To preserve a modded game, back up more than its load-order list. Save the mod manager’s profiles and configuration, installed mods and downloaded archives, game files, saves, and game-specific settings as separate groups. Their locations depend on the game, manager, instance type, and your own path settings, so verify those paths before copying or deleting anything.
What to back up
A load order records how mods or plugins are arranged; it does not contain the mods themselves or recreate a complete setup. Preserve these layers separately:
- Manager state: profiles, enabled-mod lists, rules, plugin order, sorting settings, and installer choices where supported.
- Mod files: installed mod folders and downloaded archives, plus staging, overwrite, or other custom folders used by your manager.
- Game files: the game installation and any manually installed files, particularly files placed in the game’s root folder.
- User data: saves and game-specific configuration. These may be outside both the game installation and the manager’s folders.
Before copying, identify the game, operating system, manager, and active profile or instance. In the manager’s settings, note the actual paths for the installation or instance, profiles, mods, downloads, staging, overwrite, and any custom locations. Record the manager and game versions if the restoration depends on them. Close the game and manager before copying, and save a manifest, screenshots, or text export of the enabled mods and order when available.
Choose backup layers that match what you need to restore
| Backup layer | What it preserves | What it does not guarantee | Restoration considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager-aware backup | Profiles, configuration, mod files and archives, and ordering information, if you copy the relevant configured paths. | It does not automatically include the game installation, saves, or files stored elsewhere. | Restore to the appropriate paths and verify the manager recognizes the instance and files. |
| Steam game-file backup | A copy of eligible game files handled through Steam. | Valve says backups of Valve-created games omit saved games, custom multiplayer maps, and configuration files. Third-party save locations vary. | Restore through Steam, then restore separately saved data to the appropriate locations. |
| Cloud synchronization | Game-specific data supported by that game’s Steam Cloud implementation, which may include saves or settings. | It is not a whole-setup copy of manager profiles, installed mods, and archives. Unsynchronized edits in two locations can conflict. | Resolve conflicts deliberately; keep your own copy before choosing when the intended version is unclear. |
| Separate local storage | Whatever folders you copy to an independently stored drive or other destination. | It does not update itself unless you make another copy, and it is not off-site if stored beside the PC. | Keep it separate from the original files and test that the copy can be read and restored. |
These methods complement one another. A manager-aware copy protects the modded setup; Steam’s backup addresses eligible Steam game files; cloud sync may help with supported game data. A removable drive such as an external SSD is optional. A hard drive or another independent destination can also work, depending on the amount of data and portability you need.
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Back up the complete setup
- Close the game and mod manager. This reduces the chance that files change while you copy them.
- Make a path inventory. Use the manager’s settings and confirm the active profile or instance. Include custom paths rather than assuming a default location.
- Copy manager data and mod content. Include the instance or installation, configured profiles, mod folders, downloaded archives, staging or overwrite folders, and any other manager paths that matter to your setup.
- Copy game and user files separately. Preserve the game installation, manually installed root-folder files, saves, and game-specific configuration. Check the game’s own documentation for save locations if you do not know them.
- Save ordering information. Export or record enabled mods, plugin order, sorting rules, and required installer choices where the manager allows it. Treat this as a reference, not a substitute for the files above.
- Keep an untouched copy and verify it. Store the backup separately from the originals. Check that important folders and files are present and readable; do not rely on the backup until you have tested restoration or integrity.
Move a Mod Organizer 2 instance or game
The Mod Organizer 2 project wiki’s “Moving things” instructions, last modified 22 March 2022, describe moving the files manually and then updating MO2’s paths. The exact behavior can depend on the MO2 version and instance configuration, so check the current project documentation and your own Paths settings before acting.
Moving MO2 to another computer
For the migration described by the project wiki, include %LOCALAPPDATA%ModOrganizer for global instances and global settings, the MO2 installation folder—which also contains a portable instance if you use one—and any custom folders configured in each instance’s Paths settings. The guide says registry settings need not be transferred for that migration because they hold the last-opened-instance and other options.
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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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Moving a folder used by an instance
- Make a profile backup first. Changing folders can reset mod and load orders.
- Close MO2 and manually copy the old folder’s contents to the new location. As the project wiki puts it: “Mod Organizer will not move files by itself. They have to be moved manually.”
- Start MO2 and update the relevant folder under Settings > Paths.
- Restore the mod and load orders if needed, then check that the instance recognizes the intended files and configuration.
- Remove the old folder only after you have checked the new setup and confirmed the backup is intact.
Moving the game MO2 manages
- Exit MO2, move or reinstall the game, and run it at least once.
- MO2 2.4 and later are described by the project wiki as able to detect a new game location. If it does not, set the location under Settings > Paths > Managed game.
- Check every executable configured in MO2. The guide says executable paths are not updated automatically when the game moves.
Use Steam’s backup and restore feature for eligible game files
Valve says Steam Backup applies to games that download, install, and patch completely through Steam; games that use third-party installers or downloaders may not work with it. Valve also notes that its backups of Valve-created games do not include saves, custom multiplayer maps, or configuration files. For third-party games, save locations vary by developer, so copy any needed extra files separately and restore them to their corresponding locations.
- In Steam, open Library, right-click the game, and choose Properties > Installed Files > Backup game files.
- Select a destination and create the backup.
- To restore, choose Steam > Restore Game Backup and follow the prompts.
- Afterward, restore any separately backed-up saves, configuration, custom content, or manual files that the Steam backup did not include.
Steam’s support instructions recommend testing backup copies after creation. Steam’s labels can change, so if the path differs in your client, consult the current Steam support instructions rather than assuming another menu item is equivalent.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Understand what Steam Cloud can and cannot restore
Steam Cloud can store several types of game-specific data, including saves and settings, but coverage depends on the game. It does not replace a copy of mod-manager profiles, installed mods, archives, or other local files. Valve warns that changing a file in two locations without synchronization can cause a conflict that may lose progress. Before resolving an ambiguous conflict, keep a separate copy of the relevant files; when Steam presents a conflict dialog, choose the copy you intend to keep rather than dismissing it without checking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Vortex and other mod managers
Folder names and deployment behavior differ across managers and games. A Steam Community guide from 2020-era material describes Vortex profiles as able to separate enabled mod lists, game settings, and saves, and gives a Skyrim Special Edition loadorder.txt location under local AppData. Treat that as context, not a universal current path. Consult the current Vortex documentation and confirm the actual profile, staging, download, and deployment paths in your installation. Copying one load-order text file does not recreate a complete Vortex setup.
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- Compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. {Compatible with PlayStation 4 Pro or PS4 with system software version 4.50 or higher, PlayStation 5 (Play and store PS4 games; archive PS5 games), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S (Play and store Xbox One games; archive Xbox Series X|S games).}
- Keep more of the latest and largest titles installed and ready to launch with capacities of up to 2TB. (1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.)
- Built with WD_BLACK toughness thanks to a shock-resistant structure, this durable drive can survive a drop of up to two-meters.
For any manager, confirm how it stores and deploys files before restoring. Some setups use manager-controlled folders; others may have files deployed into or around the game installation. Preserve the configured paths and verify the restored game launches with the intended profile before deleting the original copy.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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