So, if you want to move all your PC games to a brand new hard drive, but you are dreading having to spend hours downloading your games all over again, well I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to.
In this article, I will go through the step-by-step guide you need to follow so you can get all your games onto your new hard drive without having to download them all again.
1. Setting Up Your New Hard Drive
Before you can start downloading and saving anything to a new hard drive, you first need to set it up. Now for ease of use, I would recommend an external hard drive for this as you only need to plug it into a USB port instead of opening up your PC case. However, whether you use an external or an internal drive, the steps for formatting and setting it up are the same.
- Press the Windows key and type in “disk“
- Select the “create and format hard disk partition” option.
- Once the Disk Management tool is open, look for your drive in the list.
- Right-click on your hard drive and Select “format” from the dropdown menu.
- By default, the format type will be set to ‘NTFS‘. You can change this if desired, but for most users, ‘NTFS‘ is recommended.
- Click on “OK” to start the quick format process.
- Once the format is finished, your drive is ready.
2. Move Valorant to a Different Drive
Transferring Riot Games to a new hard drive might seem daunting, but this is the easiest method to move Valorant from a different drive, just follow the below steps.
1. Locate the Installation Path
- For most users, the default installation path is C:\program files\Riot Games.
- If you’ve installed it elsewhere (e.g., D:\games\Riot Games), navigate to that location.
2. Prepare the New Drive
- Navigate to the location where you want to move the game (e.g., E:\games).
- Create a new folder named “Riot Games” in the desired location.
3. Transfer the Game
- Drag and drop (or copy and paste) the game folder (e.g., Valorant) from the original location to the “Riot Games” folder on the new drive.
- Wait for the transfer to complete.
4. Delete the Original Game Folder
- Navigate back to the original Riot Games folder.
- Delete the game folder you’ve just transferred.
5. Update the Riot Client
- Launch the Riot Client.
- Click on the game you’ve moved (e.g., Valorant).
- Click on “install“. (Note: This won’t reinstall the game; the client just can’t find the game because it’s looking at the old location.)
- Click on the folder icon to navigate to the new location.
- Point it to the new drive and the game’s new location (e.g.,
E:\Games\Riot Games\Valorant). - Click on “install” again. The client will check the files and the game will become playable without re-downloading.
- Voilà! You’ve Successfully Moved Valorant
FAQs
Not at all! Your progress and settings are safe, tied to your account rather than the game files.
Yes, but make sure it’s a fast USB 3.0 drive or better to avoid performance issues.
Verifying the game files through the Riot Client usually fixes most issues. If problems persist, a reinstallation might be necessary.
Wrapping Up
Moving Valorant to a different drive might seem like a daunting task, but with this guide, you’re well-equipped to tackle the challenge. Not only can this move help improve your gaming experience, but it’s also a great way to manage your system’s storage more efficiently. So, game on, and enjoy Valorant from its new location!
If you’re thirsty for more tips, tricks, or guides on managing your digital gaming life, why not check out Riot Support or dive into forums like Reddit’s r/valorant?There’s a whole community out there ready to share their insights and experiences.
