How to Move Telegram Desktop Storage to Another Drive (D Drive)

Are you running out of space on your C drive due to large Telegram downloads? Telegram Desktop stores all downloaded files in the system drive by default, which can quickly fill up your storage. The best solution is to move the Telegram Desktop folder to another drive, such as the D drive. This guide will show you step-by-step how to do this using a Junction (Symbolic Link) in Windows.

Why Move Telegram Storage to Another Drive?

1. Free Up Space on C Drive – Avoid running out of storage, which can slow down your system.
2. Better Organization – Store your Telegram downloads separately for easy management.
3. Prevent Windows Performance Issues – Keeping the C drive less cluttered improves performance.

Steps to Move Telegram Desktop Folder to D Drive

Step 1: Close Telegram Desktop

Before making any changes, close Telegram Desktop completely to avoid any file conflicts.

Step 2: Find Telegram’s Current Storage Location

The default Telegram Desktop folder is usually located in:

C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Telegram Desktop

OR (if you installed Telegram differently):

C:\Users\YourUsername\Downloads\Telegram Desktop

Check which one is used on your system.

Step 3: Move Telegram Desktop Folder to D Drive

1. Cut and Paste the Folder:

• Open File Explorer (Win + E).
• Navigate to your Telegram folder in C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\
• Cut (Ctrl + X) the Telegram Desktop folder.
• Paste (Ctrl + V) it into D:\Telegram Desktop or another preferred location.

Step 4: Create a Symbolic Link (Junction)

Now, we will create a symbolic link to trick Telegram into thinking the folder is still in C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\ when it’s actually on D:\.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

• Press Win + S, type cmd, and select Run as Administrator.

2. Run the Following Command:

Replace YourUsername with your actual Windows username.

mklink /J "C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Telegram Desktop" "D:\Telegram Desktop"

If successful, you should see:

Junction created for C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Telegram Desktop <<===>> D:\Telegram Desktop

Step 5: Open Telegram and Verify

• Start Telegram Desktop as usual.
• Download a file and check if it is stored in D:\Telegram Desktop instead of C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Telegram Desktop.

✅ Done! Your Telegram downloads will now be stored on D drive while Telegram still works as expected.

Troubleshooting Tips

1. Error: “Location is not available” – Make sure the symbolic link was created correctly and that D:\Telegram Desktop exists.
2. Command Not Recognized – Ensure you’re running Command Prompt as an administrator.
3. Telegram Still Saves to C Drive – Restart Telegram or delete and recreate the symbolic link.

Final Thoughts

Moving Telegram Desktop storage to another drive helps free up space and keep your PC running smoothly. If you download large files frequently, this trick can save you from storage issues and improve your system’s performance.