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To move the Windows 11 Downloads folder to another drive, change its location in the folder’s Properties window. Create a dedicated destination such as D:Downloads, then use the Location tab to move the known folder. This is different from changing only a browser’s download path or choosing a drive for new content in Windows Settings.

Before you move Downloads

Choose a folder on a drive that will be available whenever you need your downloads. Create a dedicated folder first—for example, D:Downloads—rather than selecting the drive root. If you use a removable USB drive or SD card, files stored there are available only while that drive is connected; Microsoft lists these as external storage options for moved personal files (Microsoft Support).

Windows 11 version 22H2 and later pins known folders such as Downloads in Home and the File Explorer navigation pane by default. If you do not see it there, you can still look for the Downloads folder under your user profile. (Microsoft Support)

How to move the Downloads folder to another drive

  1. Open File Explorer and find Downloads in Home or the navigation pane.
  2. Right-click Downloads and select Properties.
  3. Open the Location tab and select Move.
  4. Browse to the destination folder you created, such as D:Downloads, and select it. Confirm the new path in the dialog.
  5. If Windows asks whether to move the existing files, read the prompt and choose whether to move them with the folder. Moving relocates the current contents; declining leaves those files in their current location while the Downloads folder path changes.
  6. When the change finishes, reopen Properties > Location to check the path, then open Downloads and confirm it points to the intended folder.

Microsoft documents this Location-tab procedure for personal folders such as Downloads: right-click the folder, open Properties, select Location, choose Move, then select and confirm a destination path (Microsoft Learn).

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Changing Downloads is not the same as changing a browser’s download path

Moving the Windows known folder changes the Downloads location that Windows uses. A browser can have its own save location, so changing one does not necessarily change the other.

Change Microsoft Edge’s download location

In Edge, open Settings > Downloads and check the listed path. Change it there if you want Edge to save files somewhere else without relocating Windows’ Downloads folder. Other browsers have their own download settings. (Microsoft Support)

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Choose a drive for new content in Windows Settings

Windows also lets you select a drive by content type under Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved. This setting concerns where Windows saves certain new content; it is not a replacement for relocating the existing Downloads known folder. (Microsoft Support)

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If the Location tab is missing or the folders become merged

A missing Location tab can depend on the folder you opened or the Windows build. Make sure you opened Properties for the actual Downloads known folder, not a shortcut, a browser-created folder, or another folder named “Downloads.” Microsoft’s general procedure documents the Location tab for personal folders, but does not guarantee identical Explorer layouts on every device.

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Avoid redirecting Downloads to another personal folder, such as Documents. Microsoft warns that mapping one personal folder to another can cause an access-denied error or leave the folder locations merged, and describes cases where a later location change fails. (Microsoft Learn)

Advanced recovery: reset Downloads’ registry path

Use this only if ordinary folder-location changes fail and you are comfortable editing the registry. Microsoft’s workaround resets the Downloads value to its default profile path. An incorrect registry change can cause serious problems, so back up the registry first; if you are unsure, ask a qualified technician for help.

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  1. Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerUser Shell Folders.
  2. Find the Downloads entry named {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B} and set its value to %USERPROFILE%Downloads.
  3. Restart File Explorer, sign out and back in, or restart Windows so the change takes effect.

These steps follow Microsoft’s documented troubleshooting workaround; consult its page for the full context and registry warning (Microsoft Learn).

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