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You can start a new Forza Horizon 5 career without reinstalling the game, but the steps depend on whether you use the Xbox app/Microsoft Store or Steam. The reset can permanently erase your existing save; uninstalling the game alone does not reliably remove cloud-synced progress.
If you are trying to recover missing progress, stop here. Do not reset or delete save data: Forza Support warns that deleting the save from everywhere cannot be undone.
First, identify your PC version
- Xbox app, Microsoft Store, or PC Game Pass: use the Windows 11 app-reset procedure below.
- Steam: disable Steam Cloud and remove only FH5 save data from Steam userdata.
Use just one procedure. The two editions store and synchronize saves differently. If you launch the game from the Xbox app or installed it through Microsoft Store/Game Pass, follow the Xbox/Microsoft Store steps. If it is in your Steam library and launched through Steam, follow the Steam steps.
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This is a reset of your Forza Horizon 5 save/profile progress, not your Windows installation or Microsoft/Xbox/Steam account. Expect to lose your career and story progress, completed events, unlock progress, owned cars, credits, wheelspins, and other accumulated save rewards. Depending on the platform’s save implementation, some settings or profile-related local data may also be removed.
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The procedure targets save data, not game ownership or purchase licenses. It does not uninstall the game, and it does not promise to reset account-level achievement history. Do not assume that achievements can be erased or that every account-linked item is affected in the same way.
Before you reset
- Make sure you truly want a fresh start. Forza’s documented full-reset process is destructive, and its guidance says the old save cannot be recovered.
- Close Forza Horizon 5 completely.
- Confirm which Microsoft/Xbox or Steam account is currently signed in and associated with the game.
- Save screenshots of settings or custom tunes you may want to recreate later.
- If progress disappeared unexpectedly, do not continue. Use the recovery steps below before considering deletion.
Reset the Microsoft Store, Xbox app, or Game Pass version
Forza’s published directions use older Windows menu labels. On Windows 11, the corresponding app controls are under Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Microsoft notes that Repair and Reset are available only for supported apps; see Microsoft’s Windows app repair instructions.
Full reset sequence
- Open the Microsoft Store, select your profile image, and open Store settings. Confirm that Offline Permissions is enabled, as directed in Forza’s save guidance.
- Launch FH5 and wait until it reaches the start screen.
- Disconnect the PC from the internet: turn off Wi-Fi or unplug Ethernet. Keep it offline through the reset and the first fresh-save launch.
- Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Find Forza Horizon 5, select the three-dot menu beside it, then choose Advanced options.
- Select Reset and confirm. Choose Repair only if you are trying to fix a problem without deleting app data; Repair is not the full progress reset.
- While still offline, launch FH5 and play for several minutes so it can create a new local save.
- Exit the game, reconnect to the internet, and launch it again.
- If prompted to choose between save versions, follow Forza’s instruction to choose Local at this point. Once the new save is established, choose Cloud for future synchronization prompts.
The offline launch is a cloud-conflict precaution: it gives the game a chance to create the new local save before the old cloud copy can be selected or synchronized. It does not permanently disable cloud storage.
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If Advanced options or Reset is missing
Check that you selected the Microsoft/Xbox edition in Installed apps, not the Steam edition or the game’s installation folder. If the game is the correct edition but the option is still absent, try Repair for a launch or app problem, or contact Xbox/Forza support for help with the installation. Do not substitute Windows’ Reset this PC: that reinstalls Windows and may remove apps, settings, or personal files; it is not an FH5 save reset. See Microsoft’s explanation of Reset this PC.
Reset the Steam version
Forza identifies FH5’s Steam App ID as 1551360 and instructs players to disable Steam Cloud before deleting local save data. If Cloud remains enabled, Steam may restore the old data.
- In Steam, open Steam > Settings > Cloud and turn off Steam Cloud synchronization.
- Exit Steam completely. Check the notification area as well as the open windows; closing the main window may leave Steam running.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to
C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata. If Steam is installed in a different location, open its correspondinguserdatafolder. - Open the folder for the Steam account that owns and launches FH5, then open the game’s App ID folder,
1551360. - Delete only the FH5 save data identified in Forza’s instructions as the
UserData.savfolder/files, including the relevantremotedata where present. The displayed arrangement can vary. If you cannot clearly identify the FH5 data, stop rather than deleting a broader folder. - Reopen Steam and launch FH5. Confirm that it creates a fresh save and starts the opening sequence.
- Keep Steam Cloud disabled until you have verified the new local save is the one you want. Then re-enable Cloud synchronization.
Never delete the entire userdata directory: it can contain data for other games. Forza’s full instructions are on its lost-progress support page.
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Check that the reset worked
- The game begins as a new career, rather than loading your previous progress.
- On the Microsoft/Xbox edition, the first new save was created while offline and you chose Local if prompted after reconnecting.
- On Steam, the new save was confirmed before Steam Cloud was turned back on.
- The game remains installed and your account remains intact; a save reset is separate from either of those.
If the old save returns
The most likely issue is that the old cloud copy was selected or synchronized before the new local save was established. Close FH5 and repeat only the procedure for your edition. For the Microsoft/Xbox version, keep the PC offline through the first launch after resetting, then choose Local if prompted after reconnecting. For Steam, make sure Steam Cloud stays disabled until the new save is confirmed. Do not delete unrelated files to try to force a reset.
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If FH5 remains stuck on “Syncing data,” do not guess between Local and Cloud: choosing the wrong copy can restore or overwrite the save you want. Follow Forza’s synchronization and recovery guidance or contact Forza Support before further deletion.
If you meant to recover missing progress
Do not use the reset steps. Try recovery first:
- Close the game fully and restart it, then restart the PC.
- Check that the internet connection is working and allow synchronization to finish at the welcome screen.
- Confirm that the Xbox app, Xbox Game Bar, and Microsoft Store are signed in to the intended account.
- On Steam, check Steam Cloud status and verify the game files through Steam before deleting anything.
- Use Forza’s official recovery and backup guidance, and contact Forza Support if the save remains missing.
Forza presents save deletion as a last-resort step after recovery attempts; its instructions warn that deleting the save from everywhere cannot be reversed.
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Why reinstalling is not enough
Uninstalling and reinstalling replaces game files, but it does not reliably delete a cloud-synced save. The old progress can return when the game synchronizes. A reinstall may help repair installation files, but it is not a substitute for the platform-specific save-reset steps above.
If you want a separate career without deleting the existing one, using another Microsoft/Xbox or Steam account may be an alternative, but it is not the same as resetting the save. A separate account may not share purchases, entitlements, friends, or achievement history. It should not be treated as a way to transfer ownership or preserve progress on the original account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reset FH5 progress without reinstalling the game?
Yes. Use the Windows app Reset procedure for the Microsoft Store/Xbox app/Game Pass edition, or remove only the FH5 save data after disabling Steam Cloud for the Steam edition.
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Does uninstalling Forza Horizon 5 delete my progress?
Not reliably. Cloud-synced progress can return after reinstalling, so uninstalling alone is not a dependable save reset.
Can I reset only part of my career or keep my old save?
The documented full-reset procedures target the save/profile data rather than offering a partial career reset. If you want a separate career without deleting the original, a separate platform account may be an alternative, with account and purchase trade-offs.
Does this reset Xbox or Steam achievements?
The documented procedure is for game save progress; it does not establish that account-level achievement history is reset.
Can I use Windows 11’s Reset this PC option?
No. Reset this PC reinstalls Windows and is unrelated to resetting FH5 save progress.
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