To use a new SSD in Windows, check that you have the correct disk, initialize it if necessary, create and format a volume in Disk Management, and assign it a drive letter. Then move games with the game launcher’s own library tools. Steam provides a Storage page for this; Xbox app moves are documented only for supported PC GDK Flat File Install games.
Before you format the SSD
Formatting erases data on the selected volume. Microsoft Support warns, “Formatting a volume will destroy any data on the partition.” Microsoft Learn also warns that initializing a disk that is already in use erases its data. Back up anything you need, and confirm the SSD’s identity and capacity in Disk Management before making changes.
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If you have not bought the drive yet, check your PC’s storage specifications for compatible form factors and interfaces. The Windows setup steps below do not establish which SSD will fit your computer.
Initialize and format the SSD in Disk Management
Disk Management works in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Open it by right-clicking Start and selecting Disk Management, searching for Create and format hard disk partitions, or pressing Windows+R, entering diskmgmt.msc, and pressing Enter.
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- Identify the SSD. Compare its capacity and disk number with the drive you intend to set up. Do not select another disk that contains files you want to keep.
- Bring it online if needed. If its status is Offline, right-click the disk label and choose Online.
- Initialize it if Windows prompts you. Right-click the disk and choose Initialize Disk. For a modern UEFI computer, GPT is generally the right choice. Microsoft Learn calls GPT the default partition style and says it supports volumes larger than 2 TB. Choose MBR when you need compatibility with older hardware or operating systems without UEFI support.
- Create a volume. Right-click the SSD’s unallocated space and select New Simple Volume. Use the full capacity unless you specifically need separate volumes, then assign an available drive letter.
- Choose a file system and finish. Select NTFS, which Microsoft Learn says is usually appropriate, and complete the wizard. The formatted volume should appear in File Explorer under its new drive letter.
If the disk already has partitions or files, pause rather than initializing or formatting it until you have confirmed what is on it and backed up anything important.
Move Steam games to the SSD
Steam’s documented workflow is to add a library location on the new drive, then move installed games through the client’s Storage page.
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- Open Steam and go to Settings > Storage.
- Use the plus button to add a library location on the SSD. Choose the SSD’s drive letter and the folder you want Steam to use.
- In Storage, select the drive where the games are currently installed, select the games to move, and choose Move. Choose the new SSD library as the destination.
- After the move, launch a game to confirm it opens. If it has trouble, use Steam’s Verify integrity of game files option for that game.
Steam’s instructions caution against installing the Steam client itself on an external hard drive because of possible performance issues. That is separate from choosing a destination for individual game files.
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Moving the Steam client is different from moving games
If you intend to move the Steam installation itself, follow Steam’s separate procedure rather than treating it like an individual game move. Steam recommends backing up its steamapps folder before moving the installation.
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- To support a Silicon Power PCIe SSD, the system must have an M. 2 connector with only an M key. The Silicon Power PCIe SSD does not have a b notch and therefore, the b key on the SSD connector will prevent it from being inserted
- Need Help? Contact U.S. Tech Support First! If your device isn’t recognized, can’t be formatted, or stops working. Our U.S. tech team can help fix the issue quickly. Email: [email protected] We support common problems like: Drive not showing up, Formatting errors, Device stopped working after short use, etc.
Before moving or reinstalling a game, also check where its saves live. Steam Cloud may handle saves for supported games; third-party games that do not use Steam Cloud may store them in DocumentsMy Games, but each developer decides the location. Look for the game’s save or cloud-sync guidance if a save matters to you.
Xbox app and Microsoft Store games have a narrower move path
Microsoft documents cross-drive moves in the Xbox app for supported PC GDK games using Flat File Install. Its documentation excludes UWP app-model titles from that feature. This is not a universal promise that every Xbox app or Microsoft Store game can be moved through the same controls. Check the game’s available app options and Microsoft’s guidance for its packaging type before relying on a move.
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If Windows or the launcher does not show the SSD
- The SSD is absent from File Explorer: check Disk Management for an Offline disk, unallocated space, or a volume without a drive letter. Assign a letter or complete the volume wizard if appropriate.
- The SSD appears but Steam cannot use it: confirm that the Steam library location was added in Settings > Storage, then select that library as the move destination.
- The game fails after moving: run Steam’s file verification tool. For save problems, check whether the title uses Steam Cloud and consult the developer’s save-location guidance.
Steam’s verification instructions are at Verify Integrity of Game Files. For the full disk setup sequence, see Microsoft’s Disk Management in Windows and Initialize New Disks. Steam’s Moving a Steam Installation and Games explains its library move and installation guidance; Microsoft’s Flat File Install overview describes the Xbox app scope.
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