

Use the drop-down menus to change the storage locations for each type of file (documents, music, pictures, and videos). In the System window, choose the Storage tab on the left and then scroll down to the “Save locations” section on the right. To get change your default hard drive, click Start and then choose Settings (or press Windows+I). If you like saving your personal docs on a flash drive or external hard drive so you can carry them with you, changing default save locations might be useful. When it’s not plugged in, Windows saves to the original location. Whenever that drive is plugged in, Windows offers to store new files on the removable drive. Another interesting thing you can do is set a removable drive as your default save location. So, why would you bother changing the default save drive, instead of just moving the folders completely? You might just be interested in making it easier to store stuff on a different drive and don’t want to get into moving the “official” folders.

RELATED: How to Move Your Documents, Music, and Other Folders Somewhere Else in Windows Most people will probably want to use that method instead. Apps will also use the new location, since they’re designed to use those built-in folders. If you do that, Windows will move those folders and all existing documents.

So, if you’re really trying to save space by storing files on another drive (say, if your SSD is on the small side), you’re better off changing the actual location of your built-in folders. Changing your default save location creates a new Users folder structure on the new drive and saves all new files there by default.
