Is it possible to split the Steam install folder? I would like to have some Steam games installed on a "Games" HDD while others to be installed in a SSD... with "new" or "currently played" games installed on the SSD and "sometimes played" games on the HDD. As the "new" or "currently played" games are finished or are put on back-burner, I would then transfer them from SSD to HDD. Is this at all possible?

How about for non-Steam games, any problems with installing them initially on an SSD then moving to the HDD when no longer played as much? Or maybe for some games that are initially installed on the HDD (not expecting to play it much) but are then moved to the SSD, what problems are to be expected?

Thanks!

You can move your Steam files to and from a storage drive with this: http://www.stefanjones.ca/steam/

Thanks. Are you actually using this?

If your are wary of a util to do this Ice then here's what it does underneath with junction points:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa365006(v=vs.85).aspx

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664376

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/205524

Nope, not wary of it but just curious if people have actually used it or if it was just from a Google search.

With the limited space on the SSD, I guess I'll be moving stuff to/from it a lot.

I have used a method to split Steam folder -- when I had a few games on SSD and all the rest on regular hard drive. Found it online -- or someone here suggested it.

Anyhow, the method creates a link from the "homebase" steam games folder to any other folder on the system. So, in principle, you could have your steam games spread across all your hard drives (however many). So, from my experience, it is feasible.

Currently, I'm using SSD for the Windows 7. However, as I found no good reason to have any of my games on the SSD, I moved all the steam games to a single steam folder on a hard drive.

Here's the link:

Split Steam Install

Works great. Does the job for me.

Thanks for the confirmation guys.

I'll probably have 90% of my Steam games on a HDD, but would like to keep a few games on the SSD for quicker load times and such. Falcon 4 BMS, Deus Ex, Anno 2070, ME3 to start with. And Adobe Photoshop.

My suggestion is not related to the original topic but it goes along with conserving space on a SSD. I highly recommend moving the default location of the "My Documents" folder. By default windows assigns its location under the [url=C://Users/username/My]C://Users/username/My[/url] Documents but with a simple configuration edit you can move that folder to a larger HDD. No worries about any other editing, any program that uses you doc folder knows where it is now located.

Directions to move your document folder to a new location.

• First you must browse to your Document folder from the windows explorer. Using the link in the library or on your start menu will not work. So open explorer and navigate to C:\Users\YOUR Profile\My Documents and right click and selection the LOCATION tab. If you don't see the Location tab, please follow the instructions above carefully.
• Click Move, a new window opens. Navigate to your new destination.
• Click Apply after your selection, a new prompt will pop up on your screen. Verify the locations and click YES
• From here the Computer will move everything, and your programs will function without any extra effort. No need to point the games to the new location, it already knows that the folder is in a new location.

Some pictures to help:




I also moved my Downloads folder to a new location as I don't always delete the files that are downloaded. I have saved a lot of space on my already small SSD.

I wonder if it is best to install Steam on the SSD and keep the currently-playing games on it then put the rest on HDD..... or if I should install Steam on the HDD and just transfer the games on SSD? In other words, is the default Steam install folder important --- will Steam run faster/slower depending on where it's installed? Will how fast Steam is running be important, or will it not matter once the game is running?