The Ultimate Guide To Transferring Steam Games To A New Drive Without Reinstalling

Running out of space on your primary SSD? Want to upgrade to a larger drive or move your game library from an older hard drive to a faster NVMe? You don’t need to redownload every title from scratch. Steam supports seamless game transfers between drives, preserving all your saved data, settings, and progress. This guide walks you through the most reliable method to move Steam games without reinstalling—saving you hours of download time and unnecessary strain on your internet connection.

Why Transfer Games Instead of Reinstalling?

Reinstalling large games like Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare can take several hours—even days—depending on your internet speed. Beyond time, frequent downloads consume bandwidth, which may be limited for some users. Additionally, reinstalls mean reapplying patches, verifying files, and potentially losing custom configurations if not backed up.

Moving games directly preserves everything: DLCs, mods (if stored correctly), save files, and registry entries managed by Steam. The process is efficient, safe, and supported natively by the Steam client—no third-party tools required.

Tip: Always ensure both source and destination drives are connected and recognized by Windows before starting the transfer.

How Steam Library Folders Work

Steam doesn’t store all games in a single location. Instead, it uses “Steam Library Folders”—customizable directories where games can be installed. By default, this is C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\, but you can add additional libraries on different drives.

When you install a game, Steam places it in one of these folders. Moving a game means relocating its folder within common and updating Steam’s internal database so it knows where to find the files.

The key file involved is appmanifest_.acf, located in steamapps/. This small text file contains metadata about the game, including installation path, app ID, and update status. Steam reads these files at launch to determine what’s installed and whether updates are needed.

“Understanding Steam’s library system unlocks powerful management options beyond simple drag-and-drop.” — Daniel Park, PC Gaming Optimization Specialist

Step-by-Step Guide to Move Steam Games Safely

Follow this sequence to move any number of games from one drive to another without losing data or requiring full re-downloads.

1. Close Steam completely. Right-click the Steam icon in the system tray and select “Exit” to ensure no background processes interfere.
2. Add a new Steam Library Folder on your target drive.
   • Reopen Steam.
   • Go to Settings → Storage.
   • Select your current drive, click the gear icon, then choose “Add Drive” or “Create New Library Folder.”
   • Navigate to your new drive (e.g., D:\\SteamLibrary) and create a folder named SteamLibrary or similar.
   • Confirm creation. Steam will now recognize this as a valid installation location.
3. Locate the game folder on your old drive.
   • Navigate to your original Steam folder: usually C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\.
   • Find the folder corresponding to the game you want to move (e.g., Resident Evil Village).
4. Cut and paste the game folder to the new library.
   • Copy the entire game folder from common\\ on the old drive.
   • Paste it into [NewDrive]:\\SteamLibrary\\steamapps\\common\\.
   • Do not rename or modify the folder during transfer.
5. Move the ACF manifest file.
   • Go to [OldSteamFolder]\\steamapps\\.
   • Look for the file named appmanifest_[AppID].acf (e.g., appmanifest_1151340.acf for RE Village).
   • Cut this file and paste it into the steamapps\\ folder of your new library.
6. Restart Steam.
   • Launch Steam normally.
   • Steam will scan both libraries and detect the moved game via the ACF file.
   • If prompted, confirm the location or allow automatic verification.
7. Verify integrity (optional but recommended).
   • Right-click the game in your library → Properties → Installed Files → “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”
   • This ensures no files were corrupted during transfer and resolves any missing file errors.

What Happens After the Move?

Once Steam detects the game in the new location, it functions exactly as before. Your achievements, cloud saves, mods (if outside local config folders), and settings remain intact. Steam treats it as a legitimate installation and won’t trigger a redownload unless critical files are missing.

Pro Tips for Large-Scale Transfers

Moving one game is straightforward. But what if you’re migrating dozens?

Tip: Use Robocopy or TeraCopy for faster, more reliable bulk transfers with resume support and error logging.

• Batch multiple games at once. Copy all desired common\\ folders and their corresponding appmanifest_*.acf files together.
• Keep a list of App IDs. Visit SteamDB.info to look up App IDs quickly if filenames aren’t clear.
• Use symbolic links for partial moves. If only certain games need relocation, symlinks can trick Steam into using alternate paths while keeping the main library intact.
• Avoid moving while Steam is running. Doing so risks corrupting ACF files or causing sync conflicts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It’s Problematic	Solution
Only moving the game folder, not the ACF file	Steam doesn’t recognize the installation	Always move both the common\\game_name folder and appmanifest_*.acf
Rename folders during transfer	Breaks file references and triggers redownloads	Preserve original folder names exactly
Transferring over slow USB 2.0 connections	Extremely long wait times for large games	Use internal SATA/NVMe drives or USB 3.0+ external enclosures
Not verifying game files afterward	Undetected corruption may cause crashes	Run “Verify Integrity” after each major move

Real Example: Migrating from HDD to NVMe

Consider Mark, a long-time Steam user with over 1.2 TB of games spread across a 2.5\" laptop HDD. He upgraded his machine with a 1TB NVMe SSD but didn’t want to lose weeks of download progress. Using the method above, he:

• Created a new Steam library on the NVMe drive.
• Selected 15 high-priority titles (including Elden Ring and Starfield) for transfer.
• Used Robocopy to move game folders and ACF files in batches overnight.
• Verified each game upon completion.

Total time: 4.5 hours (mostly unattended). Result: All games launched perfectly, load times improved by up to 70%, and no data was lost. Bandwidth saved: approximately 980 GB.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move games between different computers?

Yes, but only if you're logged into the same Steam account. Physically transfer the entire Steam library folder, then add it on the new machine via Settings → Storage. Note that activation limits apply for shared accounts.

Will moving games delete them from the old drive?

If you use “Cut” instead of “Copy,” yes. Always double-check that the game works in Steam on the new drive before deleting anything from the original location.

Do mods or save files get affected?

Cloud-saved games retain progress automatically. Local saves (often in Documents or AppData) must be moved separately. Mod managers like Vortex handle paths independently, but internal mod folders within the game directory will transfer safely.

Final Checklist Before You Begin

• ✅ Back up important save files (Documents\\My Games, Steam Cloud, etc.)
• ✅ Ensure the new drive has enough free space
• ✅ Close Steam and disable background updates
• ✅ Confirm both drives are properly connected and assigned drive letters
• ✅ Locate the correct ACF file for each game you plan to move
• ✅ Plan transfers during low-usage periods to avoid interruptions

Take Control of Your Game Library

Transferring Steam games doesn’t have to mean starting over. With the right approach, you can preserve hundreds of gigabytes of content and shift your library to faster, larger, or more convenient storage—with zero reinstallation. Whether upgrading hardware or optimizing performance, mastering Steam’s library system gives you full control over how and where your games live.

🚀 Ready to reclaim space and speed up load times? Pick your first game, follow the steps, and experience seamless migration today. Share your success story or ask questions in the comments below!