Gallery issues

Question

Is it possible to transfer all photos from the gallery to a different location ? Ie; External HD .....

Answer 1

Hi! Let me help you.

Yes, you can transfer all your files or photos from your gallery to your external hard drive.

Just need to make sure that you have the correct USB cable to connect from your External drive to your computer.

Answer 2

Yes, photos from the Windows 11 Photos app (Gallery) can be transferred to an external hard drive by copying the underlying files.

A simple way is to use File Explorer and an external storage device:

1. Connect the external hard drive (or USB drive/SD card) to the PC.
2. On the taskbar, open File Explorer.
3. Go to the folders where the photos are stored, typically Pictures, Downloads, Desktop, or any custom folders that were added to the Photos app.
4. To select multiple photos or folders, hold CTRL while clicking each file/folder.
5. With the items selected, right‑click and choose Show more options > Send to, then select the external drive, or use Copy to and choose the external drive.
6. Wait for the copy to complete.
7. Safely remove the drive by using Eject before unplugging it.

If photos are spread across several folders, repeat the process for each folder (for example, Pictures, Videos, or other custom folders used by Gallery/Photos).

---

References:

• Move your files to a new Windows PC using an external storage device
• Manage photos and videos with Microsoft Photos app

Answer 3

The Gallery is not an actual place - it is a display of your photos. The photos themselves are in one or both of:

C:\Users\your user account\Pictures

C:\Users\your user account\OneDrive\Pictures

and you certainly can copy or move those files to a different location, including an external hard drive. However, I want you to know that the folders I described above are the folders that Microsoft has set aside for your photos, so they are not touched by updates to Windows. If you store your photos somewhere else, they could be deleted by an update.

You can move those folders to another hard drive, for example ...

D:\Users\your account name\Pictures

... but you have to do it the right way, so that Windows knows you have moved the default location for your photos.

The other thing you have to know is that the default location for your photos has to be an internal hard drive - it can't be an external hard drive. However, an external hard drive is a super place to backup your photos.