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 have their own download setting, so change it there too if they keep saving to the old place.

This guide covers Windows 11 Home and Pro. It walks 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.

Table of Contents show

Before you start

Create the new folder first. For example, make a folder named Downloads on your D: drive. Choose a dedicated folder rather than selecting the whole drive, so your downloads don’t get mixed in with everything else stored there.
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 even use a folder on an external drive, but Comodo advises against unreliable or removable drives: when the drive is unplugged, the folder disappears.
Check permissions. Pick a location your account can write to. 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.

How to move the Downloads folder in Windows 11

Open File Explorer. Press Windows + E or select the folder icon on the taskbar. Result: File Explorer opens.
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. Result: the Downloads Properties window opens.
Select the Location tab. Result: you see the folder’s current path and a Move button.
Select Move. Browse to the folder you created, open it, and choose Select Folder. Result: the path box now shows the new location.
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. Result: Windows moves the files, and Downloads in File Explorer now opens the new folder.
Select OK to close the window.

Steps to move the Downloads folder to a new location in Windows 11 — Illustration: the steps for moving the Downloads folder in Windows 11.

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, but if it was set to a specific path it won’t follow the move. Check it after you move the folder.

Microsoft Edge

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

Select the three-dot menu > Settings.
Select Downloads.
Next to Location, select Change and choose the folder.
Optional: turn on Ask where to save each file before downloading.

Google covers this in its Chrome download help.

Mozilla Firefox

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

Illustration of the four places that control where downloads are saved in Windows 11 — Illustration: the four settings that control where downloads are saved in Windows 11.

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.

Two things to know: this setting chooses a drive, not a folder, 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).

How to put the Downloads folder back

Open the Downloads folder’s Properties and select the Location tab.
Select Restore Default, then OK.
If Windows asks to create a Downloads folder at the default location, select Yes.
When asked whether to move the files back, select Yes. Result: 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. 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.
Permissions error on the new folder. Choose a folder your account can write to, 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.

Change Where Windows 10 Saves New Content

Open Settings > System > Storage > Change where new content is saved in Windows 10. Choose the available drive for the content category you intend to change, then click its Apply button. Windows 11 places this page under Advanced storage settings. This changes supported new-content defaults; it does not move existing files or change every browser’s Downloads folder. Use the separate browser or Downloads-folder method above for that goal, and test with a new item of the selected type.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move the Downloads folder to another drive?

Yes. Select a folder on any internal drive in step 4. An external drive works too, but downloads will fail whenever it isn’t connected.

Does changing the browser setting move my old downloads?

No. A browser’s download setting only affects new downloads. Moving the Downloads folder in File Explorer is the method that offers to move existing files.

Can I choose where each file is saved?

Yes. Edge, Chrome, and Firefox can all ask where to save each file before downloading. Turn that on in the browser’s download settings.

Does this work in Windows 10?

Yes. The same Properties > Location > Move method works in Windows 10, although File Explorer looks slightly different.

How do I find files I already downloaded?

See how to find downloads on Windows 11, or how to see recent downloads in Google Chrome.

Using Firefox? Here’s how to choose where your downloads go in Firefox.

Matthew Burleigh

Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.

Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.

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