While the phrase "steam cloud" may conjure upwards images of a boiling kettle or an quondam-timey railroad train, when it comes to video games information technology's a killer characteristic of the largest PC gaming platform. If you game on Steam, you'll definitely want to know how to utilize Steam Cloud game saves. When things become incorrect, y'all'll be glad your precious hours of progress are safely stored where no 1 can delete them.

What Are Steam Cloud Saves?

Games that you buy and download through Steam can upload and download save game files to Steam'southward servers. In other words, if you lose your computer'due south data, ready up a new computer or play your Steam games on multiple computers, you tin can retrieve your latest relieve game via the cyberspace.

When you uninstall a game and then reinstall information technology at a after date, your save games volition be restored every bit well. In general, Steam Cloud saves permit you forget about your save data and simply become on with gaming.

Does Every Game Back up Steam Cloud Saves?

Not every game on Steam supports cloud saves. This is something that'due south left up to the developer. All games don't work the aforementioned either. Developers get to choose what data is uploaded and what isn't. If y'all want to know if a Steam game supports cloud saves, but go to its store page and check if the Steam Cloud logo is under the list of game features.

Ensuring Deject Saves Are Active for Your Game

It's possible to disable cloud saves for all games on a given Steam figurer. You lot tin can also enable or disable the characteristic for individual games likewise. If your game supports Steam Cloud saves but isn't syncing, y'all tin bank check if the feature is enabled with ease.

To check the global deject save settings:

  1. Open Steam.
  2. Select Steam > Settings.
  3. Switch to the Cloud tab.
  4. Ensure that Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it is toggled to your preference.
  1. Select OK.

To bank check cloud save status for individual games:

  1. Open Steam.
  2. Go to your Steam library.

[4 Steam Library 1.jpg]

  1. Correct-click on the game in question.
  2. Select Properties.
  1. Switch to the General tab.
  2. Cheque that deject synchronization is toggled according to your preference.

Again, not all games take the Steam Cloud salvage feature, then if you don't see that option for an individual game, it probably doesn't support it. We encourage you to make manual backups of your salve game data in that case.

Finding Downloaded Steam Deject Saves on Your PC

Speaking of making transmission backups,yous tin actually access the local copy of your cloud saves on the local automobile. As long as you lot know the folder locations, of course:

  • PC: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata
  • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata

Just remember that these are the default locations where cloud save data is stored locally. If you lot specified a custom folder when you installed Steam, you demand to go to that binder instead.

Within these folders, you'll find the saves stored according to Steam App ID. This is a unique number that corresponds with a game'southward catalogue number in the Steam store. You can hands find which ID goes with which game by entering the ID number on SteamDB.

What to Practice with Steam Cloud Save Conflicts

Sometimes, you lot'll get an error message from Steam that there's a conflict between the salvage game stored on your local computer and the one that Steam has on their server. This usually happens because yous progressed on 2 different versions of the aforementioned save game file.

Most of the time, the correct selection is simply to pick the most recently modified version of the file, but in some cases that may really not exist the save yous desire. Simply to be safe, nosotros recommend choosing to cancel the cloud sync disharmonize the starting time time you lot see it.

At present go brand a backup of the local file using the binder locations we only discussed in the previous department. If information technology turns out that the local files were the ones that y'all should have kept, yous tin go dorsum and replace them manually.

Manually Download Your Steam Cloud Saves

Another neat option is the ability to view and download your Cloud Sync files using a web browser. But go to the View Steam Cloud and log into your Steam business relationship if you lot aren't already.

Here you tin can encounter every private game file that's stored in your Steam Deject Sync account. All you have to practice is select the download push and you have a copy for yourself. This is useful for using save files with other versions of a game and to speedily make a fill-in of the cloud files before they are removed in a sync disharmonize resolution as we just saw.

Just comport in mind that more than than save game files are stored hither. Developers may choose to store other data, such as game configuration files, correct alongside your saves. So make certain yous're downloading the right affair!

How to Fix the "Steam Was Unable to Sync" and Other Issues

The last bit of crucial information you lot need to get forth well with Steam Cloud saves is what to do when things go wrong. Hither are some full general tips:

  • Check the Steam domicile page to come across if their servers are down.
  • Restart your modems, routers and calculator.
  • Connect to a dissimilar network.
  • Cheque your firewall and antivirus settings.
  • Disable whatever software that monitors or modifies network traffic to check for conflicts.
  • Disable your VPN, Steam doesn't like them and they can get y'all banned.

Now you're armed with all the noesis you demand to get the almost out of the Steam Cloud save feature. Which means yous can become back to the earth-shaking job of enjoying your video games.