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Ground Branch’s “Save Failed” message usually means Windows is preventing the game from writing to its save or configuration folders. The documented causes are Controlled Folder Access in Windows Security, a third-party antivirus or anti-malware rule, OneDrive interference, a read-only Documents/GroundBranch folder, or Windows permissions that changed. Allowing the game executable to write is the safest first fix; deleting or resetting configuration folders is more disruptive and can remove saved loadouts.
What the “Save Failed” error actually means
Ground Branch saves character equipment, loadouts and options as files on your Windows user profile. When the game tries to create or update one of those files and Windows rejects the write, it reports “Save Failed.” This is normally a local file-access problem, not evidence that your Steam account, character or game server data is permanently damaged.
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A pinned developer-supported Steam discussion from 2018 identifies the most specific cause: Windows Defender Controlled Folder Access can block GroundBranch-Win64-Shipping.exe. Ground Branch developer KrisRedbeard advised adding the executable to an anti-virus or anti-malware exception list. Later developer and player discussions in 2023 and 2025 also identify Windows changing directory access, OneDrive, and other security software as causes.
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- A new loadout appears to save, then disappears after restarting the game.
- Character appearance or control settings revert to earlier values.
- The error appears when changing equipment, leaving a menu, or closing the game.
- The problem begins after a Windows, antivirus, OneDrive or Ground Branch update.
No published source provides a reliable frequency or success-rate statistic for this error. Treat the remedies below as a progressive troubleshooting sequence: test after each low-risk change and stop as soon as saving works.
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Protect your loadouts before changing folders
Some fixes recreate or clear the folders that contain your local settings. Before using them, close Ground Branch and make a backup.
- Exit the game normally. If it is unresponsive, close it from Task Manager and confirm that no Ground Branch process remains.
- Open File Explorer and enter
%USERPROFILE%DocumentsGroundBranchin the address bar. On systems that display the folder as Documents, this is the same location asDocuments/GroundBranch. - Copy the entire
GroundBranchfolder to another location, such as your desktop or an external drive. A compressed archive is useful because it preserves the folder structure. - Do not overwrite the backup while testing. If a later step fixes the problem, you can copy individual files back only when you know which files you need.
Saving this backup is especially important because deleting the folder can remove local loadouts and settings. It is not a cloud-save guarantee; the backup is your recovery path.
Fix the Windows write block first
1. Allow Ground Branch through Controlled Folder Access
Controlled Folder Access is a Windows Security ransomware-protection feature that can deny an otherwise legitimate game permission to write in protected locations such as Documents. The developer’s pinned instructions use this route:
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- Open Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Scroll to Ransomware protection and choose Manage ransomware protection.
- Open Allow an app through Controlled folder access.
- Select Add an allowed app, then Recently blocked apps.
- Choose
GroundBranch-Win64-Shipping.exe. If it is listed more than once, select the executable belonging to your current Ground Branch installation.
Launch the game again, change one harmless setting or create a test loadout, exit, and restart. If the change remains, the security block was the cause. Allowing one executable is preferable to turning Controlled Folder Access off globally because it preserves protection for other applications.
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2. Add an exception in your installed antivirus
If the executable is not listed in Controlled Folder Access, another antivirus or anti-malware product may be intercepting the write. Use that product’s application or exclusion controls to allow GroundBranch-Win64-Shipping.exe and, if it offers folder exclusions, the game’s Documents/GroundBranch data folder.
Do not permanently disable real-time protection just to test this. Add the narrowest exception available, then run the save-and-restart test. If the error disappears, retain the exception and check the security product’s event or protection history for confirmation. If the security software cannot create an exception, contact its support rather than deleting protection components.
3. Check read-only attributes and Windows permissions
Windows can mark the Ground Branch directory or files read-only after a migration, restore or permission change.
- Close the game and browse to
Documents/GroundBranch. - Right-click the folder, choose Properties, and clear Read-only if it is selected. Apply the change to the folder, subfolders and files when Windows asks.
- In the same Properties window, open the Security tab. Confirm that your Windows account has permission to write or modify the folder. If the account is missing, use an administrator account or your organization’s normal permission-repair process instead of granting broad access to everyone.
- Open a file inside the folder, edit nothing, and confirm that Windows lets you create a temporary text file there. Delete the test file afterward.
A folder that looks writable in Explorer can still be blocked by security software, so repeat the in-game save test rather than assuming the attribute change solved it.
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4. Check OneDrive synchronization and folder ownership
OneDrive can redirect or synchronize Documents. The developer has identified OneDrive as a cause when it controls or interferes with the Ground Branch directory. Look for the OneDrive location of Documents and for sync, conflict or “online-only” status on the GroundBranch folder.
Pause synchronization briefly, allow the folder and its files to become available locally, and test Ground Branch while OneDrive is paused. If saving works only while synchronization is paused, resolve the OneDrive conflict or choose a supported local Documents arrangement before resuming normal use. Do not delete a cloud copy to solve a local error; use the backup made above and OneDrive’s conflict-resolution options.
Recreate the Documents/GroundBranch folder
If allow-listing, permissions and OneDrive checks do not help, the directory itself may have damaged attributes or stale contents. KrisRedbeard advised deleting /Documents/GroundBranch while the game is not running so the game can recreate it.
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- Verify that your backup of
Documents/GroundBranchopens and contains any loadouts you may want later. - Close Ground Branch and Steam completely, then confirm the game is not running.
- Rename the folder to
GroundBranch-backupfirst, rather than deleting it immediately. Renaming is reversible and lets you test a clean folder. - Start Ground Branch. The game should create a new
Documents/GroundBranchdirectory with fresh files and default settings. - Create a small test loadout, exit, restart and check whether it persists.
If the new folder works, the old directory contained a problematic file or inherited bad permissions. Restore only the files you need from the backup, testing after each group. Copying the entire old folder back can restore the original failure. If the game does not recreate the folder, Windows is still blocking the write; return to Controlled Folder Access, antivirus and permission checks.
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Reset LocalAppData configuration for update-related failures
Ground Branch also keeps configuration under %LOCALAPPDATA%/GroundBranch/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor. Official Build Update #024 (2020) documents clearing this location for persistent configuration problems and explicitly warns that saved settings and loadouts are removed. An older developer post gives the same AppData path for control and inventory issues.
- Close Ground Branch.
- Paste
%LOCALAPPDATA%/GroundBranch/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditorinto File Explorer. - Back up the folder before changing it.
- Delete the contents, or rename
WindowsNoEditortoWindowsNoEditor-backupso the reset remains reversible. - Start the game and reconfigure controls and graphics. Create and test a new loadout before restoring anything from the backup.
Use this reset after the write permission checks, particularly when the error began immediately after a Ground Branch update. It is not a harmless cache clear: it removes local preferences and loadouts by design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify files, then consider a clean reinstall
If the problem started after an update and survives a newly created Documents folder and a configuration reset, verify the installed game files through Steam. In the game’s Steam properties, open Installed Files and run Verify integrity of game files. Let the process finish, restart Steam if requested, and test saving before making further changes.
A clean reinstall is the last software step, not the first. Build Update #024 lists both the Ground Branch installation directory and the local Ground Branch user-data directory as locations that may need removal for a clean reinstall. Because removing user data can erase loadouts and settings, keep the backups from both Documents/GroundBranch and %LOCALAPPDATA%/GroundBranch outside those locations.
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- Back up both local-data locations.
- Uninstall Ground Branch through Steam.
- After Steam finishes, remove only the remaining Ground Branch installation and user-data directories identified by the official clean-reinstall guidance.
- Install the game again, launch it once, and test a new loadout before restoring files.
If a clean installation still cannot create or update files, reinstalling again will not fix the underlying Windows block. Concentrate on security software, OneDrive and account permissions.
Which remedy should you try?
| Remedy | Data risk | Reversible? | What it addresses |
|---|---|---|---|
Allow GroundBranch-Win64-Shipping.exe in Controlled Folder Access or antivirus |
Low | Yes; remove the exception later | Security software blocking writes |
| Clear Read-only, repair your account’s Modify permission, or pause OneDrive | Low | Yes | Folder attributes, Windows access changes and synchronization conflicts |
Rename or delete Documents/GroundBranch and let the game recreate it |
Medium to high without a backup | Yes if renamed and preserved | Damaged or incorrectly inherited Documents data and permissions |
Clear %LOCALAPPDATA%/GroundBranch/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor |
High for settings and loadouts | Yes only with a backup | Corrupt or incompatible configuration, especially after updates |
| Verify Steam files or perform a clean reinstall | Medium to high if user data is removed | Reinstall is possible; deleted data requires a backup | Damaged installation files or persistent update-related failures |
Common mistakes that prolong the error
- Allowing the launcher but not the game: the blocked file is usually
GroundBranch-Win64-Shipping.exe, not Steam itself. - Testing while the game is still open: Windows may keep files locked, and a reset can be incomplete.
- Deleting before backing up: local loadouts and settings may not be recoverable afterward.
- Disabling all antivirus protection: this hides the cause and reduces security instead of creating a precise exception.
- Restoring every old configuration file at once: that can reintroduce the damaged file you just removed.
- Assuming verification repairs permissions: Steam can replace missing installation files but cannot generally change a Windows Security or OneDrive policy.
When to seek support
Contact Steam Support or the Ground Branch community when the executable is allowed, a freshly recreated Documents folder is still unwritable, and the LocalAppData reset and file verification have not changed the behavior. Include your Windows version, whether Documents is managed by OneDrive, the security software installed, the exact step that triggers the error, and which folders you tested. Do not upload private files from your Documents folder unless support specifically requests them.
Ground Branch is developed by BlackFoot Studios and published by MicroProse Software. Their official update notes and developer-supported discussions are the most relevant references for version-specific reset instructions; the documented guidance does not establish a universal success rate or a single cause on every PC.
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