If you are an avid gamer, chances are high that you regularly add new games to your collection. However, with each addition, the storage space available for your computer games also increases. That’s where Steam Storage Manager comes into play.
So what exactly is Steam Storage Manager and how can you get the most out of it? Let’s find out in this detailed guide.
What is Steam Archive Manager?
Steam Storage Manager is an interesting feature released by Valve Corporation for the Steam game platform. This new archive management system makes it easy to create and manage game libraries.
With Steam Storage Manager, you have more control over game settings and their memory usage on your computer. It also allows you to quickly transfer game files between different storage devices without having to uninstall them first.
The transfer feature is especially useful for users who frequently struggle with storage issues on their computers. It provides a simple solution to clear memory and use multiple storage devices efficiently. This remarkable feature improves the gaming experience and gives you more control over your game library.
How to use Steam Archive Manager
Now that you have a rough understanding of Steam Storage Manager, let’s see how to use it. However, knowing how to access Steam Storage Manager in Steam is essential.
There are two ways to access Steam Storage Manager. The first method is to use the Steam settings. Take a look at this method in detail:
Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu.
Step 2: Enter Steam in the search bar and press Enter.
Step 3: Click Steam in the top left corner and select Settings.
Step 4: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and click the Steam Library Folder button in the right pane.
Another way to access Steam Storage Manager is through the Steam download page. This method will be useful when you want to quickly access this feature from the download page. Here are step-by-step instructions to access Steam Storage Manager through this method:
Step 1: Launch the Steam client and click the Download option at the button.
Step 2: Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and Steam Library Folder from the right pane.
You should see the Steam Storage Manager window on your desktop. Take a look at the different things you can do with the Steam Archive Manager.
Add a new location to Steam Storage Manager
Steam Storage Manager provides the flexibility to add a new volume or create a new folder within the same volume. Let’s start by seeing how to add a new drive:
Step 1: Open the Steam Storage Manager window (check the steps above).
Step 2: Click the Plus icon (+) next to the existing drive.
Step 3: In the ‘Add New Steam Library Folder’ window, click the drop-down icon and select the drive you want to add.
Step 4: Click the Add button.
If you want to add a specific folder or location, you can do that too. This is the way:
Step 1: Access Steam Storage Manager in the Steam client (check the steps above).
Step 2: Click the Plus icon (+) next to the existing drive.
Step 3: Select the ‘Let me choose another location’ option.
Step 4: In the ‘Create or choose a new Steam library folder’ window that appears, select the folder and click the Select button.
Set default drive or folder in Steam Download Manager
Steam allows you to choose the location where you want to install the game. However, if you want to avoid choosing the location every time you install a new game, you can set the default drive or folder. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Launch the Steam client and click the Download option at the button.
Step 2: Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and Steam Library Folder from the right pane.
Step 4: Click the drive or folder location that you want to set as default.
Step 5: Click on the three horizontal dots next to the progress bar and select Make Default.
A star icon will appear next to the drive name, indicating the default game installation drive.
Move Steam games to an external hard drive
One standout feature of Steam Storage Manager is the ability to move game folders to an external hard drive. This is a great way to free up space on your local drives. However, before you can move Steam games to an external hard drive, you need to add that hard drive to the Steam Archive Manager. Check the previous section for the steps.
After adding the external hard drive, you’re ready to move the game. Here are the steps to move the game to an external drive using Steam Storage Manager:
Step 1: Launch the Steam client and click the Download option at the button.
Step 2: Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and Steam Library Folder from the right pane.
Step 4: When Steam Storage Manager opens, select the game installation drive.
Step 5: Check the box next to the game you want to transfer and click the Transfer button.
Step 6: In the Move Content window, select your external drive.
Step 7: Click the Move button.
Steam will now start transferring the game. This may take some time, depending on the size of the game and the read and write speeds of your external drive.
Repair folders with Steam Storage Manager
You often encounter issues on Steam that prevent you from installing new games to the default location. Such situations mainly arise because the default installation location is corrupted.
Fortunately, Steam Storage Manager comes with a repair feature that you can use to detect and remove errors from the default install location. Here’s how to use this feature:
Step 1: Launch the Steam client and click the Download option at the button.
Step 2: Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and Steam Library Folder from the right pane.
Step 4: When Steam Storage Manager opens, select the default installation drive.
Step 5: Click the three horizontal dots next to the progress bar and select Repair Folder.
The repair window will appear and remove any existing errors from the installation folder.
Remove Drive from Steam Archive Manager
For whatever reason, if you want to remove a drive from the Steam Archive Manager, you can do that too. To do that, follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the Steam client and click the Download option at the button.
Step 2: Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Downloads from the left sidebar and Steam Library Folder from the right pane.
Step 4: When Storage Manager opens, click on the drive you want to erase.
Step 5: Click the three dots next to the progress bar and select Delete Drive.
Game Manager on Steam
Steam Storage Manager is an amazing feature that makes managing games easy on Steam. You can use it to uninstall games, repair folders, etc. Let us know in the comments which feature of Archive Manager you like best.
Categories: How to
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