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Gaming

Move Steam Games to Another Drive Without Downloading Them Again

Add a second Steam library on the new drive, move the installed games with the storage manager and keep saves, configs and workshop items intact.

by@guidox updated:10/30/26 time:20 min level:Beginner tested on:Windows 11 24H2, Steam client works on:Windows 10, Windows 11, Steam client tools:Steam
TL;DR

Create a **second Steam library folder** on the target drive under **Settings > Storage**, then move each game from the same screen. Steam copies and verifies the files itself, so nothing is downloaded again.

Before you start

Requirements

  • Steam client, current version
  • Free space on the target drive equal to the installed game size
  • NTFS or exFAT drive - avoid removable drives that change their letter
Step by step

Instructions

01

Check the real installed size

Right-click the game, open **Properties > Installed Files** and read **Size on disk**. Steam needs that much free space on the target drive while the old copy still exists.

⚠ warningA move that runs out of space at 90% leaves a half-copied folder that has to be removed by hand.
02

Add the second library folder

Open **Steam > Settings > Storage**, use the drive dropdown, choose **Add Drive** and point it at an empty folder such as the one below. Steam creates the steamapps structure itself.

D:\teamLibrary
03

Move the game from the storage manager

Still in **Settings > Storage**, select the game, press **Move**, choose the new library and confirm. Disk-to-disk speed decides the duration - a 100 GB game on a SATA SSD takes several minutes.

tipClose the game and any overlay that touches its folder before starting the move.
04

Verify the files afterwards

Right-click the game, open **Properties > Installed Files** and run **Verify integrity of game files**. The first launch after a move takes longer because the shader pre-cache is rebuilt.

05

Check saves and workshop content

Cloud saves return automatically. Local saves live in Documents\y Games or inside the game folder, and workshop items sit in the steamapps\orkshop folder, which moves with the library.

steamapps\orkshop\ontent\appid>
Documents\y Games\Game>
tipGames without Steam Cloud keep saves in the userdata folder - copy it before the move if the game is important to you.
06

Remove the leftover folder

Start the game once from the new location. If the old library still contains the game folder, close Steam and delete steamapps\ommon\Game> from the old drive.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

Disk write error during the move

Free space or a file lock. Pause OneDrive sync on the target drive, close the game and any mod manager, then retry.

The Move button is greyed out

There is no second library yet, or the game is updating. Wait for the update to finish and add the library first.

The game asks to install again after the move

The manifest did not move. Close Steam and copy appmanifest_<appid>.acf into the new library's steamapps folder.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Do I have to re-download Proton or the shader cache?

No, both live inside the library folder and move with it.

Can I keep two libraries on one drive?

Yes, but one per drive is enough and keeps the storage manager readable.

How to undo this

Move the game back with the same storage manager, then remove the extra library folder in Settings > Storage. The game files stay untouched either way.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-30
    First version
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