How to Change Edge Browser's Download Folder

By default, Windows 10's Edge Browser saves every file you download to the "Downloads" folder under your profile. For example, a user named "avram" would have a default download folder of C:\Users\avram\Downloads. But what if you want to save your files to a different folder or even to the desktop? Edge doesn't provide any way to change the downloads folder in its settings menu, but you can set a new location in the registry. Here's how.

1. Open the registry editor. You can get there by hitting Windows + R, typing "regedit" into the run menu and hitting Enter.

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders. You can get there by opening the folders in the left pane.

3. Open the registry key with a Data setting of %USERPROFILE%\Downloads. It will probably be named {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}.

4. Set the Value data to the new file path (ex: C\mydownloads). If you want downloads to save to the desktop set it to %USERPROFILE%\Desktop.

5. Close the registry editor.

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Avram Piltch
Online Editorial Director
The official Geeks Geek, as his weekly column is titled, Avram Piltch has guided the editorial and production of Laptopmag.com since 2007. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram programmed several of LAPTOP's real-world benchmarks, including the LAPTOP Battery Test. He holds a master's degree in English from NYU.