How to Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 10


Windows 10 comes with the Maps app preinstalled. Maps is your guide to everywhere. Find your way with voice navigation and turn-by-turn driving, transit, and walking directions. Search for places to get directions, business info, and reviews. Download maps to use when you’re offline. Tour the world virtually with aerial imagery and 360 degree street-level views. Plus, you get the same experience across all your Windows 10 PCs and phones.

If you would like to search for places and get directions in the Maps app even when you are not connected to the Internet, you should download maps for offline use.

Since offline maps can use a large amount of storage space on your hard drive, you can change where you store offline maps at anytime. When you change the storage location of your offline maps, all existing downloaded offline maps will be moved to the drive location you select, and any new offline maps you download will be saved to the new location.

UPDATE 6/01/2020: Bing Maps is updating its base map data source

This tutorial will show you how to change where you store offline maps for the Maps app in Windows 10.

Offline maps are stored in the hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\MapData folder by default.

When you change the storage location of offline maps, offline maps will be saved to a hidden protected OS system folder named MapData at the root of the selected drive like below.
Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 10-mapdata_location.png


For a Windows 11 version of this tutorial, see:

Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 11




Here's How:

1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Apps icon.

2 Click/tap on Offline maps on the left side, and select an available Storage location (ex: "Backup (D:)") on the right side where you want to store offline maps. (see screenshot below)

The default storage location is This PC (C:).

Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 10-change_storage_location_offline_maps-1.jpg

3 All your existing downloaded offline maps will now be moved to the new selected storage location. (see screenshot below)

Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 10-change_storage_location_offline_maps-2.png

4 You will now see the current storage location displayed with the new selected location (ex: "Backup [D:]). (see screenshot below)

Change Storage Location of Offline Maps in Windows 10-change_storage_location_offline_maps-3.png

5 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


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