This step-by-step guide lets you learn how to transfer games from SSD to HDD easily. Free up space on your solid-state drive without losing title data or performance.
Gamers often need more storage space as modern games grow, pushing the limits of their solid-state drives. While SSDs offer faster load times and smoother performance, they can fill up quickly when handling multiple large titles. Additionally, not all users can keep upgrading them because they are expensive hardware. Transferring games to a hard disk drive can free up valuable space without losing your favorite games.
This extensive guide explores how to transfer games from SSD to HDD to preserve your gaming experience while optimizing storage allocation. It will deal with all available platforms like Steam, Epic Games, or any other.
Before diving into the process, it's important to understand what it actually entails and the steps involved. Moving games from an SSD to an HDD can be straightforward if done correctly to manage your storage. This section will walk you through different methods to ensure a smooth transition, regardless of your gaming platform. Explored below are the top 6 ways to transfer games from SSD to HDD without compromising performance.
The easiest way to transfer games from SSD to HDD is to use a dedicated tool and avoid all the manual hassle. Such software simplifies the process by ensuring that all files and data can move across without the risk of losing anything important. A recommended option is EaseUS Todo PCTrans, a powerful tool designed specifically for data migration.
Its "App Migration" feature allows you to transfer available programs and games from one drive to another without reinstalling them. This feature ensures that all necessary files are transferred effortlessly, maintaining game functionality on your HDD while freeing up space on your SSD. Besides, this software easily handles the process, making it a convenient choice for gamers when dealing with large game files or complex settings,
You can adhere to the following in-depth instructions to ensure all data and settings are moved to their new location without any problems:
Step 1. Navigate to the App Migration Tab to Select Games
After ensuring that both targeted drives are connected to the computer, launch the tool and access the "App Migration" tab from the left side. Now, tap "Start" and proceed to choose the games you want to move from the next window.
Step 2. Choose the Target HDD and Transfer Games
Once you have selected, utilize "Migrate To" near the bottom of the screen to select the targeted hard drive disk. Finally, employ the "Transfer" button to kickstart the game migration and wait for it to complete. Afterward, reboot your system so the changes take effect before you can continue gaming.
Nowadays, a diverse range of gaming platforms exist for users to enjoy their passion. Steam is probably the most popular, and it lets you move individual games from one drive to another without reinstalling them.
Not only does this save time, but it also helps you better organize your game library across different drives. These straightforward steps will ensure you can transfer games from SSD to HDD on Steam:
Step 1. Launch the application on your system and click the "Steam" button from the top left corner to choose "Settings" from the drop-down menu. Within "Steam Settings," move to the "Storage" tab and approach the bar showing storage drive to choose "Add Drive."
Step 2. Now, select the targeted hard drive disk in the "Add a new Steam library folder" and tap "Add" to proceed. Finally, choose the game you want to transfer and hit "Move" to select the newly added drive before using "Move" to start the operation.
Notice: To transfer Steam games to new computer, you can use EaseUS Todo PCTrans instead.
When playing titles from the Battle.net launcher, you will need a lengthy process to complete the migration. While you will have to do a few things manually, the reinstallation of the games can still be avoided.
By using this method, you ensure that your titles, settings, and files are safely migrated. Follow these instructions to transfer games from SSD to HDD for gems like World of Warcraft and Overwatch:
Step 1. Begin by opening the Blizzard Battle.net app, selecting the game you want to move, and taping the "Gear" icon next to the "Play" button. Now, click "Show in Explorer" from the available options to access the game's file location on the SSD.
Step 2. Next, copy the game directory and paste it to the desired folder on the targeted hard disk drive while ensuring nothing is left behind. Once it is done, return to the Battle.net app and click the "Gear" icon again to select "Game Settings."
Step 3. It will take you to the settings page, where you have to locate the "Installation Location" option for the targeted game. Here, click "Use a Different Folder" and select the new location where you moved the title files before pressing "Done" to finish the process.
Like Blizzard, you will have to perform half of the operation to move titles manually to complete the process. This procedure doesn't require downloading and installing the Ubisoft Connect games from scratch.
It ensures that large games like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry can quickly move to a new drive while keeping settings intact. You can employ the following guide to transfer games from SSD to HDD from Ubisoft Connect:
Step 1. On your computer, open the game launcher and move to "Library" to find the title you are interested in transferring. Now, choose "Properties" from the lower-left side and select "Open Folder" to find the game files on the source drive.
Step 2. At this point, you are required to copy the complete folder and move it to the preferred location on the targeted HDD. Afterward, make sure to delete all related files from the old location and quit the Ubisoft Connect.
Step 3. Now, relaunch the app to find the game and utilize "Uninstall" to remove it from the library. When done, find the title again and click the "Locate Installed Game" option under the "Download" button to proceed.
Step 4. Finally, use the browse window to select the folder where you move the game files and hit "OK" for Ubisoft Connect to verify the data. Once this process is complete, you will be able to play the title again where you left it.
Among all the game distribution platforms, it makes things annoying when you move titles from one drive to another. The fact that Epic Games doesn't let you install a game in an existing folder like other game clients makes things messier.
However, a workaround can be employed to transfer games from SSD to HDD a little simpler. Below is the guide to moving titles like Fortnite and Pine to a new location:
Step 1. To commence this operation, utilize the File Explorer to locate the targeted game files on your source drive and copy them to a new location. When you are done, launch the Epic Games app and move to the game's "Library."
Step 2. Here, find the targeted title and right-click it to select "Uninstall" to remove it and delete the original folder. Afterward, find the game again and click "Install" to choose the preferred location on the hard disk drive using "Browse."
Step 3. Now, hit the "Install" button to initiate the game installation and "Cancel Install" once it reaches around 3% to 4%. Following this, move the files you copied earlier to the newly created folder by the launcher to proceed.
Step 4. Once you have successfully copied the data, return to the app and hit the "Resume" button to move ahead with installation. The launcher will now verify the files and "Replace" any missing one before making it available for playing.
Trying to transfer titles in this digital distribution platform is the hardest among all the others discussed here. Despite being the successor to Origin, it does not carry the former's built-in feature for moving games.
While you can free up space using this process, you must go as far as editing the Windows registry. Employ the following instructions carefully to transfer games from SSD to HDD from EA:
Step 1. You can kickstart the process by locating the installation folder for the games by launching the EA Desktop app and accessing "Settings." When there, move to the "Download" tab to find the "Install Location" and open it via the File Explorer.
Step 2. Now, select the game folder and move it to the new location on your hard drive to proceed. Next, access the Task Manager and kill the tasks for "EA Desktop" and "EA Background Service."
Step 3. When you are done, launch Regedit and locate the registry files for the games whose locations you moved earlier. Here, it can get messier as the files can be in different folders and in multiple places.
Step 4. For example, if you moved Apex Legends, it will be in its own "Respawn" folder. Games like Battlefields will be in the EA folder, and others can be in both this and their own specific locations.
Step 5. After locating all the related registry files, change their directory to point them toward their new locations on the hard drive. When you have successfully achieved this, you should be able to play these games without any more issues.
As mentioned, EA Desktop is the successor to this digital distribution platform if you want to play titles like FIFA. Origin was discontinued in October 2022 and replaced by the new launcher for EA games. This means you must get the new app if you want to play titles from their library. When you have to move them to a new location, try the steps for EA Games.
You might wonder why you're going through all this hassle, especially when you must do it manually and change deep settings. While SSDs offer faster performance, several practical reasons exist for moving games to an HDD. It is especially a common dilemma for professional gamers as they have large libraries and little space to manage them. Below are some reasons to help understand why will one transfer games from SSD to HDD.
In summary, knowing how to transfer games from SSD to HDD is a practical solution for managing limited storage space. It can help in extending your drive's lifespan and optimize system performance to a great extent. While each major game distribution platform provides a way to move titles across drives, most require too much effort on your part.
For a more comprehensive and hassle-free solution, EaseUS Todo PCTrans is the top recommendation. Its "App Migration" feature simplifies the entire process, allowing you to transfer multiple games at once without manual intervention.
As we wrap up, you may still have a few questions about this process or should you do it. Below, we have answered some common queries about how to transfer games from SSD to HDD.
1. Is it better to keep games on SSD or HDD?
It all depends upon your priorities, as one drive is known for its top speed and overall performance while the other is cheaper and offers more space. SSDs are great for the games you play the most and require more resources to run. On the other hand, HDDs are best for less demanding titles or ones you don't play often.
2. Can I move a game from HDD to SSD without reinstalling?
You can certainly do this as many platforms offer this very feature with main example including Steam and Blizzard. When you want to move all games without the need to reinstall them, EaseUS Todo PCTrans is by far the best option.
3. Can I install games on HDD instead of SSD?
Doing this is absolutely possible, but you will face slower load times and a decrease in game performance overall. While hard disk drivers are not as fast as SSDs, they are ideal for storing large libraries and playing less demanding titles.
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