Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesTo keep a separate copy for later, use Steam’s Backup and Restore feature. To move a game that is still installed on the same PC, use Settings > Storage and Steam’s Move workflow. For a nearby PC, Local Network Game Transfers may copy eligible game files over your LAN. These methods preserve or transfer game installations—not necessarily saves, settings, Workshop content, or other user files—so handle those separately.
Choose the method that matches the job
| Method | Best for | What it carries | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Backup and Restore | Keeping an independent copy to restore later | Compatible game files packaged by Steam | Not every game is compatible; saves and custom content may be excluded. Steam recommends testing the backup. |
| Settings > Storage > Move | Relocating an installed game between Steam libraries on the same PC | Steam-managed installed game files | Moves the installation; it is not an independent archival copy. |
| Move an existing Steam installation | Relocating Steam and its library together | Steam’s documented simple sequence preserves steamapps, userdata, and steam.exe |
Back up first; the folder steps documented by Steam are Windows-oriented, and saves may be elsewhere. |
| Local Network Game Transfers | Installing or updating on another nearby Steam PC | Eligible game installation and update files | Both clients must meet LAN, settings, and source conditions; transfers can fall back to Steam’s content servers and exclude saves and several kinds of user content. |
| Steam Cloud | Synchronizing game data supported by a game | Only the data that game syncs through Cloud | Support and coverage vary by game, and unsynchronized changes can conflict. |
Steam’s procedures are documented in Using the Steam Backup Feature, Moving a Steam Installation and Games, and Steam Local Network Game Transfers.
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Back up a game with Steam Backup and Restore
Create a separate backup
- Open your Steam Library.
- Right-click the game and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files and choose Backup game files.
- Choose a destination folder, then select Create Backup.
- When the process finishes, use Open folder to locate the backup files. Copy them to the storage you intend to keep as your separate backup.
Steam’s feature is game-by-game and only supports games that completely download, install, and patch through Steam. Many games that use third-party installers or downloaders—including many MMO-style and third-party free-to-play games—are not compatible.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSteam recommends testing backup media after creation. Interference from another application or an interrupted process can prevent a backup from being created successfully, so do not assume a copied folder is usable until you have checked it.
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- Customize your drive’s RGB lighting with the downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard (Windows only) to show off your style and make every play personal.
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- Compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. {Compatible with PlayStation 4 Pro or PS4 with system software version 4.50 or higher, PlayStation 5 (Play and store PS4 games; archive PS5 games), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S (Play and store Xbox One games; archive Xbox Series X|S games).}
- Keep more of the latest and largest titles installed and ready to launch with capacities of up to 2TB. (1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.)
- Built with WD_BLACK toughness thanks to a shock-resistant structure, this durable drive can survive a drop of up to two-meters.
Restore the backup
- Install Steam on the destination computer, then sign in to the account that owns the game.
- In Steam, choose Steam > Restore Game Backup.
- Browse to the backup files and follow Steam’s prompts to install the game.
Steam warns that a Steam installation path containing special characters can prevent a restore from completing. If the restore fails for this reason, Steam says reinstalling Steam to a path without special characters may be necessary.
Move an installed game to another library on the same PC
Use Storage’s Move workflow when the game remains installed and you are changing its Steam library location. It relocates the game; it does not create an extra backup copy.
Rank #2
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- What You Get:1 x 500GB Pocket-sized solid-state drive, 1 xUSB-A to Type-C data converter, 1 x USB-A to Type-C data cable (8.66 Inch), 1 x storage bag
- Open Steam Settings > Storage.
- Create a library on the destination drive or select an existing library.
- Select the source drive and mark the game or games to move.
- Choose Move and follow the prompts.
Steam recommends backing up the steamapps folder before moving a Steam installation. Keep a separate copy before attempting a move: without a backup of the games or steamapps, a problem may mean reinstalling games individually.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Move an entire Steam installation
Steam documents a simple Windows-oriented method for relocating an existing installation. Before starting, make a separate copy of steamapps. This method is different from moving one game between library folders.
Rank #3
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- Exit Steam and let it close cleanly.
- Open the Steam installation folder. Delete everything in it except
steamapps,userdata, andsteam.exe. - Move the Steam folder to its new location.
- Launch Steam from the moved folder and sign in.
- Verify the installed games in Steam.
Steam also documents a more thorough reinstall procedure for cases where the simple method produces errors. Do not forcibly close Steam while it is writing to a drive: Steam warns this can corrupt library or installation information. Steam does not recommend installing Steam on an external hard drive because of potential performance issues; that warning concerns running the installation, not using a drive only to store backup files.
Transfer game files over your local network
Local Network Game Transfers can copy eligible installation and update files from one Steam client to another on the same LAN instead of downloading all of the content from Steam’s internet content servers. The recipient checks for other PCs when a download or update begins. If the transfer cannot provide everything—for example, the connection drops or the source has no more content—Steam uses its public content servers for the remainder.
Rank #4
- Capacity Display Variance: 1TB external ssd often appears as around 931GB on Windows. MacOS can show full 1 TB capacity. This is binary calculation difference and doesn’t affect SSD hard drive actual physical storage
- 1050 MB/s Speed: Instantly access to your files with blazing-fast 10Gbps external SSD read up to 1050MB/s and write up to 1000MB/s. LED Light indicates USB SSD instant activity
- Data Security: Solid state drives S.M.A.R.T. health diagnostics and adaptive TRIM optimizing data block management ensures consistent write speeds and extends the longevity of the portable SSD
- USB-C & USB-A Cable: Both cables featuring rapid USB 3.2 Gen2, this USB SSD effortlessly bridges devices, enabling seamless cross-platform file transfers and backup between computers, smartphones, tablets and iPhone
- Always Fast: No slowdowns for large file transfers. With SLC caching (25% of current available capacity allocated as high-speed cache), this external SSD delivers steady 10Gbps for transfers within the cache capacity
Check the requirements
- Both Steam clients must be online, not in Offline Mode, and able to see each other directly on the same local network.
- Both clients’ transfer settings must permit the transfer.
- The sending client must be idle: no games running and no downloads in progress.
- The source game must be released and playable by both users, not a preload, and its content must be up to date.
- A Steam Deck or a PC running Steam in desktop mode can host files. Steam says Big Picture mode and custom launchers cannot transfer their files out.
Choose who can transfer from your PC
The default setting is Only my own devices. Steam also offers Off, Only my friends, and Any user. If you allow friends or any user, other people on the LAN can discover which games are installed on your PC.
Local firewall software may need to permit TCP port 27040 and UDP ports 27031–27036 for discovery, as documented by Steam. Transfers do not include local save games or configuration files, Steam Workshop content, Steam Cloud files, or Steam Shader files.
Best Value
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Keep saves and other user data separate
An installed game is not a complete backup of everything associated with it. Steam’s Backup and Restore feature excludes saved games, custom multiplayer maps, and configuration files for Valve-created games. For third-party games, developers decide where saves are stored. Custom files may need to be copied back to their corresponding folders separately.
Steam Cloud is also not a universal save backup: each game determines what it syncs. Steam lists these default local userdata locations:
- Windows:
C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata - Linux:
~/.local/share/Steam/userdata
Within userdata, Cloud data is grouped under account Steam IDs and game app IDs. If the same file changes in two places without synchronizing, Steam may not be able to choose which copy to keep. Check the game’s Cloud support and status, and resolve any conflict deliberately. For a game without Cloud saves, consult its developer’s instructions and preserve the local save files separately. Steam notes that many third-party games without Cloud saves may store saves under the Windows user’s DocumentsMy Games folder, but that location is not universal.
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If Steam shows the game as uninstalled
- Confirm the game folder is still in the library’s proper location. Steam says starting the game’s installation can prompt it to recognize files already there.
- If the files are in a different library path, add that library using the plus control in Steam’s Storage Manager.
- If Steam recognizes the game but files may be damaged or incomplete, use Verify Integrity of Game Files. Steam says verification can fix problems; some files can fail verification normally because they are local configuration files.
- If Steam still does not recognize the files, Steam recommends reinstalling the game.
Keep Steam closed while copying or moving folders manually, and let it close cleanly before you begin. A partial folder copy is not a verified restore.
Quick Recap
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