While the phrase "steam cloud" may conjure upward images of a boiling kettle or an old-timey train, when it comes to video games it's a killer feature of the largest PC gaming platform. If you game on Steam, you'll definitely want to know how to utilise Steam Cloud game saves. When things go wrong, you'll exist glad your precious hours of progress are safely stored where no one 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's servers. In other words, if you lot lose your computer's data, fix a new calculator or play your Steam games on multiple computers, yous can retrieve your latest relieve game via the internet.

When you uninstall a game and then reinstall it at a later appointment, your save games volition be restored equally well. In general, Steam Cloud saves let you forget about your save data and just go on with gaming.

Does Every Game Back up Steam Cloud Saves?

Not every game on Steam supports deject saves. This is something that'southward left up to the developer. All games don't work the same either. Developers get to choose what information is uploaded and what isn't. If you desire to know if a Steam game supports cloud saves, merely go to its store page and check if the Steam Deject logo is under the listing of game features.

Ensuring Cloud Saves Are Active for Your Game

It'southward possible to disable cloud saves for all games on a given Steam figurer. You can also enable or disable the feature for individual games every bit well. If your game supports Steam Cloud saves but isn't syncing, you can check if the characteristic is enabled with ease.

To check the global cloud relieve settings:

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

To check cloud salvage status for private games:

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

[iv Steam Library one.jpg]

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

Over again, not all games have the Steam Cloud salvage feature, then if you don't see that option for an private game, it probably doesn't support it. We encourage y'all to make manual backups of your save game data in that example.

Finding Downloaded Steam Cloud Saves on Your PC

Speaking of making manual backups,you can actually access the local re-create of your cloud saves on the local machine. As long as you know the folder locations, of grade:

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

Just call up that these are the default locations where cloud save information is stored locally. If you specified a custom folder when you installed Steam, you need to get to that folder instead.

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

What to Do with Steam Deject Save Conflicts

Sometimes, you'll get an error message from Steam that there's a conflict between the salve game stored on your local estimator and the i that Steam has on their server. This normally happens because you progressed on two unlike versions of the same salvage game file.

Nigh of the time, the right selection is but to pick the most recently modified version of the file, but in some cases that may actually not be the save you want. Merely to exist safe, we recommend choosing to cancel the cloud sync conflict the first time you see it.

At present get make a backup of the local file using the binder locations we just discussed in the previous department. If it turns out that the local files were the ones that you should have kept, you tin go back and replace them manually.

Manually Download Your Steam Cloud Saves

Another neat choice is the ability to view and download your Cloud Sync files using a web browser. Only go to the View Steam Deject and log into your Steam account if yous aren't already.

Here you can run into every individual game file that'southward stored in your Steam Cloud Sync account. All you have to do is select the download push and yous have a copy for yourself. This is useful for using save files with other versions of a game and to quickly make a backup of the cloud files before they are removed in a sync conflict resolution as nosotros but saw.

Just bear in mind that more than save game files are stored here. Developers may cull to store other data, such as game configuration files, right alongside your saves. So brand sure you're downloading the right thing!

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

The concluding flake of crucial information you lot need to get along well with Steam Deject saves is what to do when things get incorrect. Hither are some general tips:

  • Check the Steam home page to encounter if their servers are down.
  • Restart your modems, routers and computer.
  • Connect to a dissimilar network.
  • Check your firewall and antivirus settings.
  • Disable any software that monitors or modifies network traffic to bank check for conflicts.
  • Disable your VPN, Steam doesn't like them and they can get you banned.

Now you lot're armed with all the knowledge you need to get the most out of the Steam Cloud save feature. Which means you can get back to the all-important job of enjoying your video games.