When you download and install games from the Microsoft Store, you may want to choose where they are installed on your Windows 10 PC rather than accepting the default location. The default install location for Microsoft Store games is usually your C: drive under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. While this location works fine for most users, you may want to change where certain games are installed if your C: drive is running low on space or you want to organize your games on a different drive.
Reasons to Change the Default Microsoft Store Game Install Location
Here are some common reasons why you may want to change where Microsoft Store games are installed:
- Your C: drive is low on disk space. Installing large games to another drive can help free up space on your primary system drive.
- You want to keep games organized on a separate drive. For example, installing all games to a D: or E: drive.
- You have a faster secondary drive you want to install games on for better performance, such as an SSD.
- You want to install games to an external drive to easily transport them between PCs.
By default, you don’t have much control over where Microsoft Store apps and games are installed. But with a simple registry tweak, you can override the default install location and choose where games end up on your PC.
How to Change Where Microsoft Store Games are Installed
Here are the steps to change the default install folder for apps and games from the Microsoft Store:
- Open the Registry Editor by typing “regedit” into the Windows search box or Run command.
- Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore - Right-click in the right pane and select New > Key. Name the new key “WindowsStore”.
- Right-click the new WindowsStore key and select New > String Value. Name it “CustomInstallDir”.
- Double click the CustomInstallDir string value and enter the full path to the folder you want apps and games to install to. For example:
D:\MicrosoftStoreApps - Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC for the change to take effect.
After following these steps, any new game or app installations from the Microsoft Store will be installed to the custom folder path you specified instead of the default WindowsApps folder.
Choosing the Right Game Install Location
When selecting a custom install location for Microsoft Store games, here are some tips to choose the right drive or folder:
- Pick a drive with plenty of free space. Games can take up a lot of storage space, especially with DLC and updates.
- An external SSD provides fast loading times if you play games on multiple PCs.
- An internal HDD or SDD is good for keeping all games in one place.
- You can create a dedicated “Games” folder on any drive to keep things organized.
- Make sure the drive or folder is always accessible and not disconnected. The games may not work right if the install path is unavailable.
For optimal gaming performance, an internal SSD is ideal, but external drives work too. Just don’t install games on external hard drives connected over the slower USB 2.0. Always choose USB 3.0 or later external drives.
Installing Games to Multiple Locations
If you only want to change the install folder for some Microsoft Store games and not others, you have a couple options:
- Create multiple registry strings for different install folders. For example, CustomInstallDir1, CustomInstallDir2, etc. You can then choose which path to install to on a per-game basis.
- Temporarily change the CustomInstallDir value before installing each game. Just remember to change it back afterwards.
This allows you to have certain large games installed to a secondary drive while smaller indie games remain on the C: drive. Or you can group games by genre or any other system that works for you.
Reinstalling Games in the New Location
When you change the default install folder, any new game downloads will go to the new location. But what about games you’ve already installed? There are a couple options to reinstall games to the new drive or folder:
- Uninstall and reinstall games – This will remove the game and all associated files and do a fresh install to the new location. You’ll have to re-download the full game.
- Copy the game folder – Browse to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, copy the game folder to the new location, then uninstall and reinstall the game. This may allow you to avoid re-downloading large games.
- Change the game library location – In Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features, you can click each installed game and choose “Advanced options” to change the install location. Moving installed games this way can often fail or break things, so proceed with caution.
Uninstalling and reinstalling is usually the most reliable approach. Just be prepared to download all that game data again.
Troubleshooting Game Installation Issues
Changing the default Microsoft Store install folder can sometimes cause issues with game installations. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:
Games Won’t Install to the Custom Folder
If games continue installing to the C: drive despite changing the registry, try the following:
- Restart your PC and try installing again. This allows the registry change to fully apply.
- Check for typos in the custom install path in the registry.
- Make sure the folder actually exists on your PC. The path must point to an existing location.
- Confirm the CustomInstallDir value is present and formatted properly in the registry.
- Temporarily revert the registry change to the default install folder as a test. Then change it back again.
Installed Games Won’t Run
If your installed games fail to launch after moving them to a new drive, try this:
- Make sure the new install drive is connected when you try to run the game.
- Reinstall the games fully to the new location if copied over.
- Run the System File Checker tool in Windows to scan for corrupted files.
- Change the game install location back to default as a test.
Game Installations Fail or Get Stuck
Some possible reasons game installs fail or freeze when using a custom folder include:
- The drive is disconnected or unavailable during installation.
- There is not enough free space on the target drive.
- Antivirus software is blocking files from being copied.
- The game files are corrupted. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the game.
- Connection issues are disrupting the download. Check your network.
If installations consistently fail, revert to the default install folder as a test. If that works, an issue with the custom path may be causing problems.
Additional Tips for Managing Game Storage
In addition to choosing a custom install folder, here are some other tips for managing game storage on your Windows 10 PC:
- Use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove unnecessary Windows update files and other data.
- Uninstall games you no longer play regularly to free up space.
- Store less played casual or indie games on slower HDD drives.
- Use an external SSD to store your current favorite major game titles.
- Delete old game recordings and screenshots you no longer need.
- Add more internal or external drive space if needed. SSD prices continue to drop.
Between choosing where games install, removing unneeded files, and adding more storage, you can effectively manage your game library. Keeping games off your primary C: system drive improves performance while giving you room for new game downloads.
Conclusion
Changing where Microsoft Store games are installed is straightforward once you know how. The registry tweak to set a custom default install folder gives you control over game storage and organization.
When choosing your custom game install location, pick a drive with sufficient speed and capacity to handle your library. Regular HDDs, SDDs and even external drives can all work.
Dealing with issues like failed installations or broken games may require some troubleshooting. But overall, setting a custom install folder is a useful way to get the most out of your gaming storage.