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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Before uninstalling Steam or moving to another PC, verify that each game has finished syncing to Steam Cloud, then make a separate copy of saves that are not confirmed to sync. Steam’s game backup and preserving its steamapps folder can keep installation files, but neither guarantees that your saves are protected.
The key is to treat each game’s progress as its own backup task. Cloud support varies by game, save folders differ, and an installed game is not necessarily a game whose save is safe. Keep the old copy until you have opened the game on the destination PC and confirmed the progress you wanted is there.
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Choose a backup method for each game
There is no single Steam-wide save backup that covers every game. Steam Cloud support and the files it uploads are determined game by game: developers can customize which user files are uploaded. A game may use Cloud for some files but not the save you care about. Check the game’s support information and treat saves separately whenever coverage is uncertain. See Steam Support’s Steam Cloud FAQ.
| Approach | What it can preserve | What to verify | Old PC needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Cloud | Only the files the game is configured to sync; this may include saves. | Confirm the game supports Cloud and that its latest sync completed. Check conflicts rather than choosing blindly. | Access to the old PC is useful to confirm and complete its pending sync. |
| Manual save copy | The game-specific save files you locate and copy. | Find the correct folder, copy it to a separate location, then restore it to the correct place and test in the game. | Yes, if the only current copy is on that PC. Afterward, the saved copy can be moved to the destination PC. |
Steam Backup Feature or steamapps preservation |
Compatible game installation files; preserving steamapps can retain downloaded game content. |
Do not assume this contains saves. Keep a separate save copy and confirm the progress in-game. | Access to the old PC is needed to create or move the installation backup. |
For many players, the safest practical plan is to confirm Cloud sync, manually copy any saves that Cloud coverage does not establish, and retain game installation files separately only if reinstalling them would be inconvenient. These protect different things: a game that is installed is not necessarily a game whose save is backed up.
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Cloud is convenient when the game syncs the wanted files and the sync has completed, but it can leave uncertainty about which files are covered or which version should win after offline play. A manual copy gives you a distinct copy of the save files you found, but you must identify the right folder and restore it correctly. Steam’s Backup Feature and steamapps preservation are useful for game installation content, not a substitute for checking saves. You can use more than one approach: Cloud plus a manual copy is a sensible choice when progress matters and coverage is unclear.
Before you uninstall or leave the old PC
- Check Cloud support for every game. Open the game’s Steam Store page and look for the Steam Cloud logo. In the Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, and inspect the General tab for its Cloud synchronization setting. Steam’s Cloud FAQ explains that game developers decide which user files are uploaded, so the logo alone is not proof that every desired save is included. Make a small list of the games you plan to remove or move and check them individually; one game’s Cloud behavior does not establish another’s.
- Bring the old PC online and let sync finish. Check the game’s sync status and wait for it to complete before closing Steam or relying on another PC. If Steam reports an error, resolve it rather than dismissing it and launching anyway: Steam warns that proceeding can create a conflict or lose progress. If you played offline, a sync may still be pending. In that case, reconnect the old PC, open Steam, and allow it to attempt synchronization before uninstalling or shutting down the machine for good.
- Copy saves when Cloud coverage is absent or unclear. Locate the game’s save folder and copy it somewhere outside the Steam installation and outside the folder you plan to remove. On Windows,
C:Users[user]DocumentsMy Gamesis a useful place to check for many third-party games that do not use Steam Cloud, but it is not a universal location. Steam says save paths vary by game. Check the game’s Steam Community information or its developer or publisher support page if the location is not clear. Copy the likely game-specific folder rather than moving or deleting the original. If the game’s guidance identifies more than one relevant folder, preserve the items it specifies. - Keep installation files separately if you want them. If uninstalling Steam on Windows but keeping downloaded games, move the
steamappsfolder outside the Steam installation directory first. Steam’s Uninstall Steam instructions cover this preservation step. It retains game installation content, not a guaranteed copy of local saves. If you use Steam’s Backup Feature instead, follow its separate instructions and remember that its purpose is compatible game files. - Test the copies before removing the original. On the destination PC, restore or copy a manual save to the game’s appropriate location, start the game, and check that the expected progress appears. Keep the old copy until you have verified the result. Steam recommends testing backup copies in its Steam Backup Feature instructions. A copy that exists on a drive but has not been tested is not yet a confirmed working restore.
If you are switching PCs, do the save and installation checks before you lose access to the old machine. If you are only uninstalling one game, the same principle applies: keep any manual save copy outside the folders being removed, and do not rely on a later reinstall to reconstruct local-only progress.
Find out where the save files are
Steam does not provide one universal folder for every game’s saves. The developer decides how and where a game stores them. Steam’s Moving a Steam Installation and Games guidance states this directly. A Windows player can start by checking C:Users[user]DocumentsMy Games, especially for third-party games without Cloud support, but should not assume a save will be there.
Use game-specific information rather than guessing
- Check the game’s Steam Community information for save-location guidance.
- Look at the game’s developer or publisher support page if the Community information does not resolve it.
- If you find a likely folder, make a copy without changing or deleting the original. Preserve the folder structure and filenames so the game can recognize them when restored.
- If the location remains unclear, ask the game’s developer or publisher rather than copying unrelated Steam folders and treating them as a complete save backup.
Steam’s guidance is explicit that each developer chooses how and where saves are stored. This is why a generic search for a Steam folder may not be enough: game files, Cloud-related data, and local save files are not necessarily kept together. Use the location specified for the particular game, and avoid assuming that a folder with the game’s name is complete merely because it contains some related files.
Steam’s local Cloud-related folders
Steam’s default local Cloud locations can help identify Cloud-related data, but they are not universal locations for every game save. Within userdata, account folders contain game folders identified by appID.
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| Operating system | Default local Cloud-related location |
|---|---|
| Windows | C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata |
| Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata |
These folders are useful context when investigating Cloud data, not a reason to assume every local save is inside userdata. Prefer the game’s own save-location guidance for a manual copy. The presence of an appID folder does not by itself tell you which files the game syncs, whether the latest session reached Cloud, or whether the folder is the right manual restore location.
What Steam Backup does—and does not—save
Steam’s Backup Feature is for compatible game files and can restore those files through Steam’s Restore Game Backup option. It is not a dependable all-saves archive. Steam specifically warns that backups for Valve-created games do not include saved games or certain custom content. For third-party games, save locations vary; Steam says these files may need to be copied into the corresponding folders after restoring the game.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSome games using third-party installers or downloaders are incompatible with the Steam Backup Feature. If it is available for your game, Steam provides it through the game’s Library Properties under Installed Files. Follow Steam’s instructions for using the feature, choose a destination for its backup files, and keep a separate manual save copy when needed. Restoring the game files and restoring your progress are separate checks: the game can reinstall correctly while the save still needs to be copied into its game-specific folder.
For preserving or restoring game installations more broadly, Steam recommends its Moving a Steam Installation and Games process. That, too, concerns installation files; it does not establish that every game save has been copied. Think of the game files and the save as two separate items to protect.
If you only want to preserve the downloaded installation while removing Steam on Windows, Steam’s uninstall guidance says to move steamapps outside the Steam directory before uninstalling. That can save time when reinstalling game content, but it should not be interpreted as a complete profile or save backup. Decide separately whether to preserve installation files and whether to make a manual save copy.
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Move the backup to another PC and verify it
A copied save is useful only if the destination game can find and read it. Use the game’s save-location instructions to restore the files; do not place them in a guessed folder simply because it is inside Steam. A portable external SSD or USB backup drive can hold a second copy of manually located saves, but storage alone does not identify, sync, or restore the correct files. Steam’s Backup Feature instructions also ask users to choose a destination and recommend testing the copy.
- Install the game on the destination PC and let Steam finish any Cloud synchronization before resolving a prompt or opening the game.
- If you made a manual copy, place the save in the game-specific location on the destination PC, retaining the structure and filenames from the original copy.
- Launch the game and check the relevant save slot, campaign, character, or other progress indicator. Do not delete the source copy until the game shows the progress you meant to preserve.
- If the game presents a Cloud conflict, pause and compare the options with your play history before choosing a version.
Keep the manual copy separate from any installation backup so that you can tell which item contains the save. If the destination game does not show the expected progress, avoid repeatedly overwriting files while guessing. Recheck the game-specific instructions and compare which copy is newer or corresponds to the session you intended to keep. Retain the old PC copy and the external backup until the restore is confirmed.
Resolve a Steam Cloud conflict or missing progress
When Steam offers conflicting versions
A conflict means local and Cloud files differ because they changed in two places without synchronizing. Steam cannot know which version you intended to keep. Compare the timestamps Steam shows with when you played, then choose according to your own save history. The newest timestamp often corresponds to the latest play session, but it is not automatically the right choice if, for example, you want a different earlier save. Offline play is a common cause of conflicts.
Do not treat the prompt as a routine confirmation. If you last played offline on the old PC, its local version may contain progress that has not reached Cloud. If you also played on the new PC, the Cloud version or new-PC files may reflect a different session. Use the displayed timestamps as clues and think about which machine you used most recently; preserve a separate copy where possible before selecting which version to keep. Steam cannot choose correctly on your behalf because it cannot infer which play history matters to you.
When the new PC has older progress or no save
- Check that the game uses Steam Cloud and confirm whether the old PC still has the save you want.
- If you can access the old PC, reopen Steam while it is online and see whether it can sync successfully. If it does, the destination PC may receive the newer progress on its next launch.
- If the old PC is unavailable and the game kept its save locally rather than in Cloud, the save may not be recoverable. Not all games use Steam Cloud for saves.
Do not overwrite a potentially newer local save until you have compared the available versions and, where possible, preserved a separate copy. Steam’s Cloud guidance describes sync behavior and the possibility of conflicts. If the old PC still has the wanted files, keep it intact while you try to bring Steam online and let the game sync; do not assume that reinstalling the game will recreate progress that existed only in a local folder.
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Do not mistake Local Network Game Transfers for save transfer
Steam’s Local Network Game Transfers move game installation and update content between computers on a local network. They do not transfer local save games or configuration files, and do not transfer Steam Workshop or Steam Cloud files. Use the separate save-copy and sync steps above for progress. Steam lists these limits in its Local Network Game Transfers support page.
This feature can be useful when the goal is to move installation content without downloading it again, but it does not replace Cloud synchronization or a manual save copy. After a network transfer, still check the game’s Cloud status and restore any local-only save files separately.
A practical checklist before removing the old copy
- Each game’s Cloud support and sync status have been checked individually.
- Any save without confirmed Cloud coverage has been located and copied outside the folders being removed.
- If you want the installed game files, you have separately preserved the relevant installation backup or, on Windows, moved
steamappsbefore uninstalling. - The destination PC has launched the game and shown the progress you wanted to keep.
- The old save remains available until that verification is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I back up Steam game saves before uninstalling?
For each game, check its Steam Cloud support and wait for the old PC’s sync to complete. If Cloud coverage for the save is absent or unclear, find the game-specific save folder and copy it somewhere outside the folders you plan to remove. If you also want the installed game files, preserve those separately. Test the save on the destination PC before deleting the original.
Where are Steam save files stored?
There is no universal Steam save folder. Developers decide how and where each game stores saves. On Windows, C:Users[user]DocumentsMy Games is a useful place to check for many third-party games without Cloud support, but paths vary. Check the game’s Steam Community information or developer or publisher support page for its location.
Will Steam Cloud save my progress on a new PC?
It may, if the game supports Steam Cloud, syncs the save files you need, and the old PC completed its sync. Cloud behavior is game-specific, so check the Store page and the game’s Library Properties. If you played offline or see a sync error or conflict, do not assume the newest progress has uploaded.
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Does Steam Backup include save files?
Not reliably. Steam’s Backup Feature backs up compatible game files, and some games using third-party installers or downloaders are incompatible. Steam specifically notes that backups for Valve-created games do not include saved games or certain custom content. Keep a separate save copy when needed and test the restore.
How do I transfer saves that are not on Steam Cloud?
Find the particular game’s save folder using its Community information or developer or publisher support page, copy it to a separate location, and move that copy to the destination PC. Restore it to the game-specific location while preserving its folder structure and filenames, then launch the game and verify the progress. Keep the source copy until the check succeeds.
What should I do if Steam shows a Cloud conflict?
Compare the timestamps shown with when you played on each PC. The newest file often reflects the latest session, but choose based on your actual save history; Steam cannot determine which version you intended. Offline play can cause conflicts. Preserve a separate copy when possible before choosing.
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Do Local Network Game Transfers move my saves too?
No. Steam’s Local Network Game Transfers move game installation and update content, not local save games or configuration files. They also do not transfer Steam Workshop or Steam Cloud files. Use Cloud sync or a separate manual save copy for progress.
The Bottom Line
Before uninstalling Steam or switching PCs, confirm Cloud sync for each game, separately copy any save whose Cloud coverage is uncertain, and keep installation files apart from save files. Restore and open the game on the destination PC, confirm the expected progress, and only then remove the old copy.
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