To install Steam games on an external hard drive, you must add the external drive as a new Steam library folder within the Steam settings, and then choose this location when installing games.
Running out of space on your main drive can be a real pain, especially if you love gaming. But what if you could easily expand your storage? The answer is using an external hard drive to store your favorite titles. This guide will show you how to install Steam games on external hard drive quickly.
It’s simpler than you might think, and it means you can keep all your games handy without having to worry about running out of room on your computer’s primary storage. We’ll walk you through the steps.
How to Install Steam Games on External Hard Drive
Running out of space on your computer? It happens! Especially if you love playing lots of video games. Steam games can be big, and sometimes your computer’s hard drive just isn’t big enough. The good news? You can absolutely install your Steam games on an external hard drive! This is a great way to keep your games handy without slowing down your computer. Let’s explore how to do this, step-by-step.
Why Install Games on an External Hard Drive?
Before we jump into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” Why would you want to install your games on a drive that’s not inside your computer? There are several awesome reasons:
Freeing Up Space on Your Main Drive
Your computer’s main hard drive (where Windows or macOS is installed) is often used for lots of other important files and applications. Games, especially new ones, can take up a ton of space. By putting them on an external hard drive, you keep your main drive free for your operating system and other important software, making your computer run faster.
Portability
Imagine you’re going to a friend’s house and want to play your favorite games. If your games are on an external hard drive, you can easily take them with you! Just plug the drive into another computer, and you’re ready to play (assuming Steam is installed on the other computer too). This is awesome for LAN parties or gaming at a different location.
Organizing Your Game Library
If you have lots of games, an external hard drive can help you keep them organized. You could dedicate one drive to single-player games and another to multiplayer games, or even organize by genre. It gives you more control over your growing library.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you start moving games around, make sure you have a few things ready:
- An External Hard Drive: This is the most important thing. Make sure it has enough space for the games you want to install. Also, check that it’s compatible with your computer (USB 3.0 or higher is best for speed). A Solid State Drive (SSD) is preferable for the best loading speed, but a regular Hard Disk Drive (HDD) will work too.
- A Computer with Steam Installed: You need your computer where you usually play games and already have Steam setup.
- Steam Installed on your computer: If you don’t already have it, you need to download and install steam from their official website.
- Game Space: Make sure the external drive has enough space for all the games you wish to install.
Let’s Get Started: Steps to Install Steam Games on External Hard Drive
Now comes the fun part! Let’s walk through the process of setting up an external hard drive as a Steam game storage location.
Step 1: Connect Your External Hard Drive
First things first, plug your external hard drive into your computer using a USB cable. Make sure the connection is secure. Wait for your computer to recognize the device. You’ll know it’s ready when you see the drive appear in your file explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS).
Step 2: Open Steam and Navigate to Settings
Open the Steam application on your computer. In the top-left corner, click on the word “Steam.” A drop-down menu will appear. From that menu, click on “Settings.” This will open the Steam settings window.
Step 3: Go to the Downloads Tab
In the Steam settings window, you’ll see several options on the left-hand side. Click on “Downloads.” This section controls where your Steam games are stored and how they are downloaded.
Step 4: Add a New Steam Library Folder
In the Downloads section, you’ll see a button labeled “Steam Library Folders.” Click this button. A new window will pop up showing all the places your games are stored. There is an “Add Library Folder” button. Click this. A file explorer window will appear.
Step 5: Select Your External Hard Drive
In the file explorer window, navigate to your external hard drive. Select a folder on the drive where you want your Steam games to be installed. If you haven’t created a folder already, you can make one now. It’s helpful to name it something like “Steam Games External” so it’s easy to find. Then, click “Select Folder” to save your choice.
Step 6: Set as Default Install Location (Optional)
After adding the folder, it will now show up in your list of Steam Library Folders. You have the option to make this your default install location. This means that all new games you download will automatically go into the specified folder on your external drive. If you want to do that, click the small dropdown box next to the new folder you just added, and set it to “default” or “make default”. If you do not make it default, every time you install a game, you’ll get an option to choose which folder to install into.
Step 7: Install a Game to Your External Drive
Now you’re ready to install a game to your external hard drive. Find a game in your Steam library that you haven’t yet installed (or choose a new game you want to get). Click the install button, as you normally would. When the installation window appears, you will see an option to choose where the game should be installed. Select your new external drive folder from the dropdown list. Now, start the installation. Steam will download and install the game to your external hard drive.
Moving Already Installed Games to External Hard Drive
What if you already have games installed on your main hard drive and want to move them to the external drive? No problem! Steam makes it easy to move installed games from one folder to another without needing to re-download the entire game.
Step 1: Navigate to Steam Settings and Storage
Open Steam, go to “Steam” in the top left, then click “Settings.” Click on the “Storage” tab (This is not the “downloads” tab like the installation section). Here, you’ll see the location where your games are installed. You’ll also see a list of folders. Your current hard drive will be listed in one line and your external hard drive folder will be listed on a different line.
Step 2: Choose the Game to Move
Click on the hard drive location in the list that contains the game you want to move. You will see the games you have installed in that location. Select the game that you wish to move to the external drive. After selecting the game, there will be an options like “move” or “transfer”. Click that to start the game moving process.
Step 3: Select the Destination Folder
A new window will pop up, asking where you want to move the game. Choose the folder on your external hard drive. Then, select move the game. Steam will now transfer the game files from your main drive to your external drive. This process might take a while depending on the size of the game. Don’t disconnect your drive while this is happening.
Step 4: Verify the Move
After moving the game, you can verify that it is in the external drive. You can open the external hard drive and check inside the external hard drive folder. There, you should see the game that you just moved. You can also go to the Steam storage menu again, and verify that the game is listed under your external hard drive location.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes, things might not go exactly as planned. Here are some common issues and how to fix them:
Game Launch Problems After Moving
If a game doesn’t launch after moving it, it might be because some game files were missed. A quick fix is to tell Steam to verify the integrity of the game files. To do this, right-click on the game in your library, go to “Properties,” then to “Local Files” tab, and click on “Verify Integrity of Game Files.” Steam will then scan for any missing or damaged files and download them again.
Slow Loading Speeds
If your games load slowly after moving them to an external hard drive, there could be a few reasons:
- Slow External Drive: If you’re using an older USB 2.0 hard drive or a standard HDD, the transfer speeds might be slow. USB 3.0 or higher (or even better an SSD) will dramatically improve loading speeds.
- USB Connection Issues: Make sure your USB cable is properly plugged in, and try using a different USB port if the problems persist.
- Too many applications open: Closing any unused apps on your computer can improve the read speed.
Steam Not Recognizing the External Drive
If Steam doesn’t see your external drive, try these steps:
- Restart Steam: Sometimes simply closing and reopening the Steam app can fix the issue.
- Restart Your Computer: Rebooting your computer can also resolve problems with recognizing external devices.
- Check the USB Connection: Make sure the drive is properly connected to your computer. Try a different USB port to see if that helps.
- Check External Drive Driver: Make sure that the external drive is installed properly by checking device manager (Windows) or system information (macOS).
Game Installation Error
If the installation process is failing when you are trying to install in the external drive. There can be different errors that can stop the installation. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check for write permission: Make sure that you have the permission to write files on the external hard drive. You can check and change this setting by right clicking on the folder in the external hard drive, then checking the properties or settings.
- Check the USB Connection: Make sure the external drive is properly connected. If the USB connection is loose, it can cause an error during game installation.
- Check for drive errors: Sometimes corrupted files in the hard drive can cause issues. You can run the error checking feature in your computer to scan and fix the drive.
Tips for a Great Experience
Here are some additional tips to make sure you have a great gaming experience using an external hard drive:
Use a Fast External Drive
As we mentioned before, a Solid State Drive (SSD) will give you much faster loading speeds compared to a regular Hard Disk Drive (HDD). If you have the budget, an SSD is definitely worth the investment for gaming. Even a USB 3.2 Gen 2 HDD will be much better than older generation USB drives.
Keep Your Drive Clean and Organized
Don’t just throw everything into your external hard drive. Create folders for different games or types of files. This makes it easier to find things, and also less likely to corrupt the files or accidentally delete something that you want.
Safely Remove Your External Drive
Always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option before unplugging your external drive from your computer. This prevents file corruption and other problems that can occur from improper removal.
- For Windows: You can find this option in the system tray (usually bottom right corner).
- For macOS: You can find this option by right-clicking the drive on your desktop or in Finder and choose “Eject.”
Backup Your Games
If you are storing a lot of games on the external hard drive, make sure you have a backup of those files in case the external drive fails. You can use any cloud storage or a secondary storage device to create a backup.
Installing your Steam games on an external hard drive is a simple way to increase your storage space and organize your games. By following these steps, you can play all your favorite games and keep your computer running smoothly.
How To Install Steam Games On External Hard Drive (Quick Guide)
Final Thoughts
Moving Steam games to an external drive is simple. You can easily set up a new library location in Steam settings. After that, select the new location for game installations.
Remember, ‘how to install steam games on external hard drive’ is straightforward. The process requires choosing the external drive as your installation path. This allows you to manage space better.
You gain storage benefits by keeping games outside your main drive. Use this method to enjoy a large library of games.
