AOMEI Partition Assistant
[Fixed] Can’t Install: Destination Folder Must Be Empty in Steam
If you can’t install Steam due to the Destination Folder Must Be Empty error, you can follow our guide to fix it.
By Irene / Updated on June 6, 2025
What does Destination Folder Must Be Empty error mean in Steam?
Steam is a digital distribution platform where you can buy, download, and play PC games. It also offers other features like social networking, digital rights management (DRM), and game streaming. However, sometimes you may receive the error message like “Destination folder must be empty” when installing or reinstalling Steam.
Why does it happen? This usually happens when the folder you chose already has files in it. It can occur, for example, if you reinstall Steam without deleting the old files, or if you try to add a new game library to a folder that isn’t empty.
As the error message suggests, Steam needs a completely empty folder to work properly. When you install Steam for the first time or move your installation, it must be able to set up its main files without anything getting in the way. If the folder contains other files or subfolders—even hidden ones—Steam will show this error.
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You might have selected a folder that already contains documents, programs, or old game files.
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Some hidden system files could still be inside, such as desktop.ini, $RECYCLE.BIN, or dotfiles on macOS/Linux.
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There may be leftover files from a previous Steam installation.
To avoid this error, check the folder and make sure it’s completely empty before continuing. Or you can read the following guide to fix the issue.
How to fix the Steam Destination Folder Must Be Empty error?
Before you make any changes to Steam files, it’s important to close all Steam-related processes running in the background. If you skip this step, some files may be locked and can’t be deleted.
To do this, open Task Manager by pressing Shift + Ctrl + Esc. Then, go to the Details tab, look for any processes related to Steam, and end them by right-clicking and selecting End process tree. Once all Steam processes are fully closed, you can move on to the next steps to fix the “Destination folder must be empty” error.
Fix 1. Create a new folder
If you uninstalled Steam but can’t reinstall it because of the “Destination folder must be empty” error, you can fix this by creating a brand-new folder for the installation.
Step 1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2. Go to the Documents folder (or any location you prefer), and create a new empty folder. Make sure you don’t save anything inside this folder.
Step 3. Double-click the Steam setup file to start the installation. When asked where to install, select the new folder you just created as the destination. Then click Install to continue.
Fix 2. Clear the previous folder
If creating a new folder doesn’t solve the problem, you may need to clear the old Steam folder to continue with the installation. Before you delete it, it’s a good idea to back up the folder. This way, you won’t have to reinstall your games after Steam is successfully installed. By the way, you can also run attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\YourFolder\*.* to unhide/lock files (replace X with your drive letter) on Windows PCs.
Fix 3. Move the Steam folder to another drive
The last method to fix destination folder must be empty error in Steam is to move the folder to another drive. By doing so and selecting a new empty folder, you avoid any leftover or incompatible files, so Steam can set up everything from scratch, which resolves the error.
If you manually move a Steam game folder (e.g., to D:\Games\YourGame), Steam won’t recognize it because the game isn’t in its required library structure with the necessary metadata files. When adding D:\Games as a library, Steam expects it to be completely empty. Any files—even hidden ones—will trigger the “destination folder must be empty” error, as Steam needs to set up the folder itself.
So, it is better to use a professional tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant. It is a powerful and flexible app mover compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. Its “App Mover” feature allows you to transfer installed programs, files, and folders from the C drive to the D drive or between partitions as needed.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Tip: If you prefer not to move items one by one, the software also offers a Windows partition cloning feature, which quickly transfers all data from one drive to another.
Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Free up" on the top panel and then choose "App Mover".
Step 2. In the new window, click "Move Folders".
Step 3. Select the files or folders you want to transfer, choose D drive as a new location (Here is G drive), and click "Move". Please make sure the target drive has sufficient free space to store selected files, if not, you can extend partition in advance.
Step 4. You will see a pop-up message to confirm forcibly closing running applications when moving starts. Click "OK" to begin the process.
Step 5. Wait for a while, click "Finish"and the movement is completed.
Conclusion
The “Destination folder must be empty” error in Steam occurs when the selected folder already contains files, preventing proper installation. To fix it, you can create a new folder, clear the existing one, or move Steam to another drive using a reliable tool. By following these steps, you can resolve the issue and complete the installation without problems.
