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On Windows, The Forest saves are normally in C:Users<username>AppDataLocalLowSKSTheForest; enter %appdata%..LocalLowSKSTheForest in File Explorer to open it. A Linux or Steam Deck installation running the Windows build through Proton uses Steam’s compatdata242760 prefix instead. Multiplayer data is split between the host’s world and each player’s character, so copy the entire save root rather than one file. Dedicated servers use a separate SKS directory and can be redirected with their configured save-folder setting.
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Save locations by platform
Windows PC
Open File Explorer, click the address bar, and enter:
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%appdata%..LocalLowSKSTheForest
Press Enter. Windows normally resolves that shortcut to:
C:Users<YourUsername>AppDataLocalLowSKSTheForest
The AppData directory is hidden by default, which is why the environment-variable path is convenient. You do not need to enable hidden files when you use the address-bar shortcut. The root can contain SteamID-named directories as well as the folders used for single-player and multiplayer saves.
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Linux and Steam Deck with Proton
For the Flatpak Steam layout documented for Proton, the path is:
/home/<YourUsername>/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/242760/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/SKS/TheForest/
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute242760 is The Forest’s Steam application ID. The path above reflects Flatpak Steam; a native package, a different Steam library, or another Proton setup can place compatdata elsewhere. If you cannot find the folder, locate the Steam library that contains the game, open its steamapps/compatdata/242760 directory, and follow pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/SKS/TheForest from there.
What each save area contains
A save is not necessarily one file. The game separates world state, player state, and server data, especially in co-op. This is why copying only a recently modified file can produce an incomplete restore.
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| Save role | Where to look | What it represents | Migration warning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-player | Inside the main SKSTheForest root |
Your solo world and its associated player information | Copy the complete root so all related files remain together. |
| Multiplayer host | Host-side multiplayer save areas beneath the main root | The shared world: buildings, terrain changes, inventories stored in the world, and other session state | The host’s world is not interchangeable with a client’s character folder. |
| Multiplayer client | The relevant SteamID directory, including the documented MultiPlayercs area |
Your player-character data when joining someone else’s world | Moving only this area does not move the host’s world. |
| Dedicated server | Normally C:Users<username>AppDataLocalLowSKSTheForestDedicatedServerdsmultiplayerslot1 on Windows |
The server’s multiplayer world and slot data | A custom saveFolderPath overrides the default; use the configured directory instead. |
The game documentation describes separate information for servers and Steam users, while a Steam Community technical explanation places client-character data under the SteamID directory and MultiPlayercs. In practical terms, treat the entire save root as the unit of backup. That approach preserves the host world and player-specific data together even when you are not certain which subfolder a particular slot uses.
Back up The Forest safely
Make a backup before editing files, changing computers, installing a server, or attempting a recovery. A backup made while the game is writing can capture a partial state, so close every program that may be using the save first.
- Exit the game. Quit The Forest normally and confirm it is no longer running. If you administer a dedicated server, stop that server as well so its autosave process is finished.
- Open the correct root. Use the Windows or Proton path above. For a dedicated server, use the directory selected by
saveFolderPath; if that setting was never changed, check the defaultTheForestDedicatedServerdsmultiplayerslot1location. - Copy the whole folder. Copy
TheForestand everything below it to another location. For a dedicated server, copy the configured save directory (and retain its slot structure) rather than selecting one individual file. - Use a separate destination. Another internal drive, an external drive, or a USB flash drive for game saves can serve as the second copy. Do not cut or drag the original away; use Copy and Paste so the live save remains untouched.
- Label the backup. Include the date and context, such as “The Forest co-op host” or “dedicated server slot 1,” so you can distinguish it from an older solo save.
- Verify the copy. Open the destination and confirm that the expected SteamID directories, multiplayer folders, or server slot are present. A backup that contains only an empty parent folder is not usable.
Steam’s general backup guidance notes that third-party games can store saves in different locations and that restoration requires putting files back into their corresponding folders. Applying that rule to The Forest means preserving the directory hierarchy, not flattening all files into one folder.
Restore a save without overwriting the wrong slot
- Close The Forest and stop any dedicated server that uses the save.
- Keep the current save root as a temporary safety copy. Rename it, for example, to
TheForest-current-before-restore, rather than deleting it immediately. - Copy the backed-up folder contents into the matching original path. Preserve the same SteamID directories, multiplayer subfolders, and server slot names.
- For a dedicated server, restore into the directory that the server currently uses. If its configuration points to a custom
saveFolderPath, restoring to the default directory will not change what the server loads. - Start the game or server and select the intended single-player or multiplayer slot. Check the world before removing the temporary copy.
If the restored world is not the expected one, close the game again and put the temporary current folder back. This lets you re-check which backup date and slot you selected without destroying the newer files.
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Moving a co-op save to another computer
When you are the host
Copy the complete TheForest root from the old computer and place it at the equivalent path on the new one. The host’s world and the client-character information are separate, so transferring only the host’s most recently changed file can leave players, inventories, or world state out of sync. After copying, launch the game on the new computer and verify the host slot before inviting anyone.
When you are a client joining someone else’s world
Your character data is associated with your SteamID directory and the multiplayer client area, including the documented MultiPlayercs location. Preserve that directory when moving to a new installation. It does not contain the host’s shared world; the host must provide the world save separately.
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The save format is stored inside the same Windows-style AppDataLocalLowSKSTheForest tree, but the outer path changes. Copy the folder contents from the Windows location into the corresponding Proton prefix path, keeping the internal structure unchanged. On Linux or Steam Deck, ensure you place it under the Steam installation and app ID that the running copy of The Forest actually uses.
Dedicated-server saves and slots
A dedicated server does not normally load the desktop game’s regular save root. The documented Windows default is:
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C:Users<username>AppDataLocalLowSKSTheForestDedicatedServerdsmultiplayerslot1
The server guide also documents a saveFolderPath setting that can redirect saves and an autosave interval. The configured path is authoritative: inspect the server configuration before backing up or restoring. If the server uses more than one slot, repeat the backup for each slot that players need; restoring slot1 will not restore a different slot.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Stop the server before copying its files. After a migration, start it with the same save-folder configuration, connect as an administrator or player, and check that the expected world loads. If it starts a new world, stop it and re-check the configured path and slot rather than allowing the new state to overwrite the old backup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does Steam Cloud protect The Forest saves?
Steam Cloud can synchronize saves between installations, but it is not a complete archival or recovery plan. Steam Support explicitly states: “Steam Support cannot recover lost saves or assist in resolving cloud conflicts.” A cloud copy can therefore be missing, outdated, or in conflict with the local folder.
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Keep an independent copy of the save root on another disk, removable storage, or independently managed cloud storage. That second copy is separate from Steam Cloud and should be verified as an actual folder containing the expected files. If Steam displays a cloud conflict, preserve the local save folder first, then choose deliberately which version to keep; do not click through the prompt before making that safety copy.
Troubleshooting missing or apparently reset saves
The Windows shortcut opens the wrong place
Confirm that you entered %appdata%..LocalLowSKSTheForest exactly, with no quotation marks or trailing filename. If the folder is empty, check that you are using the Windows account that runs Steam and that The Forest has been launched at least once under that account.
The save is missing on Linux or Steam Deck
Look inside the Steam library’s steamapps/compatdata/242760 directory rather than assuming every installation uses the Flatpak prefix. Follow the path through pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/SKS/TheForest. A different Steam package or library location can change only the outer directories; the internal SKS path remains the part to identify.
The host’s world loads but a player’s character is wrong
This usually indicates that the world and client-character areas were not moved together, or that the wrong SteamID directory was restored. Replace the current folder with your complete backup and restore the matching SteamID and multiplayer structures as one unit.
A dedicated server starts a fresh world
Check the server’s saveFolderPath and slot configuration. The files may be intact in the default directory while the server is configured to read a custom location, or the reverse. Stop the server, correct the path, and restore the slot only after confirming which directory is active.
Steam Cloud offers conflicting versions
Do not treat the cloud prompt as a backup. Copy the current local root to a separate destination first, then compare dates and contents. Once you choose the desired version, restore that folder while the game is closed and verify the slot in-game.
A practical backup plan
- Keep one untouched copy of the entire desktop or server save root.
- Keep a second copy on a different storage device; a USB flash drive for game saves is sufficient for a small manual archive.
- Label copies with date, platform, role, and slot.
- Back up before every migration, manual edit, or server configuration change.
- Test a copy by opening its folders and, when needed, restoring it while the game is closed.
The key distinction is role: Windows and Proton use different outer paths, co-op hosts and clients use different multiplayer data, and dedicated servers use their own SKS directory and configured slot. Once you preserve the complete folder for the role you actually use, moving or recovering a The Forest save becomes a controlled copy-and-restore operation rather than a guess at which file matters.
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