How to Change the Default Download Location in Windows 11

To change the default download location in Windows 11, move the Downloads folder itself: open File Explorer, right-click Downloads, select Properties, open the Location tab, and select Move to pick a new folder. Browsers such as Edge, Chrome, and Firefox also keep their own download setting, so change it there too if they keep saving to the old place.

These steps cover Windows 11 Home and Pro and also match Windows 10. They walk through moving the Downloads folder, changing each major browser’s download folder, the separate storage setting for new apps and documents, how to put everything back, and what to check when files still land in the wrong place.

Before you start

• Create the new folder first. For example, make a folder named Downloads on your D: drive. You can also create it later with New folder inside the folder picker.
• Pick a folder, not a whole drive. If you select D: itself, Windows treats the entire drive as your Downloads folder and labels it that way, which is confusing and harder to undo. A dedicated folder such as D:\Downloads avoids this.
• Know the default path. Unless it has been moved already, the Downloads folder lives at C:\Users\YourName\Downloads.
• Think twice about external drives. You can use a folder on an external drive, but when the drive is unplugged the folder disappears and downloads fail until you reconnect it.
• Check permissions. Pick a location your account can write to. Folders you create on your own drives work without administrator rights; shared network folders may block saving.
• Freeing up space? If the goal is to get large files off your C: drive, see what’s taking up space on your PC first.

Which location should you choose?

Location	Good for	Watch out for
Second internal drive (D:, E:)	Freeing space on C: for good	None for most PCs
Another partition on the same drive	Keeping downloads apart from Windows	Doesn’t add any storage space
External USB drive	Downloads you carry between PCs	Downloads fail whenever it’s unplugged
Network folder	Shared family or office files	Can be slow or deny saving

How to move the Downloads folder in Windows 11

1. Open File Explorer. Press Windows + E or select the folder icon on the taskbar. File Explorer opens.
2. Open the Downloads folder properties. Right-click Downloads in the left pane and select Properties. If you can’t find it, type shell:downloads into the File Explorer address bar (or the Run box, Windows + R), press Enter, then right-click an empty area of the folder and select Properties. The Downloads Properties window opens.
3. Select the Location tab. You see the folder’s current path and a Move button.
4. Select Move. Browse to the folder you created, open it, and choose Select Folder. The path box now shows the new location.

5. Select Apply. Windows asks whether to move all the files from the old location to the new one. Choose Yes to bring your existing downloads along, or No to leave them where they are. If you’re unsure, choose Yes. Large folders can take a few minutes to move, so wait for the copy window to close.
6. Select OK to close the window. No restart is needed.

Check that it worked

Select Downloads in the File Explorer left pane, then select the address bar. It should show the new path, such as D:\Downloads. For a real test, download a small file in your browser and select Show in folder from the browser’s download list. If it opens the new folder, you’re done.

From now on, apps that save to the Downloads folder use the new location. You can repeat these steps whenever you want to move it again.

Change the download folder in your browser

Each browser stores its own download location. It usually points to the Downloads folder and follows the move, but if it was set to a specific path it won’t. Check it after you move the folder. A browser setting changes only that browser and only new downloads.

Microsoft Edge

1. Select Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings.
2. Select Downloads.
3. Next to Location, select Change and pick the folder. The new path appears under Location.

4. Optional: turn on the option to ask where to save each file before downloading.

Microsoft lists these steps in Change the downloads folder location in Microsoft Edge.

Google Chrome

1. Select the three-dot More menu > Settings.
2. Select Downloads.
3. Next to Location, select Change and choose the folder.

4. Optional: turn on Ask where to save each file before downloading.

Google covers this in its Chrome download help.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Select the menu button (three lines) > Settings.
2. On the General panel, scroll to Files and Applications.
3. Next to Save files to, select Browse (labeled Choose in some versions) and pick the folder, or choose the option to always ask where to save files.

Mozilla covers this in Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox.

Change where new apps and documents are saved

Windows has a separate setting that picks a drive for new content. Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved. According to Microsoft’s Storage settings in Windows page, you can choose a drive for new apps, documents, music, pictures, and videos, and each type can use a different drive.

Two things to know: this setting chooses a drive, not a folder (Windows creates its own folders on that drive), and it doesn’t move files you already have. Downloads aren’t on Microsoft’s list, so use the Downloads folder method above to change where downloads go. This is also where you change the drive for Microsoft Store apps (New apps will save to).

For each step and content type, read about changing the default save location in Windows 11.

How to put the Downloads folder back

1. Open the Downloads folder’s Properties and select the Location tab.
2. Select Restore Default, then OK.
3. If Windows asks to create a Downloads folder at the default location, select Yes.
4. When asked whether to move the files back, select Yes. Downloads points to C:\Users\YourName\Downloads again.

Restore Default is also the fix when the folder you moved Downloads to no longer exists, for example after a drive was removed, or when you accidentally picked a whole drive. Remember to switch any browser that uses a fixed path back as well.

Troubleshooting

• Files still go to the old folder. The browser or app has its own download path. Update it using the browser steps above, then restart the browser.
• Downloads is missing from the left pane. Open it with shell:downloads in the address bar, then use Properties from inside the folder.
• There’s no Location tab or Move button. On a work or school PC, your organization may control where personal folders live through policy, so ask your IT department. On a home PC, make sure you opened Properties on the Downloads folder itself, not a file or shortcut inside it.
• Permissions error on the new folder. Choose a folder your account can write to, such as one you created yourself, or check the sharing permissions if it’s a network location.
• Downloads fail after unplugging a drive. Reconnect the drive, or use Restore Default to return Downloads to your C: drive.
• Old files are still in the old folder. You chose No when Windows offered to move them. Cut and paste them into the new folder yourself.
• Office files save somewhere else. Word and Excel have their own default save folder under File > Options > Save.

Frequently asked questions