How to Move the “Downloads” Folder to Another Drive in Windows 10/11

If you spend a lot of time online, you might download a lot of things to your computer, like game files, software programs, media files, and documents. When you download anything on Windows using the internet, it automatically saves to the “Downloads” folder.

It's a handy folder because you don't have to search through different folders to find your downloads. The Downloads folder eliminates the need for setup programs to prompt you to choose a location or for you to create your own downloads folder. On Windows, you'll find it in your Home directory on the C: drive.

So, you can locate the Downloads folder at C:\Users\UserName\Downloads\. However, you can always move the Downloads folder to another Windows 11/10 drive. This article will teach you the simple way to move the Downloads folder to a drive on Windows 10 and later. So, read on.

Moving the Download Folder to Another Drive with a Free PC Data Transfer Tool

The quickest way to move the "Downloads" folder to another drive is by using the best PC data transfer tool – Todo PCTrans Free. It lets you transfer applications, user accounts, files, and other settings between computers and laptops.

To move the “Downloads” folder to another drive or any other partition with free PC data transfer software, you can use the feature to move large files/folders. This is an easy and quick way to change the download location. Not only that, but you can also use the Todo PCTrans Free tool to recover and back up files, as well as move programs or applications from one computer to another or from one drive to another.

Here are the steps to move the large Downloader folder from one drive to another using this simple PC file transfer program:

Step 1: Open the Todo PCTrans tool on your computer, click on "Large File Cleaner," and then hit the "Start" button. This feature lets you transfer files from one drive to another or move data from one disk to another.

Select "Large File Cleanup"

Step 2: Select the hard drive or disk where the file was lost.

Step 3: After the scan, all files larger than 20 MB will be listed. Select the files you want to transfer and set the destination folder as needed. Then, click "Move" to proceed.

Scanning files

Step 4. Confirm the move one more time, and then click on “Move” to start the process. Once the files have been moved, the source drive/disk will have enough free space.

Move files from one drive to another

Here are some of its other features:

1. Safely Transfer Everything: With Todo PCTrans, you can easily move all content from your old computer to the new one, whether it's applications, files, programs, or folders. This tool ensures the secure migration of all your essential folders. 2. Quick and Automatic: The tool is fast, saving you time transferring files and folders between computers. Unlike manual transfers, Todo PCTrans uses an automatic transfer feature, making the process more efficient. 3. Ready-to-Use Programs: After <a href="/pc-transfer/copy-installed-software.html">copying installed programs and other data to your new computer</a>, you can use them immediately. This means there's no need for reinstallation, saving you the trouble of downloading and installing transferred apps on your PC. 4. Free Support: Todo offers assistance whenever you need it. If you require help during the data transfer process, their technical experts provide 24/7 support around the clock.

Download it now and enjoy the convenience of transferring!

Manually Move the Download Folder to Another Drive Using Two Methods

Using a third-party tool is the easiest way, but we still have other solutions for you. This part will show you two manual methods to move the “Downloads” folder from one drive to another or any other drive. Let's discuss both methods in detail:

1. Set up and change default locations in Settings.

You can set or change the save location for your download folder by following these steps:

Step 1: Open the "Settings" on your computer, then click on "System." Next, select the "Storage" option.

Step 2: Next, click on the “Change where new content is saved” option.

Click Choose where new content is saved to select an option.

Step 3. Here, set the download location for each category.

This will allow you to change where downloaded files are saved. You may also see an error that reads:

How to Fix "We Could Not Set Your Default Save Location" Error

Did you encounter the "We could not set your default save location" error when moving app data? Follow this guide to learn how to resolve the issue.

2. Use the "Move Feature" in the "Attributes"

You can use the Move feature to change the download location. Follow these steps to move the Downloads folder to another drive in Windows 10:

Step 1: Use the keyboard shortcut "Win + E" to open File Explorer on your computer.

Step 2: Navigate to the disk where you want to move the downloads folder, right-click, and select New > Folder. Name it “Downloads.”

Create New Folder

Step 3: Right-click the Downloads folder in the Quick Access panel, and select Properties.

Step 4: Click on the "Location" tab and then click the "Move" option in the Properties window.

Click the “Move” option.

Step 5: In the “Choose a Destination” window, navigate back to the folder you created earlier. Select it, and then click on the “Select Folder” option.

Click on the “Select Folder” option.

Step 6. The new location will now be added to the Properties window. Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.

Step 7: A prompt will appear asking if you want to move all files from the old location to the new one. Click “Yes.”

Click the "Yes" option.

That's how you can move the “Downloads” folder to another drive in Windows 11/10. It will become the new default “Downloads” folder on the other drive. If you found this tutorial helpful, share it with others who might need it.

Why would you move your download folder to another drive?

As you download different files and apps on your computer, the Downloads folder can get cluttered and start taking up space on your hard drive. This is especially true if you don't regularly clean out your Downloads folder. A full hard drive will limit how many apps you can install on your computer, and you may start seeing “low disk space” warnings.

Also, if you reinstall Windows or can't boot it, you might lose all the files in your Downloads folder. To prevent this, you can move the “Downloads” folder from one drive to another. This will also ensure that you don't fill up one drive with random downloads.

So, if you change the download location, it's a safe operation. Now, let's see some benefits of moving the downloads folder to another drive on your computer:

• Saves storage space on the target drive when downloads are stored on another drive or partition
• Enables access to your downloads in a dual-boot system
• Keeps your downloaded files safe during a Windows reinstallation
• Allows you to access your downloads even when Windows fails to start normally

This guide will provide solutions to move your Download folder to another drive. If you want to transfer your downloads from a specific drive, like moving downloads from C to D, click the link below.

How to Move Downloads from C Drive to D Drive (Windows 11/10)

This article offers three methods to move download files from the C drive to the D drive. You can change the default download location using Windows "Properties" or "Settings," or migrate with the Todo PCTrans tool.

Conclusions

With these, moving the Download folder to another drive in Windows 10 is very straightforward. You can use any of the methods above to move the Downloads folder. However, we recommend that you try using the Todo PCTrans tool. Since it's a reliable and efficient utility, you shouldn't have trouble migrating the folder.