Moving games to D: or E: etc
Hi HardcoreGames ,
While the legacy Origin client had direct settings to define a global library path, and Steam natively supports mapping multiple drive volumes simultaneously, the EA app utilises a different approach to directory mapping.
The EA app does support running games across multiple local internal SSDs or external JBOD arrays, but it handles directory paths on a per-game basis rather than maintaining a centralised multi-drive library pool.
To shift your games to your secondary drives (D:, E:, etc.) without performing a full uninstall and redownload, you can use the file validation bypass method outlined below:
Step Action Technical Description 1. Relocate files Copy your game folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2042) directly to the target directory on your new SSD (e.g., D:\EA Games\Battlefield 2042). Keeps your existing local installation assets intact. Do not delete the source files yet; keep them as a backup. 2. Close EA app Completely shut down the EA app. Click the system tray icon, right-click, and select Exit, or end EABackgroundService in Task Manager. Prevents the client from holding active registry handles or lock files during directory shifts. 3. Change Default Path Relaunch the EA app, go to Settings > Download, click Edit next to "Install Location," and change it to your new target directory (e.g., D:\EA Games). Directs the client to use the new volume as the primary installation directory for the next step. 4. Trigger Verification Go to your Library in the EA app, locate the game, and click Download. The client will perform an immediate discovery check of the directory. It will recognise the existing game assets, verify file integrity, and update the registry paths. Once file verification completes successfully, the game is ready to launch immediately from your secondary SSD, and you can safely delete the original folder on your C: drive to free up space.
