[SOLVED] Files can't install to D Drive

[Ysertila]

My C drive is completely full, i'm trying to install something to the D drive but it keeps trying to install to my C drive instead. A single game takes up most if not all my C drive so i can't exactly clear up space without getting rid of the entire game, so that's a no go.

My whole D drive is just not being used even though it's 911GB free of 931GB. I'd use it but no apps/games will install to there even if i specifically tell them to. For example right now i'm trying to install a video software editor, it says the file is in my D drive but whenever it tries to download it says there's not enough disk space. (which means it's downloading to my c drive instead)

Is there a way to permanently change where my files/apps now install? Safely? Or honestly any advice would help a lot. I'm using Windows 10 on PC. Can give any other info if needed. Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Some things may download temp files to your C drive and temp folder, before installing on the drive and folder of your choice.

What size/type is your C drive, and how much space is consumed on it?
A screencap of your Disk Management window, please.

 

[Ysertila]

Some things may download temp files to your C drive and temp folder, before installing on the drive and folder of your choice.

What size/type is your C drive, and how much space is consumed on it?
A screencap of your Disk Management window, please.

Should've added this to my original post, sorry about that.
I'm unfamiliar with most of this stuff

 

[USAFRet]

Your C drive...is that an SSD?

Either way, you NEED to free up some space on that.

 

[Ysertila]

Your C drive...is that an SSD?

Either way, you NEED to free up some space on that.

Yes, it is an SSD. And the D drive is an HDD.
If i free up some space on the drive is there anyway to stop other downloads from downloading there so it doesn't start getting full again? I heard some apps don't allow you to pick where the file/app downloads. Anyway to get around that?

 

[USAFRet]

You NEED to free up some space on that SSD.
You are killing the lifespan and performance.
You need to do this now, today. Before any future game stuff.

What is on this drive?

Install and run either WinDirStat, or WizTree.

Run as Administrator, selecting only the drive in question.
Post a screencap here.

 

[Ysertila]

Ok, i will try to free up some space today.
Here the shot, mostly ARK and i run it on this disk because it tends to be a lot slower on the HDD.
Though if i do have to remove it then i guess it must be done to save the SSD from losing lifespan.

 

[USAFRet]

You can move some of that Steam content to the other drive, without losing anything.

Create a new Steam game folder on the other drive.

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

To move an already installed game
Games library
Right click the game
Properties
Local Files
Move Install Folder

 

[Ysertila]

Okay, thank you very much.
I had no idea it was even possible to move an already installed game to a different folder.
I'm currently moving some over to the other drive now

 

[Bob.B]

My C drive is completely full, i'm trying to install something to the D drive but it keeps trying to install to my C drive instead. A single game takes up most if not all my C drive so i can't exactly clear up space without getting rid of the entire game, so that's a no go.

My whole D drive is just not being used even though it's 911GB free of 931GB. I'd use it but no apps/games will install to there even if i specifically tell them to. For example right now i'm trying to install a video software editor, it says the file is in my D drive but whenever it tries to download it says there's not enough disk space. (which means it's downloading to my c drive instead)

Is there a way to permanently change where my files/apps now install? Safely? Or honestly any advice would help a lot. I'm using Windows 10 on PC. Can give any other info if needed. Thanks

See if you can run a pass of disk cleanup on the C drive.
It may also need disk space to be able to function but give it a try.

 

[iTRiP]

Don't play your games of an mechanical hard drive if you can avoid it:{because it will be slow as a snail}, rather copy the installed folder to d:\ from c:\ and uninstall the games on C:\ that you are not playing at the moment.

This will save your internet bandwidth and have all installed ready to play games on the fast drive ( the SSD in this case, not the HDD), and your all games backup on D:\.

You can just copy the installed game folder back into C:\ from D:\ and hit install in steam and files will be verified and not redownloaded.

If you plan properly you can juggle witch games are on the SSD like this easily, and you will always have space for new downloads.

 

[USAFRet]

Don't play your games of an mechanical hard drive if you can avoid it, rather copy the installed folder to d:\ from c:\ and uninstall the games on C:\ that you are not playing at the moment.

This will save your internet bandwidth and have all installed games on the fast drive ( the SSD in this case, not the HDD)

You can just copy the games folder back into C:\ from D:\ and hit install in steam and files will be verified and not redownloaded.

As noted above, Steam has a built in function to move content back and forth.
No new download needed.

 

[iTRiP]

As noted above, Steam has a built in function to move content back and forth.
No new download needed.

Yes, true, but if an mechanical (HDD) is in the setup and the intended destination drive of the moved content, it will be slow as a snail, because the content can only be moved at the speed of the HDD speed and then has to be verified also at the HDD speed.

I have tested this method and believe me it's hard time.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, true, but if an mechanical (HDD) is in the setup and the intended destination drive of the moved content, it will be slow as a snail, because the content can only be moved at the speed of the HDD speed and then has to be verified also at the HDD speed.

I have tested this method and believe me it's hard time.

Well, yes.
Moving data is subject to the slowest device in the chain. No matter what you are moving.

In this instance, with an SSD and and HDD....there is not a lot of choice.

Moving it via the Steam client, or simple copy/paste....still the same. The HDD is the slow device.
But using the Steam client to do this is easier and less prone to fail or mistakes.

 

[iTRiP]

Well, yes.
Moving data is subject to the slowest device in the chain. No matter what you are moving.

In this instance, with an SSD and and HDD....there is not a lot of choice.

Moving it via the Steam client, or simple copy/paste....still the same. The HDD is the slow device.
But using the Steam client to do this is easier and less prone to fail or mistakes.

Again true statement. This situation the OP is describing is exactly what led me to get My C:\ & D:\ drives all on NVMe technology level.

It's quite time consuming any other way.

Moving content has to verify afterwards and copy does not.

A backup of completed installation folders is quite handy.

 

[USAFRet]

This situation the OP is describing is exactly what led me to get My C:\ & D:\ drives all on NVMe technology level.

Not everyone has the resources and budget to have ALL NVMe space.

My system is all SSD, mostly SATA III. Specs below.
You work with what you have.

 

[iTRiP]

I believe you can direct steam to the folder witch is to be the default install (download) path, once you have created an steam folder on the other drive.

This ought to fix the OP's dilemma, unless the OP wants to resort to some of the above mentioned ideas.

 

[USAFRet]

I believe you can direct steam to the folder witch is to be the default install (download) path, once you have created an steam folder on the other drive.

Yes.

You can designate any location Steam knows about as the default install location.
In my screencap above, you'll see that the G drive is the default install location.

 

[emitfudd]

Yes, it is an SSD. And the D drive is an HDD.
If i free up some space on the drive is there anyway to stop other downloads from downloading there so it doesn't start getting full again? I heard some apps don't allow you to pick where the file/app downloads. Anyway to get around that?

Every program or game I have ever downloaded had an option to choose the drive destination. Most of them default to "C" so if you just keep clicking accept or next or install or whatever you may be missing that option. I keep the OS and programs on C and put Steam and games on D.

 

[iTRiP]

Every program or game I have ever downloaded had an option to choose the drive destination. Most of them default to "C" so if you just keep clicking accept or next or install or whatever you may be missing that option. I keep the OS and programs on C and put Steam and games on D.

Yeah, for whatever the reason might be it's seems best at this point in time to keep most free space free on C:\drive, and have things install to other drives.

The more free space on C:\drive, makes it easy to simply download without direct user direction required for each action taken.

 

[lordmogul]

I keep the OS and programs on C and put Steam and games on D.

Same here, only got the stuff that I need daily on my SSD and the other things that either don't need the speed or are used rarely enough go to the HDDs.
In games it is mostly load times, so unless you absolutely have to load into a match first or play something that accesses the drive often, there is rarely any noticable difference.
Even videos are fine on a HDD, in fact I used an old 5400 RPM drive for recordings for a while and never noticed any issues with it. Even with a slow mechanical drive you'll get around 80 MB/s, which is around 10x faster than the ~60 mbps youtube recommends for 4K uploads.

Just rarely do I find something that doesn't allow to chose the location, but over 95% of the stuff can be put on another drive without issues. And even for downloads it is rather the connection to the server than the drive that is the limiting factor.

 

[USAFRet]

In my browsers, across all house systems, the default download location is a shared folder on the NAS.
Chrome/Edge/FF, on all systems.

All go to the same folder location on the NAS.
No consumed space on any house PC.