Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10

Most of us save downloaded files to the default Downloads folder, and many of us have dozens of folders and files on our desktops. Since most users have several gigabytes of data in both the Downloads folder and the Desktop folder (all desktop items are saved in the Desktop folder), it makes sense to move these folders to another drive if Windows or your system drive is running out of disk space.

With default settings, folders like Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Picture, and Music are all located on the Windows 10 installation drive. For example, if Windows 10 is installed on the “C” drive, you can find these folders by navigating to the C:\Users\YourUserName folder.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Folders like Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures and Music

If you're running Windows 10 on a relatively small SSD or on a small partition of your hard drive and are running out of drive space, you might consider moving your Documents, Desktop, and Download folders to another drive.

Many users want to move the User Profile folder to another drive to free up disk space on the system partition, but since moving the User Profile folder to another drive is not supported by Windows, there will be problems when upgrading Windows 10 to a new build. Therefore, the method of moving the Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music and Pictures folders to another drive (via the User Profile folder) where you have plenty of free space is reasonable.

IMPORTANT NOTE : Do not use this guide if the drive is encrypted.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive

Here's how to move the Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, and Music folders to another drive on Windows 10. Note that you can move the folders you want and don't have to move all of them.

Step 1 : Open File Explorer by clicking its icon on the taskbar or clicking the File Explorer icon in the Start menu.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Open File Explorer

Step 2 : In the left navigation pane of File Explorer, you can see Desktop, Downloads, Pictures and other folders in Quick Access. Right-click on the folder you want to move to another drive and then click Properties.

For example, if you want to move the Desktop folder, right-click the folder and click Properties to open Desktop Properties. Note that you cannot move multiple folders at once.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Right-click on the folder you want to move and select Properties

Step 3 : Switch to the Location tab , click the Move button , then select a location on any drive (not an external hard drive) and finally, click Select Folder , then hit the Apply button to move the selected folder to the new drive.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10

And if you see the following confirmation dialog box asking “Do you want to move all of the files from the old location to the new location?", click the Yes button to move all the files to the new location.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10
Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10

Using this method, you can move the Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures and Music folders to another drive.

How to restore the original location of folders

In this guide, we will use restoring the Desktop folder to its original location as an example. These instructions also apply to the Downloads, Documents, Music, and Pictures folders.

Step 1 : Open File Explorer, navigate to the location where you saved the Desktop folder. Right-click the Desktop folder, then select Properties .

Step 2 : Click the Location tab , then click the Restore default button to move the selected folder back to its original location. Click the Apply button . Click the Yes button when you see the confirmation dialog.

Move Desktop, Downloads and Documents to another drive on Windows 10

This method is one of the easiest ways available to free up space on your system drive.

Good luck!

See more articles below:

Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

How to properly backup your Windows 11 computer

How to properly backup your Windows 11 computer

While Windows Backup is a good backup solution for Windows 11, it has its limitations. That's why you should rely on the following 3-step process to properly back up your Windows 11 PC.

28 Windows 11 shortcuts you should know and use often

28 Windows 11 shortcuts you should know and use often

28 new Windows 11 shortcuts in addition to familiar Win 11 shortcuts will help you work faster and more efficiently.

Restore Missing Sleep Option on Windows 11/10/8/7

Restore Missing Sleep Option on Windows 11/10/8/7

How to restore the Sleep option on the Power Menu, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.

Microsoft is making Windows the ideal operating system for music makers.

Microsoft is making Windows the ideal operating system for music makers.

At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit on October 22, Microsoft announced a series of improvements coming to Windows PCs that will improve the overall experience for musicians, music producers, and other audio professionals.

Adobe Fresco official free animation tool

Adobe Fresco official free animation tool

Previously, Adobe Fresco only supported devices with touchscreens and styluses.

What does the red “X” on Windows folders mean?

What does the red “X” on Windows folders mean?

Do you see a red circle with a white cross to the left of your files, folders, or Windows drives? If so, it means OneDrive is out of sync and the folders affected by this issue are not syncing properly.

How to turn off background applications on Windows

How to turn off background applications on Windows

Turning off background applications on Windows 10 will help your computer run less sluggishly and save system resources. The following article by WebTech360 will guide readers on how to turn off background applications on Windows 10.

How to turn off mouse acceleration on Windows 11

How to turn off mouse acceleration on Windows 11

If you only use your mouse for common tasks, it is not necessary to enable mouse acceleration. Here are instructions for turning off mouse acceleration in Windows 11.

Learn About File Pilot: The Super Fast File Manager That Replaces Windows File Explorer

Learn About File Pilot: The Super Fast File Manager That Replaces Windows File Explorer

File Pilot is a lightweight, clean, and feature-rich file manager that outperforms the Windows default tool in every way.

Customize Default User Profile in Windows 7 – Part 1

Customize Default User Profile in Windows 7 – Part 1

In this series of articles we will introduce you to how to customize the default user profile in Windows 7.

How to enable Ransomware Protection on Windows

How to enable Ransomware Protection on Windows

Ransomware Protection is a useful feature that comes with Windows 11 to help secure users' devices against Ransomware attacks.

How to Use Windows Advanced Boot Options to Troubleshoot Faster

How to Use Windows Advanced Boot Options to Troubleshoot Faster

When your Windows PC has problems booting, Advanced Boot Options can help you figure out what's wrong.

8 reasons to choose Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

8 reasons to choose Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

Windows 10 is well supported. Software and hardware compatibility issues are rare. On the other hand, there have been major compatibility issues with Windows 11.

The Easiest Ways to Find Large Files on Windows

The Easiest Ways to Find Large Files on Windows

A quick and effective solution is to identify and delete large, space-consuming files that are hiding on your computer.

Download and experience Windows 11 SuperLite, super smooth, super light

Download and experience Windows 11 SuperLite, super smooth, super light

Like other Windows operating systems, Windows 11 still contains software and components that make the machine heavy.