How to Save Steam Games to Your External Hard Drive
Saving Steam games to an external hard drive can be a great way to free up space on your internal hard drive, streamline your gaming experience, and keep your games organized. In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of how to save Steam games to your external hard drive.
Step 1: Create a Folder for Your Games
Before we get started, you’ll need to create a folder on your external hard drive to store your Steam games. You can name the folder whatever you like, such as "Steam Games" or "Gaming". This folder will act as the home for your saved games, so choose a name that’s easy to remember.
Step 2: Move the Games
Once you have created the folder, open the Steam client and locate the game you want to save. Right-click on the game and select Manage, then click Settings. In the game settings window, select Local Files and click Browse.
This will open a folder viewer where you can locate the game’s installation files. Right-click on the files and select Cut. Then, go to your external hard drive’s folder and right-click to select Paste.
Step 3: Move the Saved Files
To save the saved games, follow the same process as step 2. Locate the game in Steam, right-click, select Manage, and click Settings. Then, select Cloud Saved Files and click Browse.
This will open a folder viewer where you can locate the game’s saved files. Right-click on the files and select Cut. Then, go to your external hard drive’s folder and right-click to select Paste.
Using Steam’s Built-In Game Installation
Steam provides an option to install games on an external hard drive through the Steam client. This process is similar to step 2, but is much more convenient.
Configuring Steam to Save Games to an External Drive
To configure Steam to save games to an external hard drive, follow these steps:
- Open Steam
- Go to the Steam settings by clicking Settings in the upper left corner of the screen
- In the Settings window, scroll down and click Downloads
- Under Game settings, click External Disk and select Show Steam Games on
- Select the external hard drive where you want to save your games
Now, when you install or start a game, it will automatically save to your external hard drive.
Choosing the Right External Hard Drive
When choosing an external hard drive for storing Steam games, consider the following factors:
- Size: A minimum of 250GB is recommended to ensure you have enough space to store your games.
- Speed: A high-speed external hard drive, such as a USB 3.0 or higher drive, is recommended for quick data transfer.
- Compatibility: Make sure the external hard drive is compatible with your computer.
Some popular external hard drives that are suitable for storing Steam games include:
| Product Name | Capacity | Interface |
|---|---|---|
| Western Digital My Passport | 256GB, 1TB, 2TB | USB 3.0 |
| Seagate Backup Plus | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | USB 3.0 |
| Buffalo External Hard Drive | 256GB, 500GB, 1TB | USB 3.0 |
Conclusion
In this article, we covered the steps to save Steam games to an external hard drive. By following the steps outlined above, you can free up space on your internal hard drive and streamline your gaming experience.
Remember to choose an external hard drive that meets your needs, and always be mindful of the disk usage of your games to prevent corruption. With this setup, you’ll be ready to enjoy your Steam library anywhere, anytime.