Back Up PC Game Saves: Find Files, Verify Copies and Restore Safely

Choose your symptom

• Preparing for an update, mod change or repair — Find the correct save location while progress is still healthy.
• Progress disappeared or a cloud conflict appeared — Stop new saves and sync choices; preserve remaining candidates.
• A copy exists but you are unsure it is complete — Compare the copied structure and contents.
• You need to restore an older copy — Read the separate restoration conditions before replacing active files.

STEP 1: Identify the right save and close writers

1. If progress is healthy, save normally and close the game. Let its usual cloud sync finish, then exit the launcher. Close this game on your other devices too. Copying while the game writes can capture an inconsistent set of files.
2. If progress is already missing, corrupt or in conflict, do not create a new save, start the game to “check”, or retry synchronization first. Preserve the local files that remain on each device separately. Opening a game can autosave even if you never press Save.
3. Use the publisher’s location for your Windows user, game edition and store. Cyberpunk 2077’s Windows support lists %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077. Copy the relevant save-folder structure, not merely a screenshot or the game executable.
4. For Stardew Valley on Windows, the official guide lists %APPDATA%\StardewValley\Saves. Preserve the whole character folder, including its same-named save, SaveGameInfo and any _old files. Do not rename or edit those candidates during backup. Other games can use entirely different layouts.

Result and next action: If the account, edition or required files are uncertain, stop and confirm with the publisher. With the game closed and the correct data identified, continue to STEP 2. A cloud conflict needs the related Cloud guide before any synchronization choice.

STEP 2: Copy into a new dated folder without replacing an older backup

1. Create an outer folder named for the game, device and date/time, for example Game_PC-A_2026-10-18_1800. Inside it, copy the confirmed save folder with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Keep internal names and folder structure. Use Copy, not Cut, and retain the active original.
2. For the next backup, create a new dated outer folder. Keep an earlier known-good version separately; the newest file may already contain an unwanted change. Note the game version, store/account context and any required mods without publishing account identifiers.
3. Use a destination outside the game’s active save and synchronization folders. A separate physical device adds protection against failure of the original drive; another folder on the same drive does not. Do not move the only copy to a removable drive or disconnect it while copying.

Result and next action: Keep both source and destination intact and continue to STEP 3. If copying reports an error or the source cannot be read, do not label the backup complete or delete the source to “start fresh”.

STEP 3: Check the copy and record what was actually verified

1. In File Explorer, compare the source and backup folder Properties after counting finishes: file/folder counts and Size in bytes. Size on disk can differ between storage formats. Open the backup and check that expected save and companion files are present.
2. A zero-byte expected save, copy error or mismatch needs investigation before any restore. Equal counts and sizes can catch omissions but do not prove identical content. Keep the original and all earlier snapshots while investigating.
3. For an optional read-only comparison of a confirmed file, run Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "C:\your-source\actual-save-file" -Algorithm SHA256 in PowerShell, then repeat for its backup path. Replace the example paths with real files. Compare the Hash fields for each corresponding file; checking one file does not verify the entire folder.
4. Record “counts and sizes checked”, “corresponding hashes match” or “loaded successfully in the matching game environment” separately. A matching hash confirms the copied contents, including any pre-existing corruption. It does not demonstrate that a save is complete, compatible or loadable.

Result and next action: If the copy checks pass, retain it without altering the active game just to test it. If restoration is needed, follow the conditions below; a load test can change active files through autosave.

Before restoring: preserve the current state and control synchronization

1. Restore only when the publisher supports file restoration for this game, store, account and version. Cross-store or cross-account transfer is not assumed. If you cannot identify the correct destination or required mod/version environment, stop and ask support.
2. Close the game on every device. Make a new dated copy of the current local state, even if it looks wrong, and keep the backup you intend to restore unchanged. If a cloud conflict is open, preserve both available candidates using the Cloud guide first; do not choose one to make the dialog disappear.
3. Before a supported restoration, record and disable this game’s Steam Cloud synchronization in its Properties where available. Confirm any separate publisher cross-progression or folder-sync service using that service’s own instructions. Do not assume the Steam setting controls all syncing. If you cannot prevent automatic overwrite safely, stop before replacing files.
4. Exit the launcher, then use the publisher’s restore procedure to put a working copy of the selected backup into the confirmed active location. Retain the pre-restore snapshot separately and avoid mixing unrelated versions or deleting a whole user-data directory. Never operate on your only preserved copy.
5. With synchronization still controlled, inspect the game’s load screen for the expected character, slot and progress. Starting or loading may autosave, so the independent copies must already exist. If progress is wrong, close the game and keep the snapshots; do not start on another device or attempt a chain of guesses.
6. After confirming the desired progress, close the game and make a new backup of that verified local state. Do not immediately re-enable synchronization and accept an unexplained upload/download prompt. Use the Cloud guide and the publisher’s instructions to reconcile versions; if the proposed direction is unclear, leave the candidates preserved and ask support.

Protect saves and keep changes reversible

• Do not delete a save, empty Steam userdata or edit cloud metadata to force a conflict.
• Do not overwrite the only known-good backup, assume a newer timestamp means better progress, or run a bulk restore script.
• For server-side-only progress, local folder copying may not provide recovery. Ask the game publisher what can actually be backed up.