The xBox App on PC Can't Install Games on External Drives

ConnorDrake · Nov 9, 2021

Just posting a frustration here to help others avoid the same mistake I did.

I decided to try xBox Game Pass Ultimate for PC for the $1/month. My first frustration is that you have literally no choice for where to install the xBox app. It must install on your C Drive, which is annoyingly restrictive. But because the app is small, it wasn't a huge deal.

The problem came when I tried to install games on my external hard drive. It appears xBox just doesn't support this at the moment. They have all the features to do so, but it doesn't work. Here's what happened:

When I tried to install a game, it only detected my C Drive.

I went into Settings, General, and tried to change the default install drive to D.

It detected the D Drive, but when I selected it I was told the drive wasn't set up to install games. Fine, whatever, I have roughly 10 games installed there already that all run fine, but fine.

I clicked the setting to update the drive to allow for installation, and got an error saying there was no way to set up the drive for app/game installation.

I tried troubleshooting this for about 45 minutes before I threw in the towel and requested a refund. Maybe there is, indeed, a way to make this work if you go into the command line or do a fresh install of your system or whatever. But the fact of the matter is, I shouldn't have to do that. Not when literally every other game service can run games off an external hard drive just fine.

All of that to say: If you're going to be using xBox for PC, just make sure you're only planning to install on your C Drive. Otherwise it just isn't worth the hassle.

:)

Obsessive Power

It may be that your D:\ drive isn't using the standard disc allocation size and hence isn't allowing you to install games there. Your other games work fine, because unlike the Windows Store/Game Pass they're not installed in protected and encrypted folders.

I know that you can install games on other drives because I've used this service before. Although I don't currently use it as I don't like the way the system locks most games in said encrypted folders.

Farscape247

the xbox app is installed as part of windows so C: is the only location, also your external hdd must be formatted to ntfs for windows to use it as a storage medium for windows games, this is because windows uses folder encryption to protect the files as their drm, the games then can only be used on that one windows install and no other, even if you reset windows you lose access to the folder.

CrowBarHero

I've got the same problem. Tried all the troubleshooting fixes and it still doesn't recognise the external drive. The internal drive is full and all of my games are on the external drive so my Xbox One is currently useless. This needs a fix soon as I can't
play any of my installed games or use most of the apps.

steeledwand7664

Is it an external USB drive?

If it is I had this problem.

I would suggest changing where the xbox app itself is being installed to an internal drive then making the change so that the games themselves are installed to the external USB drive.

Tormaz

Hello!

Most likely the drive is full because of games and apps installed. The two best options are to either plug in a compatible USB external drive and move some of them to the external drive, or delete some of the installed games or apps on the console.

The xBox App on PC Can't Install Games on External Drives