Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Microsoft How to Change the Default Download Location in Windows 11 Put your file downloads (almost) anywhere you want By Jon Martindale Jon Martindale Twitter Writer Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 6, 2022 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Microsoft Microsoft Apple Google Tablets Accessories & Hardware What to Know Change default location for downloads: Open the Download folder's Properties > Move. Pick a new location.You can choose any location you like, including the desktop.When you click Apply, it may ask you to move your existing files. This guide will teach you how to change the default download location for Windows 11, so you can download files directly to wherever you like. This method also works for Windows 10, though the operating system looks a little different. How Do I Change the Default Download Location in Windows 11? The easiest way to change the default download location in Windows 11, is to use the Move command within the Download folder's Properties menu. Select the File Explorer folder icon in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen to open the File Explorer window. Right-click or tap and hold on the Downloads folder and select Properties from its pop-out menu. Select the Location tab, then select the Move button. Navigate through File Explorer to choose your preferred download location, then click Select Folder. It can be almost any folder you want, and on any drive you want. Choose a folder on the main drive, the Desktop, or a location on an entirely different drive if you prefer to keep your downloads off the boot drive. You can even choose an external drive. After you choose a location, select Apply. Windows 11 will then ask you if you want to move all files from the old location to the new one. If you currently have nothing of importance in your Windows 11 Downloads folder, choose No. If you have downloaded applications or folders previously that may be a necessary component of some applications, or you just want to play it safe, select Yes. When you select Yes, none of your applications will stop working due to losing the path to necessary files or folders. Select OK after Windows 11 moves your files. How Do I Change My Default Download Location? The above method of moving the Windows 11 Downloads folder will create a new default download location for any files you download from the internet. You can change it multiple times if you want to find the right spot. Can You Change Microsoft Download Location? Yes, you can change the download folder location for all recent Windows operating systems. The above method works in both Windows 10 and 11 and only takes a couple of minutes to complete. FAQ How do I change the download location in Windows 7? If you're running Windows 7 and want to change the download location, click Start > Computer, open the C drive, then open the Users folder. Open your username folder, then right-click on the Downloads folder and select Properties. Click the Location tab, then click the Move button and select the new download location. Click Select Folder > Apply > OK. How do I change the Windows Store download location? To change the Microsoft Store apps and games download location, open Settings and go to System > Storage > Advanced storage settings. Choose Where new content is saved and then click the drop-down arrow next to New apps will save to. How do I change the download location on a Mac? To change the download location on a Mac from the default Downloads folder, you'll change your browser's settings. Press Command + , (comma) to bring up your browser's Preferences screen; the rest of the steps will depend on your browser, In Chrome, select Advanced, go to the Downloads section, and, next to Location, select Change, then select the folder you want downloads to go. How do I change the download location on Steam? To change your Steam games' installation location, open Settings, click the Downloads tab, and select Steam Library Folder. Select Add Library Folder and create a new default installation path. Future installations will go to the new location. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit