Relocate Valorant Install on PC

Valorant, Riot Games’ popular tactical shooter, demands significant disk space—often over 20GB including updates. When your primary drive fills up, relocating the game to another drive becomes essential. This guide explores multiple proven methods to change the installation path without full reinstalls, drawing from established techniques used by players worldwide. Whether you’re switching from C: to D: or optimizing SSD space, these steps preserve your progress, settings, and skins.

Why Move Valorant to a Different Drive?

Gamers frequently face storage constraints on their C: drive, where Windows and other apps reside. Valorant’s frequent patches exacerbate this, consuming gigabytes quickly. Benefits of relocation include:

• Frees up system drive space for OS updates and other software.
• Improves load times by placing the game on a faster SSD or HDD with more capacity.
• Simplifies backups by isolating game files from critical system data.
• Supports multi-drive setups common in gaming rigs with dedicated storage drives.

Before starting, verify your target drive has at least 1.5x the space of your current Valorant folder to account for temporary copies and future updates.

Preparation Steps for Safe Relocation

Always prepare to avoid issues:

1. Exit Valorant and Riot Client completely via Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc > Processes tab > End task on any Riot processes).
2. Check current install path: In Riot Client, click your profile icon > Select Valorant > Note the path shown.
3. Disable antivirus temporarily for the Riot folders to prevent interference during moves.
4. Download the official Valorant installer from playvalorant.com if not already present.

Create a system restore point: Search ‘Create a restore point’ in Windows Search for quick recovery if needed.

Method 1: Simple Cut-and-Paste with Riot Client Recognition

This beginner-friendly approach works for most users and requires no file editing. It’s the fastest for drives with ample space.

Success rate is high on Windows 10/11, but if the Play button doesn’t appear, proceed to config edits.

Method 2: Advanced Config File Editing for Precision

For stubborn cases or when the client doesn’t recognize the move, edit JSON and YAML files manually. This updates internal paths directly.

1. Complete cut-and-paste from Method 1 first.
2. Copy new VALORANT\live full path (e.g., D:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live).
3. Press Win+R > %programdata% > Enter > Riot Games folder.
4. Open RiotClientInstalls.json in Notepad.
5. Find “product_install_full_path” under associated_client for Valorant > Replace old path with new (swap \ to /).
6. Save (Ctrl+S).
7. In same Riot Games > Metadata > valorant.live > Open valorant.live.product_settings.yaml in Notepad.
8. Update product_install_root to parent folder (e.g., D:\Riot Games).
9. Save and restart Riot Client.

This method ensures deep recognition, ideal for multi-game Riot setups like League of Legends.

Alternative: Reconfigure Windows Default Install Paths

Prevent future issues by altering where new apps save.

1. Win+I > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved.
2. Set New apps will save to: your preferred drive (e.g., D:).
3. This affects all future installs, including Riot updates.

Note: Existing installs aren’t moved; combine with above methods.

Troubleshooting Common Relocation Issues

Problems arise, but fixes are straightforward:

• Install button stays red: Ensure live folder is selected exactly in Advanced Options.
• Missing files errors: Verify antivirus exclusion for Riot folders; recopy if corrupted.
• Launcher crashes: Run as admin; update graphics drivers.
• Path too long: Use shorter folder names; avoid deep nesting.
• Vanguard issues: Reinstall Vanguard via Riot Client after move (safe, quick).

If all fails, full uninstall/reinstall via Riot Client > Advanced Options for clean path selection takes ~30-60 mins depending on internet.

Performance Tips Post-Relocation

Optimize your new setup:

• Defragment HDD: Right-click drive > Properties > Tools > Optimize (SSDs skip).
• Enable Game Mode: Win+I > Gaming > Game Mode on.
• High-performance power plan: Search ‘Power options’ > Select Balanced or better.
• Monitor temps: Tools like HWMonitor ensure drive doesn’t throttle.

For competitive play, prioritize NVMe SSDs for <100ms load times.

FAQs

Does moving Valorant delete my account or skins?
No, progress is server-side. Local configs may reset, but cosmetics persist.

Can I move to external USB drive?
Possible but not recommended—latencies cause lag. Use internal drives.

Works on Mac/Linux?
Valorant is Windows-only via Vanguard. Use Boot Camp/VMs with caveats.

How much space does Valorant need in 2026?
Base ~25GB + shaders/updates. Check via Riot Client.

Safe during patches?
Pause updates pre-move; resume post-verification.

Best Practices for Game Library Management

Beyond Valorant, apply to Steam/Epic:

• Batch-move folders nightly when idle.
• Use symbolic links (mklink /J) for advanced users to ‘trick’ apps without full copies.
• Tools like Steam Mover automate, but manual is safest for Riot.

Regular maintenance keeps your rig lean for peak FPS.