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On a Steam install, the original Half-Life keeps its single-player saves in a SAVE folder inside valve, within the game’s own folder. Half-Life: Source is a separate game and uses a different folder, hl1/save, inside the Half-Life 2 install. Both folders sit under your Steam library’s steamapps/common directory, and the exact drive and path depend on where you installed Steam games.
Exact save folder for each game
The two games store saves in different places, so confirm which one you are running before you look.
| Game | Steam app ID | Save folder (inside your Steam library) | Save file pattern | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-Life (original GoldSource release) | 70 | steamapps/common/Half-Life/valve/SAVE |
.sav |
SteamDB cloud configuration for app 70 (record updated 2026-09-24); Steam Community guide “Half-Life – Save Files Location” (updated 2021-05-04) |
| Half-Life: Source | 280 | steamapps/common/Half-Life 2/hl1/save |
.sav |
SteamDB cloud configuration for app 280 (record updated 2026-07-21) |
How to open the folder in Steam
Because Steam lets you install libraries on any drive, do not assume the default C:Program Files (x86)Steam location. Let Steam show you the real path.
- In your Steam Library, right-click Half-Life (or Half-Life: Source).
- Choose Properties, then use Browse local files. This opens the game’s installation root.
- For the original Half-Life, open
valve, thenSAVE. - For Half-Life: Source, go up to the Half-Life 2 install root, then open
hl1, thensave. - Look for files ending in
.sav. A Steam Community guide usesHalf-Life-000.savas an example name. Treat it as an illustration; your filenames may differ.
Save files that appear in the folder
- Files use the
.savextension. Do not rename or edit them to change their names. - If the folder is empty or does not exist, the game may never have written a single-player save on this machine, or the save may live on a different machine or Steam account (see the Steam Cloud section below).
- Mods can use their own game directories. A saved game from a mod will not necessarily appear in
valve/SAVE.
Backing up or moving saves
Steam’s built-in backup does not protect your saves for Valve-created games. Steam Support’s guidance on the Steam Backup feature states that backups for Valve-created games do not include saved games, and it names SAVE as the single-player save folder you need to copy yourself.
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- Close Half-Life completely so the game is not writing to the folder.
- Copy the entire
SAVEfolder, not individual files, to a safe location. - To restore or move saves, place the copied
SAVEfolder back under the matching game’svalvedirectory (for the original Half-Life) orhl1directory (for Half-Life: Source).
Steam Cloud and missing saves
If a save seems to have disappeared, Steam Cloud is the most common reason the copy you expect is on a different machine. Steam Support’s Steam Cloud guidance says games can store saves in Steam Cloud, and that when Cloud is disabled, progress stays on the machine where it was made.
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- Confirm you are signed in to the same Steam account that played the game.
- Check whether the same save exists on another PC where you also play. Cloud sync can make the newest copy appear on one machine but not another.
- Steam Support states that it cannot recover lost saves or resolve Cloud sync conflicts. These are general Steam statements; the guidance does not describe a Half-Life-specific conflict workflow, so keep a manual copy of the
SAVEfolder before you change machines.
What this answer does and does not cover
- The paths describe the Steam installation layout. They do not describe older CD-based installs or non-Steam copies, which may use other folders.
- SteamDB records the original Half-Life as Valve’s GoldSource game with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The save folder above is the Steam layout, so check the install on your own system if it differs.
- Steam’s documentation is current as of the dates listed above; file locations for the games themselves have not been stated by their publisher in a separate primary document for this article.
Sources
- Steam Support, “Using the Steam Backup Feature” (accessed 2026-10-08).
- Steam Support, “Steam Cloud” (accessed 2026-10-08).
- SteamDB, “Half-Life Cloud Saves,” app 70 configuration (record updated 2026-09-24).
- SteamDB, “Half-Life: Source Cloud Saves,” app 280 configuration (record updated 2026-07-21).
- AustrAlien2010, “Half-Life – Save Files Location,” Steam Community guide (updated 2021-05-04).
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