Microsoft has really come a long way in improving app support and getting the apps from one place. Earlier we used to go to the official website of each app or software and download their setup file further which we needed to install them. However, with Microsoft Windows 10, the company has revamped the Microsoft Store. Now almost all of your apps, games, and other software can be downloaded from one place, that is Microsoft Store.

To install any software in Windows, we used to download the .exe file and then run it, which takes us to a setup wizard, in which we select various different options like the storage drive where the app will be installed and more.

Also read: What is YourPhone.exe process in Windows 10? Should I remove it?

However, in contrast, when you use Microsoft Store to install any apps on your computer, it doesn’t ask for the installation drive and other options, instead, it directly installs it on your computer. Fortunately, Microsoft does allow users to change the storage location where the apps would install by default. The default location for the installation of apps is set to C:/Program Files/ WindowsApps which also happens to be a hidden folder.

Although there are some apps from the store that cant be installed on a non-system drive and will always be installed in C: only. Apart from that, most of the apps can be installed on any non-system drive.

Why change the Install Location of Microsoft Store?

This comes in handy if the partition of the system drive is not very much and you are starting to run out of storage in the system drive.

Change Microsoft Store Apps And Games Installing Location

• Go to Settings >> System Storage
• In the More storage settings click on the link that says Change where new content is saved.
• Now, Click on the drop-down menu under new apps will save to and select the storage drive where you would like new apps and games from the Microsoft store to be installed.
• Finally, click on Apply to confirm the changes you have made.
• You can even change the location of the default download location for other content. Options for these are Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Maps, and more.

Changing the settings mentioned above won’t change the apps which you have already installed. Instead, the new apps from now onwards will be installed to the new location which you have just changed to. Since the files of these apps are encrypted, so your computer will make a new folder in the root of the drive which you have selected inside which the apps and games will be installed, but you won’t be able to see it inside the drive. Instead, you will be required to use the shortcut to open the app, just like you did even when the apps were installed in the system drive. However, you can move the already installed apps from one drive to another drive, for that we have the tutorial right below.

Move Installed Microsoft Store Apps To a Different Drive

With this tutorial, you will be able to move the apps and games which you have already installed on your computer. It can be helpful if you are planning to format a particular drive, or a drive is running out of storage, in that case moving the apps to a different drive will definitely help a lot.

• Go to Settings App and then go to Apps >> Apps and features.
• Click and select the app which you want to move to another directory, as soon as you will select it you will see an option to move.

• Click on the move button to move it to a different directory and select the different drive >> Click on the Move button again.

• Now, your app should start moving to the new location, to check you can see the app being moved to another location by a progress bar right below the app.

Summary

So this was an extensive guide on how to change the default installing location of apps and games on Windows PC. Apart from that, we also have a guide on how to move an app or a game from one drive to another without uninstalling and installing it again. These handy little tricks come in very useful at times, when you are cleaning your PC or is planning to format it.

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