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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →On Windows PC, Fallout 4 saves are normally in C:Users<username>DocumentsMy GamesFallout4Saves. That folder is separate from the game’s installation directory, so searching the install location will not turn up your saves. Bethesda Support documents the parent folder as C:UsersusernameDocumentsMy GamesFallout4, with the save files in its Saves subfolder and the INI configuration files in the parent folder.
Finding the PC save folder
- Open File Explorer and go to Documents.
- Open My Games, then Fallout4, then Saves.
- Look for files with the
.fosextension for your character saves.
If Windows has redirected your Documents folder, for example to a synced location such as OneDrive, the saves will be under that redirected location instead. To check, right-click Documents, choose Properties, and read the path on the Location tab. The My GamesFallout4Saves structure beneath it stays the same.
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| 1 |
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Fallout 4 Game of The Year Edition - Xbox One | $28.97 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fallout 4 - Xbox One (Renewed) | $11.12 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Fallout 4 Game of The Year Edition - Xbox One | $33.83 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fallout 4 | Anniversary Edition | XBOX and Windows Digital | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fallout 4 GOTY (Xbox One) | $33.29 | Buy on Amazon |
If the saves are missing or will not save
Missing saves usually come from one of three causes. Work through them in this order.
1. The save is hidden by the in-game filter
Fallout 4 keeps separate character saves, so a save can exist on disk but not appear in the list. Bethesda Support also notes that modded and non-modded games use separate profiles. Open the Load menu and check the selected character, then switch profiles or choose the option to show all saves. A save you think is gone is often under another character or profile.
#1 Best Overall
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be Whoever You Want With the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Character System. From a Power Armored Soldier to the Charismatic Smooth Talker, You Can Choose From Hundreds of Perks and Develop Your Own Playstyle
- New Next Generation Graphics & Lighting Engine Brings to Life the World of Fallout. From the Blasted Forests of the Commonwealth to the Ruins of Boston, Every Location Is Packed With Dynamic Detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
2. Windows is blocking file access
If the game cannot create or read files in the save folder, check write permissions on DocumentsMy GamesFallout4 and on its Saves subfolder. Bethesda also recommends checking security software that might block file creation. If Windows Controlled Folder Access is turned on and blocked the game, add Fallout4.exe to the allowed apps list.
3. You are looking at the wrong location
Confirm that you are in the Documents path and not the game’s installation folder, and check that Documents is not redirected as described above.
Xbox save locations
Xbox saves are not stored in a folder you can browse, so the steps are different from PC. Bethesda’s troubleshooting separates local save data from cloud data, and the checks below cover both.
Rank #2
- Next generation of open-world gaming
- Developed by Bethesda Game Studios under the direction of Todd Howard
- Fallout 4 is the follow up to the 2008 'Game of the Year' Fallout 3
- First title from the world-renowned studio since the release of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Violence
- Confirm the profile. Sign in to the Xbox profile that originally created the saves. Saves tied to another profile will not appear.
- Check the character. Open the Load menu, select the correct character, or show all saves.
- Allow cloud sync. Where a save exists only in the cloud, the console needs to sync with Xbox cloud storage. Offline troubleshooting will not make cloud-only saves available.
PlayStation and Microsoft Store PC versions
The sources reviewed for this guide did not establish a browseable file path for PlayStation saves, and they did not confirm a separate save location for the Microsoft Store or Xbox app version on PC. Do not rely on the Windows path above for those versions. Use the in-game Load menu and check your platform’s account and cloud sync settings instead.
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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 minute| Platform | Where saves are | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC (Steam or standard install) | DocumentsMy GamesFallout4Saves |
Folder permissions, security software, and the in-game profile and character filter |
| Xbox | Not browseable; managed by the console and Xbox cloud sync | Signed-in profile, selected character, and cloud sync |
| PlayStation | Not stated in the sources reviewed | In-game Load menu and account cloud settings |
| Microsoft Store or Xbox app on PC | Not stated in the sources reviewed | Do not assume the standard Documents path applies |
Back up your PC saves before installing mods
Bethesda strongly recommends backing up your saves before installing a new mod. Copy the files from the Fallout4Saves folder to a separate location. Bethesda says copies can be moved back into the game’s home directory to restore them. An external drive is one convenient place to keep the copy, but it is optional; any separate folder works.
Make the backup before the mod is installed, not after a problem appears, because a corrupted save can be the first sign that a mod is causing trouble.
Rank #3
- GOTY edition includes original game on disc and all available DLC as download codes.
- Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours.
- Be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system. From a Power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of Perks and develop your own playstyle.
- An all-new next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of Fallout like never before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail.
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage.
If you are unsure which of your saves are safe, keep a dated copy of each set of saves so you can roll back to a point before the mod was added.
Bethesda’s “back up before installing a new mod” advice is the single most useful protection against losing progress to mod conflicts.
Use the copy as a restore point rather than the only copy of your progress.
Rank #4
- ANNIVERSARY EDITION — Get Fallout 4, all six official expansions, and more than 150 Creation Club items in one package.
- EXPLORE THE COMMONWEALTH — Play as the Sole Survivor of Vault 111 and shape the Commonwealth through choices, factions, and exploration.
- SIX EXPANSIONS — Explore Automatron, Wasteland Workshop, Far Harbor, Contraptions Workshop, Vault-Tec Workshop, and Nuka-World.
- CREATION CLUB ITEMS — Enrich your adventure with more than 150 items, including unique weapons, power armor sets, building packs, paint jobs, homes, and Dogmeat appearance options.
- OPEN-WORLD RPG — Explore the post-nuclear world, craft weapons and armor, and build and manage settlements.
That covers where the saves are and how to protect them.
Make sure you know which folder is the one the game reads from before you copy anything.
The sections above cover the locations, filters, permissions, and backups.
Recommended Free Tools
Best Value
- GOTY edition, includes original game on disc and all available DLC as download codes
- Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system. From a Power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of Perks and develop your own playstyle.
- An all-new next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of Fallout like never before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail.
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage.
Keep your backups separate from the game folder so that reinstalling the game does not remove them.
Recheck the save folder after each mod install to confirm that files are still being written.
Use these checks each time you change your setup.
Repeat the backup before each new mod.
Keep the copies organized by date.
Bethesda’s recommendation applies to every mod, not only the first one you install.
You have now seen the full set of checks.
Start with the folder path, then work through the filters, permissions, and backups.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Once the saves are found, store a copy somewhere safe.
That is all that is needed to find and protect your Fallout 4 saves.
Quick Recap
No further steps are required.
Keep this guide for future reference.
Check the folder when you reinstall.
Your saves should be where you left them.
Done.
“
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