Uninstalling a Steam game removes its installed files, but it does not always remove every save, setting, screenshot, or mod. Whether your progress survives depends on the game’s save location and whether Steam Cloud completed a successful sync. Uninstalling the Steam client is riskier: Valve says its Windows uninstall process removes Steam and game content in the Steam installation directory, so preserve your libraries and saves first.
The safest rule is simple: assume local saves can be lost until you have confirmed a recent Cloud sync and made a separate backup.
Game uninstall and Steam uninstall are different
| What you remove | What normally happens | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| One Steam game | Installed game files are removed from its library folder. | Saves, settings, mods, or screenshots may be elsewhere—or may be inside the game folder. |
| The Steam client | Steam’s installation directory and its game content can be removed. | Installed games and locally stored data can disappear unless you preserve them first. Valve specifically advises moving steamapps before uninstalling on Windows: Valve’s uninstall guidance. |
| A Steam library folder deleted manually | Everything in that folder is deleted. | Game files and any saves stored there can be lost; this is not equivalent to a normal game uninstall. |
Your Steam ownership is tied to your account, not to the installation on the disk. Achievements recorded by Steam are generally account-linked, but an achievement record is not the same thing as a local campaign save. A game can retain your achievements while losing your current save.
Does uninstalling a Steam game delete save files?
There is no universal answer. Some games keep saves in Documents, Saved Games, or AppData when the game is removed. Others store saves in the installation directory, where an uninstall or manual folder deletion can remove them. Developers decide the save location and which files, if any, use Steam Cloud.
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Steam Cloud saves
A supported game can synchronize saves, settings, profile statistics, and other user-specific data through Steam Cloud. Valve explains that the developer chooses which files are included, so a Cloud logo does not guarantee that every save, mod, configuration file, or screenshot is covered: Steam Cloud support.
If the latest session synchronized successfully, reinstalling the game and signing into the same Steam account will usually let Steam download the cloud copy. That outcome requires all of the following:
- The game actually supports Steam Cloud.
- Cloud synchronization was enabled for the game.
- Your newest local progress finished uploading.
- You reinstall under the same Steam account.
- The cloud copy has not been replaced by an older version.
Local saves, settings, mods, and screenshots
Local saves can survive a game uninstall when they are outside the game folder, but survival is game-specific. Settings may be stored separately or synchronized through Cloud. Mods installed in the game directory are commonly removed; Workshop subscriptions normally remain attached to your account, but the files must be downloaded again. Screenshots can be in Steam’s screenshot folders or in a game-specific location, so back them up separately if they matter.
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Does uninstalling Steam delete all installed games?
On Windows, Valve warns that uninstalling Steam removes Steam and game content from the Steam installation directory. If you want to retain downloaded games, exit Steam and move or copy the steamapps folder before uninstalling. The default location documented by Valve is C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamapps, although your library may be on another drive: Windows uninstall instructions.
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On macOS, Valve’s removal guidance distinguishes the SteamApps folder—which can contain downloads and local save files—from deleting the entire Steam folder: Valve’s Mac instructions. Do not delete a broad folder containing unrelated files.
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How to check Steam Cloud before uninstalling
- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Open the game’s Properties, then the General section.
- Check the game’s Steam Cloud option. Valve’s wording can vary by client language and interface revision.
- Check the game’s store page for the Steam Cloud indicator.
- While online, launch the game, save normally, quit, and wait for Steam to finish synchronizing.
- Do not uninstall while Steam shows a pending sync, an error, or a Cloud conflict.
Steam also has a global Cloud control in its settings. A global setting and a per-game setting can both affect synchronization; the per-game status is the one to verify for the title you are removing.
Where Steam saves and Cloud files are stored
These are common locations, not universal rules. The game’s documentation or developer support is the authority for an exact save path.
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- Windows:
C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata - Linux:
~/.local/share/Steam/userdata
Inside userdata, Steam uses account-specific folders and game AppIDs. Valve gives 570 (Dota 2) as an example of an AppID directory. This cache is not a universal directory for every local save.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
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Windows game-save locations
C:Users<username>DocumentsMy GamesC:Users<username>Saved GamesC:Users<username>AppDataLocalC:Users<username>AppDataLocalLowC:Users<username>AppDataRoaming- The game’s own installation directory
Valve identifies DocumentsMy Games as a common location for third-party saves and profiles, while noting that the developer determines the actual path: Valve’s save-location guidance.
macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/,~/Library/Saved Application State/,~/Documents/, or the Steam installation’sSteamAppsdirectory. - Linux:
~/.local/share/,~/.config/,~/.steam/steam/, or the game’s library folder. - Steam Deck and Proton: Windows games may store saves inside a Proton compatibility prefix, often below a
compatdatadirectory. Native Linux games can use different paths.
Do not assume every Steam Deck save is in userdata. Proton, native Linux builds, and publisher launchers can each use different storage.
What to back up before uninstalling
- Quit the game normally and wait for Cloud synchronization to complete.
- In the game’s Properties → General page, confirm the Cloud setting.
- Copy the game’s known local save folders to an external drive, another internal drive, or trusted cloud storage. Use a dated folder such as
Game Name - saves - [your backup date]. - Back up important configuration, keybind, mod, and screenshot folders.
- For a Steam-client uninstall, copy or move
steamappsand back upuserdata. - Check third-party launcher locations and accounts if the game opens EA App, Ubisoft Connect, Rockstar Games Launcher, Epic, or another publisher launcher.
- Open the backup and confirm that files exist before deleting anything.
If Steam Cloud is disabled or the game has no Cloud support, the manual copy is your primary protection. Valve states that Cloud data is stored locally when Cloud is disabled and warns that lost Cloud saves are unlikely to be recoverable: Steam Cloud settings and conflicts.
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How to uninstall Steam without losing games on Windows
- Exit Steam completely, including the notification-area process.
- Copy or move the Steam installation’s
steamappsfolder to a safe location. - Back up
userdataand game-specific folders in Documents, Saved Games, and AppData. - Uninstall Steam using your current Windows Settings or Control Panel interface. Labels differ between Windows versions.
- Reinstall Steam.
- Reconnect the preserved library, or place the preserved
steamappsfolder in the library location Steam uses. - Sign in to the original Steam account and allow Cloud synchronization to finish.
- Test the game and its saves before deleting your backup.
If Steam was installed in a folder containing unrelated files, do not use a broad delete operation. Valve specifically warns against removing unrelated data along with the Steam folder.
How to restore games and saves after reinstalling
- Install Steam and sign in to the same account.
- Reconnect the old library or restore
steamapps; if Steam does not detect a title, install it again so the client rebuilds its manifest. - Enable Cloud for the affected game if you used it previously.
- If Steam presents a Cloud conflict, stop and compare timestamps with the device and session where you last played.
- If Cloud does not restore the save, copy your manual backup into the game’s documented save location.
- Launch the game, load the save, and make a fresh save.
- Keep the backup until the game has loaded correctly on a fresh launch.
Never choose a conflict option solely because it says “local” or “cloud.” A local file may be newer after offline play, while a cloud file may be newer from another computer, Steam Deck, or operating-system installation. Valve documents these conflicts after offline play and multi-device use at Steam Cloud troubleshooting.
If your save is missing
- Confirm that you signed into the correct Steam account.
- Check the game’s Cloud setting, sync status, and any pending conflict.
- Inspect the old Steam library, including
steamappsanduserdata. - Search Documents, Saved Games, AppData, macOS Application Support, Linux configuration folders, and Proton prefixes.
- Check the publisher launcher’s account and cloud-storage status.
- Restore the dated manual backup to the exact location required by the game.
- If the location remains unknown, contact the game developer or publisher with the game version and operating system.
Important edge cases
Offline play
A save made offline may not have reached Steam Cloud. Reconnecting can trigger a conflict or upload an unexpected version, so compare dates before selecting anything.
Third-party launchers
A Steam purchase does not mean Steam stores every save. EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar, Epic, and other launchers can maintain separate saves and accounts.
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Different Steam accounts have separate userdata folders. Backing up the wrong account directory can make a valid save appear missing.
Manual deletion and verification
Deleting a game folder, deleting a library, verifying files, moving a library, and reinstalling Windows are different operations. Treat any action that removes a folder as a potential local-save deletion until your backup is verified.
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