This post shows students and new users steps to change the default download location in Windows 11.
By default, Windows creates a Downloads folder in each user’s profile. This is the default location used when downloading files, pictures, and other data from the internet in Windows 11.
Windows also allows users to move the Downloads folder to any location, including the Desktop. If your primary partition is running low on free storage space and you usually download large files, you may want to change the Downloads location to a partition on a larger drive.
Although Windows 11 is new, changing users’ folders, including the Downloads folder, isn’t new. This should also work in Windows 10; however, Windows 11 looks slightly different, and the steps may vary slightly.
Below, we’ll show you how to change your Downloads Folder to any location to download files directly to wherever you like.
To change the default Downloads location in Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How do I change the Downloads folder in Windows 11
As mentioned above, one can move or change the Downloads location in Windows 11 to any location they like, including the Desktop.
To do that, follow the steps below.
The easiest way to change the default download location in Windows 11 is to use the Move command within the Download folder’s Properties context menu.
First, select the File Explorer folder icon in the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
Once the File Explorer opens, right-click or tap, hold on to the Downloads folder, and select Properties from its pop-out menu.
When the Properties window opens, select the Location tab, then select the Move button.
For this post, we will move the Downloads folder to our Desktop. We created a folder called Downloads on the Desktop, which we will use as our new Downloads folder.
Next, navigate through File Explorer to choose the Downloads folder created on your Desktop, then click Select Folder.
Once you choose a location, select OK. You’ll get a prompt like the one below asking if you want to move all files from the old location to the new one.
Click Yes to apply the changes.
After that, any file you download from the internet will automatically be saved in the Downloads folder on your Desktop.
That’s it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to move the default Downloads folder in Windows 11. Please use the comment form below if you find any errors above or have something to add.
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