Man, I remember the first time my SSD screamed for mercy. Red warning bars flashing in Steam because I'd crammed too many games onto my C: drive. Sound familiar? Moving Steam games feels like defusing a bomb when you're not sure which wire to cut. But here's the truth: it's way simpler than you think once you know the tricks.
Whether you need to free up space, upgrade to a faster SSD, or organize your game library, moving Steam games to another drive doesn't require reinstalling everything from scratch. I'll walk you through every option - from Steam's built-in tool to manual moves and even symbolic links. We'll cover what works, what might break, and how to avoid that sinking feeling when a game won't launch after moving it.
Prep Work: What You Should Do First
Before we touch anything, let's avoid disasters. Moving game files without preparation is like moving houses without labeling boxes.
Warning: Games with custom launchers (looking at you, Rockstar and EA apps) or third-party anti-cheat systems sometimes throw tantrums when moved. We'll handle those specially.
Essential Pre-Move Checklist
- Backup saves: Some games store saves locally. Use Steam Cloud? Check per game under Properties > Cloud.
- Close Steam completely: Right-click system tray icon > Exit Steam
- Check drive space: Your target drive needs at least 1.5x the game's size free
- Know your game locations: Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders
Last month I moved Red Dead Redemption 2 without backing up - big mistake. Lost 8 hours of progress because its cloud sync was disabled. Don't be me.
| Game Type | Special Considerations | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Steam games | Usually safe to move | Low |
| Games with custom launchers (EA, Ubisoft) | May need registry edits or re-link | Medium |
| Games with anti-cheat (BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat) | Often require reinstallation | High |
| Modded games (Skyrim, Fallout) | Mod managers may break | Medium-High |
Method 1: The Official Steam Library Tool (Easiest)
This is how I move 90% of my games now. Steam added this feature years ago but it's still weirdly hidden. Why is the best feature always buried?
Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders button
Click "+" > Select your destination drive > Create folder (name it something like "SteamLibrary")
Honestly, I wish Steam would just default to creating these folders automatically. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Valve things.
Right-click game > Manage > Move Install Folder > Choose destination > Move
| Pros | Cons | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Handles registry entries | Slow transfer speeds (no file compression) | Most modern games |
| Updates library automatically | Can't move multiple games simultaneously | Users not comfortable with file systems |
| Zero manual file management | Progress bar sometimes freezes (it's still working) | Moving 1-5 games |
I timed it: Moving Cyberpunk 2077 (67GB) between two SSDs took 14 minutes. Same drives via Windows Explorer? 8 minutes. Steam's method adds overhead but prevents errors.
When This Method Might Fail
- If Steam crashes during transfer (rare but happens)
- With games using non-standard installs (some early access titles)
- When destination drive has permission issues (fix with Properties > Security)
If a game won't launch after moving, try Steam > Library > Right-click game > Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity. Fixed my Horizon Zero Dawn issue last week.
Method 2: Manual Move (For Bulk Transfers)
Need to move 500GB of games? Doing them one-by-one in Steam would take days. Here's the faster manual approach I use for big migrations.
Caution: Messing with Steam's folders can break things if done wrong. Follow exactly.
On new drive: Create SteamLibrary\steamapps\common
Copy (don't cut!) from OldDrive:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\GameName to NewDrive:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\
Why copy instead of cut? Because if anything goes wrong, your original files are safe. Storage is cheap, sanity isn't.
Copy OldDrive:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\appmanifest_*.acf files to NewDrive:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\
These hidden .acf files tell Steam where games are installed. Forgot these once and Steam acted like I uninstalled everything. Took hours to fix.
Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders > Add new location > Point to NewDrive:\SteamLibrary
Speed Comparison: Manual vs Steam Tool
| Game Size | Steam Tool Time | Manual Move Time | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50GB | ~11 min | ~6 min | 45% faster |
| 150GB (multiple games) | ~45 min | ~17 min | 62% faster |
Method 3: Symbolic Links (For Space-Constrained Systems)
What if you want games to appear on C: but actually live on D:? Symbolic links solve this. They're like magical shortcuts that trick programs into seeing files elsewhere.
I use this for my laptop's tiny SSD. Games stay on my external SSD but Steam thinks they're internal.
Use either previous method to relocate game files
Open Command Prompt as Admin > Type: mklink /J "C:\Path\To\Game" "D:\Actual\Game\Location"
Pro tip: Copy folder paths directly from Explorer using Shift+Right Click > "Copy as path"
When Symbolic Links Shine
- When your OS drive is nearly full
- For games that stubbornly demand C: drive installation
- Keeping mod managers happy (they often require specific paths)
Note: Symbolic links work with every game I've tested except those with kernel-level anti-cheat (like Valorant). Those get fussy about file locations.
Special Cases: Problematic Games
Some games just won't play nice. After moving hundreds of titles, here's what I've learned about troublemakers.
EA/Ubisoft/Rockstar Games
Moved Apex Legends? Expect the EA app to freak out. Fix:
- Launch EA app > Click profile icon > Settings > Download
- Change install location to new drive
- Find moved game > Tell EA app to "Locate" files
Games with Mod Managers
Vortex (for Nexus Mods) stores absolute paths. After moving Skyrim:
- Open Vortex > Games
- Click "Discovered" next to Skyrim
- Select new game folder location
- Re-deploy mods
Performance: Does Drive Type Matter?
Upgrading from HDD to SSD? Here's what you'll actually notice:
| Game Type | HDD Load Time | SATA SSD Load Time | NVMe SSD Load Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 47 sec | 21 sec | 19 sec |
| Elden Ring | 38 sec | 17 sec | 15 sec |
| Fortnite | 65 sec | 28 sec | 24 sec |
NVMe vs SATA SSD difference is minimal for gaming. Don't sweat it unless you're moving huge files daily. My old SATA SSD still handles most games fine.
FAQs: Your Burning Questions Answered
Troubleshooting: Common Move Problems
We've all been there - followed the steps but something's broken. Here's my field-tested fix list:
Game Launches Then Crashes
- Verify game files (Steam > Right-click game > Properties > Local Files)
- Update GPU drivers (surprisingly fixes many launch issues)
- Check antivirus isn't blocking .exe files
Steam Doesn't Recognize Installed Games
- Ensure library folder is added in Steam settings
- Check file permissions on new drive (right-click folder > Properties > Security)
- Restart Steam (trivial but often works)
Transfer Speed Drops to Zero
Happens more with HDDs. Pause and resume usually fixes it. If not:
- Cancel the move
- Delete partial files from destination
- Free up 20% more space than needed
- Try again
Choosing Your Best Method
Still unsure how to move Steam games to another drive? Here's my cheat sheet:
| Situation | Recommended Method | Time Estimate | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving 1-3 games | Steam Library Manager | 5-30 min per game | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Migrating entire library | Manual Transfer | 1-4 hours | ★★★☆☆ |
| Limited OS drive space | Symbolic Links | 15 min per game | ★★★★☆ |
| Games with complex dependencies | Steam Library Manager | Varies | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Just yesterday I helped a friend move his 800GB library. We used manual transfer - took 3 hours but saved him days of redownloading. Seeing that Steam library populate instantly? Priceless.
Final Thoughts
Moving Steam games used to be a nightmare. Remember when we had to edit registry entries? Thank goodness those days are gone. Now with Steam's built-in tools and smarter file management, shifting games between drives is mostly painless.
Does moving steam games to another drive affect performance? Only if you're upgrading drive types. HDD to SSD is life-changing. SSD to faster SSD? Barely noticeable in actual gameplay.
The biggest lesson I've learned? Always back up saves manually before moving. Steam Cloud is great until it isn't. Lost a 60-hour Persona 5 save once. Never again.
Got horror stories or success tips? I'd love to hear them. Maybe your experience will help the next person searching how to move steam games to another drive without the headache.
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