As your game library grows, so does the need for more storage space. Fortunately, Steam provides a relatively straightforward process for moving games from one drive to another, saving you from having to re-download them. This guide will walk you through the steps to move your Steam games to another drive, ensuring you can manage your storage without losing any game data.

Understanding the Need to Move Steam Games

Games today can take up a significant amount of disk space. As your collection grows, your primary drive (usually the C: drive) can run out of space. Moving games to another drive helps maintain your system’s performance by freeing up space, which is crucial for the smooth running of both games and other applications.

Step 1: Prepare Your New Drive

Before moving your games, ensure your new drive is properly formatted and has enough space to accommodate the games you plan to transfer. It’s recommended to use an SSD for faster load times, but an HDD is sufficient for storage purposes.

Step 2: Create a New Steam Library Folder

1. Open Steam: Start by launching your Steam client.
2. Go to Settings: Click on “Steam” in the upper left corner, then select “Settings.”
3. Downloads Tab: Click on “Downloads” and then “Steam Library Folders” at the top of the window.
4. Add Library Folder: Click on “Add Library Folder” and navigate to the drive you want to use. Create a new folder and select this as your new library folder.

Step 3: Moving Existing Games

1. Go to Your Library: Navigate to your library within Steam, where you see all your games listed.
2. Right-Click the Game: Choose the game you want to move, right-click it, and select “Properties.”
3. Local Files Tab: Click on the “Local Files” tab in the properties window.
4. Move Install Folder: Click on “Move Install Folder,” then select the new Steam library on the different drive and click “Move Folder.” Steam will start transferring the files.

Step 4: Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Once the transfer is complete, it’s a good idea to verify the integrity of the game files to ensure nothing was corrupted during the move:

1. Right-Click the Game in Steam: Go back to the library, right-click on the game, and select “Properties.”
2. Local Files: Navigate to the “Local Files” tab again.
3. Verify Integrity of Game Files: Click on this option and allow Steam to check and repair any files if necessary.

Tips for Managing Multiple Steam Libraries

• Regular Maintenance: Keep an eye on each library’s space usage and perform regular maintenance to ensure your drives are not getting filled up unnecessarily.
• Organize by Priority: You might want to organize your games by frequency of use or type, keeping your most played games on the fastest drive.

Conclusion

Moving Steam games to another drive is a practical solution to manage your PC’s storage and ensure your games and applications run smoothly. With this guide, you can easily transfer your games and make the most out of your available hardware.