours for a 100+ GB title.

Once the transfer completes, Steam will verify the files on the new drive to make sure nothing was corrupted during the move. After verification finishes, the game is ready to play from the new location. The old copy is automatically removed from your source drive.

What to do if the transfer fails or gets interrupted

If your computer loses power or you accidentally close Steam during a move, the game files on the destination drive may be incomplete. Steam will usually detect this and let you resume the transfer the next time you try to move the game. Select the same destination drive again and Steam will pick up where it left off.

If Steam shows the game as installed on both drives, or if you see an error message, go to the source drive's steamapps folder and look for a folder with the game's name. If the destination folder is incomplete, delete it from the destination drive, then try the move again. If the source folder is corrupted, you may need to uninstall and re-read the game.

Moving games between internal drives versus external drives

Moving between two internal drives (like from an SSD to a second internal hard drive) is the fastest option because both drives connect directly to your motherboard. A 50 GB game typically moves in 5 to 15 minutes. Moving to an external drive connected via USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt is slower — the same game might take 20 to 45 minutes depending on the external drive's speed.

External drives also carry a small risk: if the connection drops during the transfer, Steam may not resume automatically. Keep the external drive plugged in and don't move it while the transfer is running. If you plan to move games to an external drive regularly, a drive with USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt connection will transfer noticeably faster than older USB 2.0 drives.

Freeing up space on your original drive

After Steam confirms the move is complete, the game no longer takes up space on your source drive. You can verify this by checking the drive's free space before and after the transfer — you should see an increase equal to the game's size. If the space doesn't free up, check that Steam finished the move successfully by looking at the game's properties again and confirming it shows the new drive location.

Don't manually delete the old game folder from your source drive's steamapps folder. Steam handles the cleanup automatically after the move completes. Deleting it yourself could cause Steam to lose track of the game or create errors the next time you try to launch it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move a game while it's downloading or updating?

No. Steam won't let you move a game that's currently downloading, updating, or running. Wait for any active process to finish first. If a game is stuck in an "updating" state, restart Steam and it should clear.

What happens to my save files when I move a game?

Save files stay with the game. Steam moves both the game files and the local save data together to the new drive. Cloud saves (if the game supports them) are stored on Steam's servers, not on your drive, so they're unaffected by the move.

Can I move games to a network drive or cloud storage?

No. Steam only recognizes local drives — internal drives, external USB drives, and SD cards. Network drives, Google Drive, OneDrive, and similar services won't work as Steam library locations because Steam needs direct file access.

Do I need to log out of Steam to move a game?

No. You can move games while logged in. You don't need to close the game or restart Steam, though you can't play the game while the move is running.

What if I want to move the game back to my original drive later?

Use the same process: right-click the game, select Properties, go to Installed Files, and click Move Install Folder. Select your original drive from the list and Steam will transfer it back.