Windows 10 is probably the best version of the Windows operating system to date. Not just because it’s the latest version of Windows, but because of the number of features and improvements it ships with.
For the first time, Microsoft has designed and developed a version of the Windows operating system based on user feedback. Many of the features that should have been present in previous Windows versions are finally available in Windows 10.
For instance, in previous Windows versions, it was impossible to choose the default installation drive of apps without the help of third-party tools and workarounds.
In Windows 10, there is an in-built provision to change the default install location of apps downloaded from the official Windows Store. Additionally, if you’re running out of free space on the system drive, Windows 10 allows you to move installed apps to another drive from the default drive to gain some disk space.
Why move installed apps to a different drive?
The feature to move installed apps to another drive might not be useful for users who have hundreds of GBs of free space on their system drive. And the good thing is you neither need to re-install the app or nor open Command Prompt as an administrator to accomplish the job.
The feature comes in handy when the drive where you have installed apps is running out of free space. By moving installed apps to a different drive you can quickly free up GBs of space on your system drive.
The only downside of this feature is that it doesn’t let you move traditional desktop programs like Microsoft Office or Google Chrome. To move these desktop programs, you will need to go for third-party software (see our how to move installed programs to another drive).
Move apps to another drive in Windows 10
To move installed apps to a different drive, follow the given below directions.
Step 1: Open the Settings app by either clicking the Settings icon on the Start menu or using Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
Step 2: In the Settings app, navigate to Apps > Apps & features to view all installed apps and their installation date.
Step 4: Click on the app entry that you would like to move to a different drive to see Move and Uninstall options. Click the Move button and then select a drive of your choice to move the app, and then click the Movie button.
NOTE: Windows 10 doesn’t let you move preinstalled apps.
You will see a progress bar (beneath the selected app) to show the status.
As mentioned before, when you click on a traditional desktop program or an app that came preinstalled with Windows 10, Windows 10 offers only the Uninstall option and you can’t move desktop applications using this method. To move desktop programs, please follow our how to move programs from one drive to another guide. Good luck!
choi says
the only options are modify and uninstall so where is the move option? my ghad cassie
ok. says
I’ve been able to move 3 apps, the rest do not have a move option
Dazzy G says
This feature has never worked for me. I click the move button, and I get the impression that the app is moving as it displays the app is moving with the status indicator. It completes the process with no confirmation that the app moved, and the app never moves. Also the default installation feature for storage never worked either. I apply the drive I wish to be the default, but it always reverts back to my :C drive as the default. Frustrated and annoyed.
RobEW says
Some programs show a MOVE option; others don’t.
AD says
Move option still unavailable. Instructions published BY Microsoft FOR Microsoft are still wrong.
Really tired of this annoyance.
Muhammad Bilal says
my hard disk drive was damaged by bad sectors last week. I purchased new hard drive and reinstall windows. In my previous HDD, I installed few games and cleared large number of missions in action and adventured games. now I can move application with updated status from that drive to new one?
James Criswell says
The move feature is grayed out in windows 10, now I have an Windows 10 update that will not install because there is no space. Windows has more problems than a Thanksgiving turkey, (Microsoft fail).
terry says
I tried it today because I ran out of space in C drive which is SSD but it does not show the MOVE button. It only shows UNINSTALL button. How do I get the MOVE button? Also, I noticed that Save Location for apps is grayed out. So, I cannot even change the save location for apps. Please help if you can.. Thanks
John DDoe says
This does not help at all. There is no “Move” possibility in Windows 10 Family, at least in version 1511 (dec 2015). The tutorial above does not even show a screen shot showing this option. Neither does it list available third-party apps to move apps. Useless!
Christopher Clayton says
Is this Move feature actually available now in Windows 10? I have read that it was not going to be in in the OS until later in the year. Also, is there any reason why apps can not be moved to an SD Memory Card?
Fyr says
Hi,
I am running Windows 10 preview 10162 where the option “Move” is greyed out.
How can I get it to work?
Peter says
“The only downside of this feature is that it doesn’t let you move traditional desktop programs like TeamViewer or Microsoft Office. To move these desktop programs, you will need to go for third-party software.”
But you can select the install folder on a drive other than C:\… when you install such apps as TeamViewer or MS Office. Therefore, there is no need for third-party software to move such apps.