The Tool Desk
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Close Satisfactory before copying, replacing, or restoring anything. Make a copy of the complete SaveGames folder before changing branches, moving between computers, or responding to a cloud-sync conflict.
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Where Satisfactory saves are stored on Windows
Use this exact location in File Explorer:
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames
- Exit Satisfactory completely. Do not copy a file while the game is saving.
- Open File Explorer.
- Click the address bar, paste
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames, and press Enter. - Open the numbered or alphanumeric account-ID folder inside
SaveGames. - Look for files ending in
.sav. Sort them by Modified date to identify the most recent manual save or autosave.
The parent path is shared by the Windows Steam and Epic releases. The account-ID subfolder separates saves associated with each installation or account, so do not assume that every .sav file in the parent directory belongs to the copy of the game you currently opened.
What the account-ID folders mean
Steam and Epic can create different subfolders beneath the same SaveGames directory. Their names are usually made of numbers or other account-identifying characters rather than a readable profile name. Your world files are inside those folders, not directly in the parent directory.
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If you have used both launchers, open each account-ID folder and check the save names and modification dates. Copying a file from the wrong folder can make it appear that a world is missing when the save is still present under the other account ID.
How to identify the right save file
Satisfactory can have manual saves and autosaves with similar timestamps. Use the file date together with the in-game save name rather than relying on the filename alone.
- Close the game.
- Open the Windows save location.
- Enter the account-ID folder that contains your worlds.
- Switch File Explorer to Details view and sort by Modified date.
- Compare the newest files with the time you last played and the names you remember from the Load Game screen.
- Before opening, editing, or transferring anything, copy the entire account-ID folder to a separate location.
Keeping the whole folder is safer than copying one file because it preserves every manual save and autosave that may be useful if your first choice is damaged or outdated.
Finding Satisfactory saves on Steam
The Windows Steam version uses the same parent directory shown above. Steam saves are stored in the Steam account-ID folder beneath SaveGames.
If the Steam folder is not there
A Steam account folder may not be created until Satisfactory has made at least one Steam save. Start the Steam version, create or load a game, make a new save, and exit. Then open %LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames again. The new Steam account folder should appear beside any existing Epic folder.
When moving a world from Epic to Steam, or from Steam to Epic, place a copy of the relevant .sav files in the destination launcher’s account-ID folder. Keep the original folder untouched until you have opened the copied world successfully in the destination installation.
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Finding Satisfactory saves on Epic Games
Epic uses the same Windows parent path, but its files are kept under the Epic account-ID folder. If you moved from Epic to Steam, the Epic folder can remain visible even after the Steam folder is created.
Do not delete the old folder after a transfer merely because the new launcher can see the world. Retain it as your rollback copy until you have confirmed that the destination game loads, saves, and exits normally.
How to move a save to another PC
The dependable method is a manual copy. Cloud synchronization can help, but it can also present a conflict when the local and cloud versions differ.
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- On the original PC, close Satisfactory.
- Open
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames. - Copy the complete account-ID folder containing your world files to a USB flash drive or another storage location that the game does not use.
- On the destination PC, install and start the same launcher version once, create a test save, and exit. This allows the destination account folder to be created if it does not already exist.
- Open the destination PC’s
SaveGamesdirectory. - Copy the saved
.savfiles into the destination account-ID folder. Keep the existing destination files until you have made a separate backup. - Start Satisfactory and check the Load Game screen.
- Open the transferred world, verify that the factory and player progress are present, make a new manual save, and exit before deleting any old copy.
A transfer between Steam and Epic still uses this folder-copy approach, but the source and destination account-ID folders can have different names. Copy the files into the folder created by the launcher you will actually use.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBranch compatibility and version changes
Back up before switching between the stable and Experimental branches. The developer has warned that Experimental changes can have unexpected side effects, and the official guidance is to back up saves before trying it. A branch change can also trigger a cloud-sync conflict, particularly when you move a save between platforms or continue on another computer.
Where Satisfactory saves are on Linux and Steam Deck
On Linux and Steam Deck, Satisfactory runs through Steam Play with Proton. Its saves are inside the Proton prefix for Steam application ID 526870, rather than in the normal Windows user folder exposed directly by the operating system.
Start at the Steam library’s steamapps/compatdata/526870/pfx directory. Within that prefix, follow the path ending in:
FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/{YOUR STEAM ID}
The final folder is your Steam account-ID folder and contains the .sav files.
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Steam Deck’s file browser hides some directories by default. Turn on the file browser’s option to show hidden files before browsing to the Proton prefix. If you cannot see the relevant Steam library or prefix, check that hidden-file display is enabled and that you are looking in the library where Satisfactory is installed.
Copying a Deck save
- Close Satisfactory on the Deck.
- In Desktop Mode, enable hidden files in the file browser.
- Open the Steam library’s
steamapps/compatdata/526870/pfxdirectory. - Navigate to
FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGamesand then your Steam ID folder. - Copy the complete account-ID folder to another storage location before replacing or testing files.
The same principle applies when moving between a Deck and a Windows PC: preserve the original folder, then place a copy of the .sav files in the destination installation’s account-ID folder.
Backups, overwrite recovery, and autosaves
The independent backup that protects every save
The safest routine is to copy the complete SaveGames folder to storage the game does not use, such as a USB flash drive or another separate location. This gives you control over which version to restore and protects you if cloud synchronization propagates an unwanted change.
Make a backup before:
- Switching stable and Experimental branches.
- Moving a save between Steam and Epic.
- Continuing the same world on another PC or Steam Deck.
- Replacing a file, renaming folders, or testing a suspected recovery copy.
- Choosing Upload or Download in a cloud-conflict dialog.
The SaveGames_backup folder
The official wiki documents a SaveGames_backup folder under %LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames. When a manual save overwrites another save, the previous version can be placed there. If your latest manual save replaced an earlier one, inspect this folder before assuming the old version is gone.
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This mechanism is not a complete backup system. An autosave does not necessarily create an overwrite backup unless the file is manually overwritten. Keep your own independent copy instead of relying on SaveGames_backup for every recovery.
Recovering an overwritten manual save
- Exit Satisfactory.
- Make a full copy of the current
SaveGamesfolder, includingSaveGames_backup. - Open
SaveGames_backupand sort its contents by Modified date. - Identify the earlier version that matches the world and time you need.
- Copy that file to a separate working folder first. Do not immediately delete the current save.
- After preserving both versions, place the recovery copy in the correct account-ID folder and test it in the game.
If the required version was only an autosave and was never manually overwritten, the overwrite-backup folder may not contain it.
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Cloud synchronization is convenient, but it can make version selection less obvious. Conflicts are more likely after changing game versions, moving between platforms, or opening the same world on another computer.
When a conflict prompt offers an upload or download choice, preserve the local files first. Copy the complete account-ID folder to another location, then decide which version is authoritative. Uploading can replace the cloud copy; downloading can replace the local copy. Without an independent copy, choosing the wrong option can remove the version you intended to keep.
After resolving a conflict, open the world and make a new manual save. Exit normally and confirm that the new save’s Modified date changes in the local folder before removing older backups.
Manual saves, autosaves, and overwrite backups compared
| Save type | Where to look | Recovery value | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual save | The account-ID folder under SaveGames |
Usually easiest to identify by its chosen save name and timestamp | Overwriting it can move the previous version to SaveGames_backup |
| Autosave | The same account-ID folder | Can provide a more recent playable state than your last manual save | An autosave is not guaranteed to create an overwrite backup |
| Overwrite backup | SaveGames_backup under the SaveGames directory |
May restore a previous version after a manual overwrite | It is not a substitute for an independent copy of the folder |
Local copies, cloud sync, and removable storage
| Method | Control over version selection | Best use | Risk to manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local account-ID folder | Immediate access to the files currently on that device | Normal play and quick inspection | A mistaken replacement or version change can affect the only copy |
| Cloud synchronization | Depends on the conflict dialog and which side you choose | Keeping progress available across computers | Upload or download can overwrite the version you meant to keep |
| Separate storage copy | Highest control because you choose when to restore it | Branch changes, transfers, and recovery | You must create and maintain the copy yourself |
Troubleshooting missing or unrecognized saves
The SaveGames directory looks empty
Start the game, create and save a small test world, exit, and open the path again. On Steam, the account-ID folder may not exist until the first Steam save is created. Also confirm that File Explorer expanded the environment variable correctly by pasting the full path exactly.
You see files but no world in the Load Game screen
Check every numbered or alphanumeric folder beneath SaveGames. Steam and Epic can use separate account-ID folders. Make sure you copied the .sav file into the destination launcher’s account-ID folder rather than directly into the parent directory.
The newest save is missing after moving computers
Check the source computer’s account-ID folder, the destination folder, and SaveGames_backup. Sort by Modified date, and remember that cloud synchronization may have selected a different local or cloud version.
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The Deck cannot see the Proton folders
Use Desktop Mode and enable hidden files in the file browser. Then browse to the Steam library containing steamapps/compatdata/526870/pfx; the prefix may not be visible while hidden-file display is disabled.
A cloud conflict appears after a transfer
Do not choose Upload or Download immediately. Close the game, copy the local account-ID folder somewhere separate, and only then choose the cloud direction that matches the version you want to retain.
Quick Recap
A safe Satisfactory save-file routine
- Close Satisfactory before touching files.
- Copy the complete
SaveGamesfolder before transfers, branch changes, or recovery. - Keep Steam and Epic account-ID folders separate and label your copies by launcher and date.
- Use Modified dates and in-game save names together when selecting a file.
- Inspect
SaveGames_backupafter a manual overwrite, but do not depend on it for autosave recovery. - Resolve cloud conflicts only after preserving the local copy.
- After restoring or transferring, load the world, make a new manual save, and verify that it appears in the destination folder.
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