Can I Move An Installed Game to Another Drive?

As we all know, enough space is necessary for running games. When the drive is almost full, it will make the game run slower. Seriously, it may even affect computer performance. Thus, there are many users who google “can I move an installed game to another drive?”. 

Due to the drive space problem, many users want to move installed games to a drive that has enough space. In addition, SSD provides faster running speed and shorter loading time, so some of them also want to move installed games to SSD for a better game experience.

Why moving an installed game to another drive?

Unlike most average users, both gaming enthusiasts and professional players typically prefer to keep their personal data separate from their gaming activities. Some of them may even opt to transfer their games to a dedicated gaming computer, using a desktop computer exclusively for their daily work and document-related tasks. But for all users who would like to install one or more games on their computer for relaxing, the benefits of relocating installed games are also worthwhile.

🧹 Free up disk space: By doing so, you can ensure that there is ample space available for the operating system and dedicated gaming storage.

⚡ Enhance the gaming experience: This approach can lead to faster game loading times and smoother gameplay, ultimately optimizing your overall gaming experience.

🙆‍♂️ Game migration without the need for reinstallation: You won't have to go through the hassle of uninstalling and then reinstalling your games on a different drive.

📂 Segregation of games and data: Transferring games to a separate drive effectively safeguards your personal files from any interference by the games. This method prevents your files from being inadvertently altered or deleted by game-related data.

Moving installed games has many advantages, but many Windows users believe that a significant number of gaming enthusiasts lack clarity regarding the right timing for relocating their games to a different drive. Moreover, they might be uncertain about the specific location to which these games can be transferred. Then, when and where to move installed game to another drive?

For different users, we also have different moving plans as suggestions.

For beginners, the primary objective typically involves transferring games from the overcrowded C drive to the more spacious D drive, which can significantly free up space and improve overall system performance.

Experienced users, on the other hand, often choose to take things a step further by moving not just their games but also the entire operating system to a faster SSD, which results in faster game loading times and enhanced system responsiveness.

For those with computers boasting limited storage capacity, a strategic move involves shifting games to an external drive with double or even triple the capacity of their internal drive, ensuring they can enjoy their favorite titles without compromising their system's performance.

Lastly, dedicated gaming lovers and enthusiasts may prefer to take a more specialized approach by migrating and transferring games to a designated gaming computer, ensuring an optimized gaming experience on a dedicated system built for gaming performance.

How can I move an installed game to another drive without losing data?

Now, in this part, we'll show you how to move the installed game to another drive without reinstalling. You can choose one based on your situation.

Option 1. Move installed games from C to D drive via Apps & features

To change the installed location of game, the most common way is to use Apps & features in Settings. This feature supports changing applications installed from the Microsoft Store, You can refer to the following steps:

Step 1. Press “Windows + I” to open Settings.

Step 2. Click Apps > Apps & features. Here you will find a list of apps installed on your drive.

Step 3. Click the three vertical dots to choose “Move”

Step 4. Select the new destination drive and click “Move” again.

Warning: Apps & features can only move games installed from the Microsoft Store. Otherwise, Apps & features move greyed out.

 Option 2. Move installed games with app mover

Can you move alll games at one time to another drive? Yes, you can. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is an all-in-one tool compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7. With just a few clicks, you can move games from one drive to another without losing data and any limitations. Even you can move some gaming platforms such as Steam, Origin, etc. Also, you can use it to move related folders.

Tip: If you are running Windows Server, please turn to Server Edition.

Step 1. Install AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, open it and click “App Mover” under "Free up" menu.

Step 2. Here, we select“App Mover”. 

Step 3. Then, choose the disk where the game is installed and click Next.

Step 4. Select the game you want to move, select the target drive and click "Move".

Step 5. In the pop-up window, please read the prompts. And, click "OK" to begin the process.

Step 6. Finally, click “Finish”.

Option 3. Move installed game to new SSD

AOMEI Partition Assistant also supports you in moving installed games to another disk. So, if you want a better game experience, an SSD is a great option. Once you've confirmed if your computer supports add a second drive and check the hard drive or SSD slot, you can go to the market to choose a type of SSD interface your computer supports, SATA, PCIe, M.2, mSATA, U.2, SATA Express. You can check more information from the following picture:

Then, you can install new SSD to your PC and set it up.

• Initialize your new disk

Then, your SSD will become an unallocated space. Right-click the free space on the SSD and choose "New Simple Volume...". Set the drive letter and file system to NTFS, then click Finish to create a new SSD partition.

Once you are done with setting up the new SSD, it's time to move games to the new SSD. You just need to choose your new SSD during the process of ticking location in AOMEI Partition Assistant.

If you want to directly transfer games to a new gaming computer without reinstallation, after you initialize the SSD, you can employ a disk clone to copy the whole system and all apps to your new disk and then install this disk to the target computer.

Conclusion

Can I move an installed game to another drive? After reading this tutorial, I believe you have found the right way. Besides move games, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional also has other popular advanced functions, such as allocate free space from D drive to C, delete large files to free up space on C drive, clone disk or Windows to SSD, etc.

FAQs about can I move an installed game to another drive

How can I move a game to a different drive?
To move a game, you can use built-in features of some game launchers, like Steam or Epic Games Store, which allow you to change the game's installation directory. But if you want to move other games without limitations and other apps, alternatively, you can use third-party software designed for this purpose.

Are there any risks involved in moving a game to another drive?
While the process is generally safe, there is always a slight risk of data corruption or errors during the transfer. It's advisable to back up your game data before proceeding.

Can I move a game to an external drive?
Yes, you can move a game to an external drive if it has sufficient capacity. This is especially useful for those with limited internal storage.

Can I move multiple games at once, or do I have to do it one by one?
The method for moving multiple games depends on the game launcher or software you're using. Some may allow you to move multiple games simultaneously, while others may require you to do it one by one. Check the specific instructions for your game distribution platform.