How To Change Default Install Location Windows 10

On Windows 10, apps you download from the Microsoft Store install on the master system drive automatically. Although this is perfectly normal, installing apps and games can apace fill up up the drive when y'all take a device with express storage.

The event is non the number of apps but their size, as apps and games can consume many gigabytes of infinite.

If you accept a device with limited storage or want to use an external storage for apps and games, Windows x allows to change the default location to salvage new apps from the Microsoft Store, motility already installed apps to a different location, and you can even choose an alternating location during download.

In this guide, you volition acquire the steps to alter the default location to install Windows 10 apps on your computer to optimize the infinite usage on the main organization drive. (You can also lookout man this video tutorial to consummate this task.)

Alter default location to install apps on Windows 10
Move installed apps to another drive on Windows x
Choose storage location to install big apps on Windows x

Change default location to install apps on Windows 10

To alter the default location to install new apps, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 10.
Click on Arrangement.
Click on Storage.
Under the "More storage settings" section, click the Modify where new content is saved option.

Alter were new content is saved selection
Utilise the New apps will salve to driblet-down menus to select the new default location for apps.

Select new default app install location on Windows 10
Click the Apply button.

This configuration will merely touch on new app installs. Apps that are already installed on your computer won't be moved to the new location.

Move installed apps to another drive on Windows 10

To move installed apps to another drive on Windows 10, employ these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click on Apps & features.
Select the app or game you want to relocate to some other drive, and click the Motility push button.

Motion installed app to a new bulldoze on Windows x
Select the drive to move the app from the drop-downward menu, and click the Movement button to ostend the move.

The only caveat with this feature is that yous can but move apps that support the characteristic. For example, Windows ten built-in apps and sure other apps (including desktop applications) cannot be moved.

Choose storage location to install big apps on Windows ten

To select an alternative location to install big games and apps on Windows ten, use these steps:

Open up Microsoft Store.
Select the app or game.
Click the Get push button.
When yous stumble upon a game or an app that requires a large amount of deejay space, you'll be prompted to selection a drive to install the new app.

Install large games alternative storage from Microsoft Store

The prompt will appear whether or not you have multiple storage drives continued to your computer. This is because the prompt also gives you the option to make more room on your hard bulldoze with the "Free upwards space" button, which volition open the Storage page on Settings and then that you tin delete unnecessary files.

Whatever option you use to optimize the storage usage on your desktop, laptop, or tablet, you lot have to connect a secondary storage that you know won't get asunder.

Although your computer won't fail when yous disconnect the drive, you won't exist able to run games or apps y'all moved to the new location until you reconnect the drive.

Update January 22, 2021: This guide was originally published in June 2016, and information technology'south been updated to reflect the changes on Windows 10.

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