Last updated on April 29th, 2023 at 01:33 pm
How to change the default folder where files downloaded from Chrome, Firefox, Edge and on Windows 10 are saved
Every time we download a new file from the browser it will end up in a personal folder called Download so that we can immediately find the material just obtained. But if we wanted to change the destination folder of the files from the system or from the individual browsers, maybe based on the type of file we are downloading?
In this guide, we will show you how to change the file download folder on Windows 10 by acting on the settings offered by the operating system and on the options provided by all the main web browsers that can be installed on Windows so that you can change the path of the download folder in detail. complete autonomy without having to act from the system every time and choosing whether to save everything automatically or choose the final path.
How to change the file download folder on Windows 10
If we have never done this type of configuration, we will show you all the steps to do it from Windows 10 and on the most used web browsers: Chrome, Firefox and Edge (also Internet Explorer).
Change download folder from the operating system
Opening the File Explorer app we will have access to the personal folders of our account, among which the Downloads folder in the This PC section certainly stands out.
Normally this folder is present in the path C: Users <username- Downloads, but we can use any other personal folder, even from another partition or another disk connected to the computer.
To change the destination path of the Downloads folder, right-click on it, press Properties, go to the Path tab and press the Move button.
A new window will open where we can choose the new destination folder for the downloaded files (if necessary we can create a new one in the chosen path); to confirm press on Select folder and then on OK.
From now on, the system will identify the new folder as the destination of the downloaded files both on Edge (the default browser of Windows 10), and on any other browser installed. To restore the original folder, just repeat the steps above and press the Restore button immediately below the field where the path of the folder is present.
Change download folder from browsers
If we want to configure the browser to use a different download folder, we can do it in a simple way by acting from the program settings; in some cases, we can also choose whether to immediately start the download in the chosen folder or whether to always leave the choice of the folder at each download (excellent for those who download and keep different types of files in different folders).
On Google Chrome we can change the download folder by pressing at the top right on the three dots, selecting the Settings menu, pressing on the Advanced item and going to the Download section.
From here we can change the download folder using the Change button and indicating the new folder. If, on the other hand, we want to choose the folder where to save the files each time, just activate the button next to the Ask where to save the file before downloading it.
On Mozilla Firefox we can proceed with the modification to the download folder by pressing the hamburger-shaped button at the top right, pressing on Options and, in the General tab, scroll down the page until you find the Files and Applications section.
From here making sure that the item Save files in is selected and press the Browse button to choose the new folder. If we want to change the destination folder every time, just put the sign on the Ask where to save each file item; to change the behaviour of Firefox for each type of file, just configure the file extension in the Applications section, choosing the Save file or Always ask for it.
If we use the Edge browser we can change the download folder by pressing the three dots icon at the top right, opening the Settings menu and pressing on the Download section on the left.
From here, simply press the Modify button to change the download folder. If we want to choose what to do with each download, simply activate or deactivate the button under the Request operation to be performed with each download item.
If instead, we use Internet Explorer as a browser, we can change the download folder only after starting the download; press the arrow next to the Save button (present on the lower bar) and select Save As.
Final Word
With Windows 10 it is easy to change the destination folder of the downloads, acting both from the system settings and at the level of individual browsers. In this way we can organize our downloads in an intelligent way, choosing from time to time whether to use the default folder or whether to save images, videos and documents in the folders of the same name (modern browsers will always store the last folder used, so as to have it immediately click-through rate).
