Problem moving Downloads to another drive.


  1. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
       #1

    Problem moving Downloads to another drive.


    I currently have a desktop with both C and D drives. OS and programs are on C, all docs, photos, music are stored on D. I decided to move my Downloads folder to the D drive and did so using Downloads Properties>Location and selected the D drive. What happened was that it put the folder on the D drive, but it placed all my other folders (docs, pics, music) INSIDE the Downloads folder. What a mess! I tried to undo this by going back and switching location back to default, but at this point it said that the drive didn't have enough room, because now all those other files were inside. I have since managed to move Downloads back to C, and the other folders are on D, but where did I go wrong?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    I wouldn`t have tried to move the downloads folder, just copy and paste what`s in the folder to D then delete if you want to.

    And you can always change the default download location.

    Internet Explorer - Change Default Download Location

    Chrome Browser - Change Default Download Location

    User Folders - Change Default Location
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       #3

    Why not just create a new downloads folder on D: and tell your browser(s) to download to that location instead? That's the way I have done it for quite a few years.

    Never bothered with trying to move the default Windows folders.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    To AdRam: I wanted to move the folder because I find copying and pasting a waste of energy--why not direct the downloads to where I want them in the first place? As far as changing the default location, that's exactly what I was trying to do when I encountered the problem. I had actually followed instructions as they appear on the Microsoft site, so I don't understand why it went so wrong.

    To strollin: How do I redirect the browser to the new folder? I think I actually had a new folder in D once, but one thing I don't like about doing it this way is that I find it confusing to have similar folders on both drives. I may be an idiot, but I run into situations where I'm not paying close attention and I think I'm on one but I'm really on the other. And it seems like some programs will default to one and some will default to the other. There's obviously a hole in my understanding somewhere!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #5

    You redirect through the browser's configuration settings. In Firefox it's at tools/options/general tab. Fish around in Internet Explorer or whatever you use.

    I've always used Strollin's method: manually create a D:\downloads and redirect the browser. I'm very rarely even aware of any other downloads folder anywhere on any of my drives.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,371
    W10 Pro desktop, W11 laptop, W11 Pro tablet (all 64-bit)
       #6

    Tell us which browser you use and we can tell you how to redirect download to a different drive/folder.

    I use FireFox and it has a setting to make it prompt for download location each time. I use that so I can direct different downloads to different places. Documents in one folder, pics another, installers another, etc...
      My Computer


 

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