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Where are Ollama models stored?

Ollama documents different default model locations by platform: ~/.ollama/models on macOS, /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models on Linux, and C:\Users\%username%\.ollama\models on Windows. The OLLAMA_MODELS environment variable can override the location.

Model files, local folders and archive media kept as distinct parts of one library.
Find the local data first; decide what to retain second.

Documented default locations

Those are the locations in Ollama’s current FAQ. An installation can be configured differently, and containerized or managed deployments introduce their own storage mounts. Treat the path as a starting point for inspection, not proof that every model-related byte on a machine lives there.

Changing the model location

Ollama documents OLLAMA_MODELS as the way to set a different model directory. If the variable was set for the account or service that runs Ollama, it is the active location that matters. On Windows, Ollama’s documentation notes that the tray application must be quit and relaunched, or a new terminal started, after changing the user environment variable.

Do not move a live runtime directory by drag-and-drop and hope it reconnects. Set the documented location, restart the relevant service or app as required, then confirm that Ollama can see the models before you remove the previous copy.

Before you reclaim disk space

First establish whether the folder is an active runtime store, a stale download set, or a group of completed artifacts you intentionally want to retain. If it is active, use the runtime’s documented configuration instead of deleting files underneath it.

If the goal is long-term local preservation of a related, completed model family, keep the runtime behavior separate from the archive workflow. Tensor Archive can help analyse the family, preserve a managed local copy, verify it and restore a separate exact copy. It does not redirect Ollama or act as the runtime’s model directory.

A safe checklist

  1. Check the platform’s documented default and whether OLLAMA_MODELS is set for the process or account that runs Ollama.
  2. Confirm which directory the live runtime uses before moving or deleting anything.
  3. For a location change, use the documented environment variable and restart procedure.
  4. For preservation, archive and restore a separate copy before manually reclaiming storage.

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