What to do right now
- Do not start a new game or save yet; check the launcher's cloud saves first.
- Look in the usual save folders and in Previous Versions of those folders.
- If nothing is left, scan the drive from a USB stick and browse to the save folder path.
Step by step
Pause before playing
Do not launch the game and start a new save, because a new save can replace the files you want back and may then be synced to the cloud. If the launcher shows a sync conflict when you do start it, read the dates carefully and keep the older cloud copy.
Check cloud saves
Steam, the Xbox app, Epic Games, GOG Galaxy, Ubisoft Connect and the EA app offer cloud saves for many games. In Steam, the game's properties show whether cloud sync is on, and the account pages often list stored cloud files. Support differs from game to game, so check the specific title.
Look in the usual save folders
Common places are Documents, often in a My Games subfolder, the Saved Games folder in your user profile, and the AppData folders Local, LocalLow and Roaming. Some games keep saves in the Steam userdata folder or in their install folder. If Documents is synced to OneDrive, check the OneDrive recycle bin as well.
Try Previous Versions
Right-click the save folder, or its parent if it is gone, open Properties and then Previous Versions. If File History or restore points were active, an older copy of the whole folder may be listed. Restore it to a different location first and compare.
Scan the drive for the folder
Run the portable FileFix Ultimate from a USB stick, open Deleted file recovery, choose the drive where the saves were, usually C:, and start the Balanced scan. Browse the folder tree to the save path and sort by date. Save files found there keep their names and folders.
Restore the saves carefully
Save the recovered files to another disk. With the game closed, back up the current save folder, then copy the recovered files into it. Keep the recovered originals so you can try a different slot or date if the game rejects one.
Why save locations differ so much
There is no single Windows rule for game saves. Each studio and engine chooses its own location, so two games from the same launcher can store saves in completely different folders, and a remaster may use a different folder from the original. Community wikis such as PCGamingWiki often list the save path and cloud support for individual games, which is quicker than searching the whole drive.
Many games keep more than one file per slot, such as autosaves, quick saves or a backup copy with an extension like bak. When the main save is missing or broken, one of those siblings is often enough to get most of the progress back.
Cloud saves cut both ways
Cloud sync usually works in both directions. It brings saves back after a reinstall, but it can also upload a deletion or a fresh new game over the old progress. That is why it pays to check what the cloud holds before playing. If you suspect the local folder is now empty, turning off cloud sync for that game until you have checked is a cautious option on launchers that allow it.
What a scan can find in a save folder
Save files use custom formats with extensions such as sav or dat, or none at all. Most have no widely known signature, so a recovery scan finds them through the file system records, which also return their names and folder. Saves that use common containers, such as SQLite databases or ZIP archives, can also be found by signature, but without names, so the folder route is still better.
Some games encrypt saves or tie them to your account ID. A recovered file can then be intact and still only work for the same account. FileFix Ultimate copies the files exactly as they were; it does not convert or repair game save formats.
When it won't work
- Games and Windows usually live on an SSD with TRIM, where deleted save files can be erased within moments.
- If the cloud copy was already replaced by a new save, the platform may have no older version to return.
- A full format or a Windows reset that wiped the drive leaves little or nothing to recover.
- Saves that were overwritten by new progress in the same slot cannot be brought back by a scan.
How FileFix Ultimate helps
- Free for personal use with no recovery limit, and a portable ZIP that runs from a USB stick so nothing is installed on the game drive.
- Reads NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT records to bring back deleted save folders with names and paths where the records survive.
- Lists shadow copies and can copy older folder versions out without changing them.
- Scans read-only and saves only to another physical disk, with an honest status for every file.
FileFix Ultimate is free for personal use, works offline and never writes to the drive you are recovering from. Business use needs a one-year licence per PC. Check the signature before you run it.
Frequently asked questions
Does uninstalling a game delete its saves?
Often not, because many games keep saves in Documents or AppData outside the install folder. Some uninstallers do remove them, and a few games store saves inside the install folder, so check before reinstalling.
Can I use a recovered save on another PC?
Usually yes if you copy it to the same save folder on the new PC. Saves tied to an account ID or encrypted for one profile may only work when you are signed in with the same account.
Does FileFix Ultimate know where each game keeps its saves?
No. It has no per-game list of save paths. Find the path for your game first, for example on the publisher's support pages or a community wiki, then browse to it in the scan results.
Which names here are trademarks?
Steam, Xbox, Epic Games, GOG Galaxy, Ubisoft Connect, EA, OneDrive and PCGamingWiki are named only to describe where saves may be. These trademarks belong to their respective owners, and none of them is affiliated with FileFix Ultimate.