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

What Are Steam Deject Saves?

Games that you purchase and download through Steam can upload and download save game files to Steam's servers. In other words, if you lose your computer's information, set up a new reckoner or play your Steam games on multiple computers, yous can call up your latest save game via the internet.

When you lot uninstall a game then reinstall it at a subsequently date, your save games will be restored as well. In full general, Steam Cloud saves permit you lot forget virtually your salve data and only go on with gaming.

Does Every Game Support Steam Cloud Saves?

Not every game on Steam supports cloud saves. This is something that's left upward to the developer. All games don't work the same either. Developers become to choose what data is uploaded and what isn't. If you want to know if a Steam game supports cloud saves, simply go to its store page and bank check if the Steam Deject logo is nether the listing of game features.

Ensuring Cloud Saves Are Active for Your Game

Information technology'south possible to disable cloud saves for all games on a given Steam reckoner. Y'all can too enable or disable the feature for individual games as well. If your game supports Steam Cloud saves only isn't syncing, yous can check if the feature is enabled with ease.

To check the global deject salvage settings:

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

To check deject salve status for individual games:

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

[4 Steam Library i.jpg]

  1. Right-click on the game in question.
  2. Select Properties.
  1. Switch to the Full general tab.
  2. Check that deject synchronization is toggled co-ordinate to your preference.

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

Finding Downloaded Steam Deject Saves on Your PC

Speaking of making manual backups,you can actually admission the local copy of your cloud saves on the local auto. As long as yous know the folder locations, of course:

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

Simply recollect that these are the default locations where cloud save data is stored locally. If y'all specified a custom folder when you installed Steam, you need to go to that folder instead.

Inside these folders, you'll discover 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 hands detect which ID goes with which game by inbound the ID number on SteamDB.

What to Practise with Steam Cloud Save Conflicts

Sometimes, yous'll get an mistake message from Steam that there's a conflict betwixt the save game stored on your local computer and the one that Steam has on their server. This ordinarily happens because you progressed on two different versions of the same salvage game file.

Most of the time, the correct choice is merely to pick the nigh recently modified version of the file, but in some cases that may really not exist the relieve you want. Just to be prophylactic, we recommend choosing to cancel the cloud sync conflict the starting time time you see it.

Now go make a backup of the local file using the folder locations we just discussed in the previous section. If it turns out that the local files were the ones that y'all should accept kept, you lot can go dorsum and supercede them manually.

Manually Download Your Steam Cloud Saves

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

Hither y'all can see every private game file that'south stored in your Steam Cloud Sync account. All you lot have to exercise is select the download button and y'all have a copy for yourself. This is useful for using save files with other versions of a game and to rapidly make a backup of the deject files before they are removed in a sync conflict resolution equally nosotros just saw.

But bear in heed that more than save game files are stored here. Developers may choose to store other information, such equally game configuration files, correct alongside your saves. So make sure you're downloading the right thing!

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

The final bit of crucial data you need to go along well with Steam Cloud saves is what to practise when things go wrong. Here are some full general tips:

  • Check the Steam home page to see if their servers are down.
  • Restart your modems, routers and figurer.
  • Connect to a different 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're armed with all the knowledge you need to get the most out of the Steam Cloud save feature. Which means you tin can become back to the all-important job of enjoying your video games.