Does Uninstalling A Game On Steam Delete Saves

Does Uninstalling a Game on Steam Delete Saves?

Okay, so you’re thinking about cleaning up your computer and getting rid of some games you’re not playing anymore. That’s a great idea! But before you click that uninstall button, you might be wondering: “Will I lose all my hard-earned progress?” It’s a totally valid question. The fear of losing hours, or even days, of gameplay is real. Let’s dive deep into the world of Steam game saves and figure out what happens when you uninstall a game.

Understanding Game Saves on Steam

Before we can definitively answer if uninstalling deletes saves, we need to understand where Steam keeps them in the first place. It’s not always in one single place. Think of it like a treasure hunt; the treasure (your save data) could be hidden in different spots. The most common places for game save locations are:

Local Save Files

Many games save directly onto your computer, within your Documents folder, or under a hidden folder in AppData. This can be different depending on the operating system. For example, windows operating systems tend to store saved game data in the following directories:

• Documents Folder: Often a subfolder within “My Documents” (e.g., “My Documents/My Games/GameName”)
• AppData Folder: Usually found under your user directory (e.g., “C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\GameName” or “C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\GameName”)

This is where game saves are stored directly on your hard drive. This is also considered local game saves and if you uninstall a game, local game save data will usually persist because Steam does not delete user data.

Steam Cloud Saves

This is where Steam shines. Many, but not all, games use Steam Cloud to backup your game saves. It’s like a digital safety net! When a game uses Steam Cloud, your save data is automatically uploaded to Steam’s servers. This means your progress is safe even if you uninstall the game or switch to a new computer. The benefits of using Steam Cloud to save game data are very important, it means that you can access your game data on all your computers. The data automatically gets downloaded if you re-install your game on another computer using the same Steam account.

Game-Specific Save Locations

Sometimes games like to be unique. They may store save data in their own folder within the game’s installation directory or in a very specific place on your hard drive. This can make finding your saves a little tricky, but with a little bit of searching you can generally locate your saves using google to search for specific location of game saves.

The Uninstall Process: What Happens to Your Game Files?

When you uninstall a game using Steam, here’s a general idea of what occurs. Steam removes the primary game files and any files that are directly required for running the game. However, here’s the key point: Steam generally does not delete user-created data, which includes save files. The focus is on removing game files and resources, not user profiles or progress.

What Steam Removes

• The main game executable files (.exe)
• Game installation directory, which is normally the folder the game is installed
• Temporary game files that are used while the game is running
• Game resources like images, audio, and video files

What Steam Usually Does Not Remove

• Save data (local and cloud)
• Game configuration files
• Custom user made modifications
• User created game content

It’s crucial to understand this distinction. Steam aims to keep your personal data safe, even if you decide to remove the game itself. The local saves are usually not removed in the uninstallation process, but there is always a possibility that can occur. So before uninstalling a game, backing up your local save data is advised.

When Do Saves Get Deleted?

While Steam is usually good at preserving your progress, there are situations where saves might be lost or deleted. These scenarios are not common, but you need to be aware of these possibilities.

Manual Deletion

The most obvious way to lose your saves is by deleting them yourself. If you go into the folders where the save files are stored and delete them, they’re gone. Also, sometimes users delete game save files while cleaning up their computer. Be very careful about deleting folders and files that you are not sure about, as you can unintentionally delete the game save data, if you deleted the folder or files where save data is located.

Corrupted Save Files

Save files can sometimes become corrupted due to various factors, such as power outages, hard drive issues, or game bugs. If a save file is corrupted, the game might not be able to read it, and the game might not be able to load it. In very rare cases, a corrupted save file could cause you to lose all your save progress, because the game might not recognize any other save files. This is usually very rare and the chances of it happening are very low.

Operating System Issues

Changes to your operating system, such as a major OS update or switching to a new computer without properly backing up your files, could lead to the loss of local save data. This would primarily affect your local save data and not cloud saves. It is advisable to back up your local game saves when switching operating systems or migrating to another computer. Cloud saves are not impacted and can be downloaded again from Steam.

Steam Cloud Sync Issues

Although Steam Cloud is a great feature, it’s not perfect. Sometimes, there can be problems syncing your saves to the cloud. This can result in your progress not being saved properly or even being overwritten by older data. Steam tries to handle this very well, but if a game cloud sync failed and you were not aware of it, you could potentially lose data, if you uninstall your game without realizing your game save data was not synced to the Steam Cloud.

Games Without Cloud Support

Here’s where things can get dicey. If a game does not support Steam Cloud, your save data is solely stored locally on your computer. When you uninstall the game, Steam may leave the save files behind. However, they are still tied to the local installation. If your hard drive fails or becomes corrupted, then you will lose that data forever. Be very cautious about games that do not have Steam Cloud support and always back up local game save data to another hard drive or device.

How to Check if a Game Uses Steam Cloud

It’s always best to know if a game uses Steam Cloud before you uninstall it. Here’s how you can check:

Through the Steam Library

1. Open your Steam client.
2. Go to your Library.
3. Select the game you want to check.
4. On the game’s page, look for the “Steam Cloud” icon. It looks like a cloud.
5. If the cloud icon is there, the game uses Steam Cloud; otherwise, it does not.

Using the Steam Store Page

You can also check this before buying a game.

1. Visit the game’s page in the Steam store.
2. Scroll down until you see the “Features” section.
3. Look for “Steam Cloud” or “Steam Cloud Saves” listed.
4. If it’s there, the game supports Steam Cloud.

Safeguarding Your Game Saves: Best Practices

Even though Steam usually takes care of your saves, it’s a smart idea to be proactive. Here are some tips to ensure your progress stays safe:

Regularly Back up Local Saves

Locate where your save data is stored and back it up to another location, such as a USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage service like Google Drive or OneDrive. This provides extra security in case something happens with your local system or Steam Cloud.

Manually Copy Your Save Files

Before uninstalling any game, especially one without Steam Cloud, copy the save files to a safe location. This is a simple process: find the save files, copy them to another location, and you’re good to go. If for some reason, you lose save data, you can simply paste the files back into the folder where the game normally saves its data.

Check Steam Cloud Status

Make sure Steam Cloud is enabled for the game and that your saves are syncing correctly. You can see the sync status on the game’s page in your Steam Library. It usually shows a cloud icon next to the game’s name if the cloud sync is working and the files are synced. If the cloud icon does not show, then you should investigate why the game saves are not syncing. Usually it means that Steam Cloud sync has been disabled for the game.

Use Game Save Manager

There are third-party programs, such as GameSave Manager, that can help you back up and manage your game saves. These can be particularly useful if you have a lot of games or prefer a more automated solution. Although using third-party programs does add some risk, so you should only use programs from trusted and safe sources.

Be Careful When Uninstalling

Always be cautious about what you are uninstalling and make sure that you back up your save files before deleting any folder. In the uninstall window, it may show you information about what will be deleted, so always check these messages before clicking the final confirm button.

Specific Examples

To make it even clearer, let’s look at some popular game titles and how they typically handle saves:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Steam Cloud: Yes.
• Local Saves: Located in the “Documents/The Witcher 3” folder.
• Uninstall Behavior: Uninstalling the game typically keeps the local save data, but Steam cloud ensures safety of game save data.

Stardew Valley

• Steam Cloud: Yes.
• Local Saves: Located in “AppData/Roaming/StardewValley/Saves”.
• Uninstall Behavior: Uninstalling keeps local saves, and steam cloud always ensure your game data is safe.

Minecraft

• Steam Cloud: No.
• Local Saves: Located in “AppData/Roaming/.minecraft/saves” (Java Edition).
• Uninstall Behavior: Usually, Steam does not delete the Minecraft save folder, but you will need to be extra careful with backing up your save data.

Dark Souls Series

• Steam Cloud: Yes (for most).
• Local Saves: Located in “Documents” or “Appdata”.
• Uninstall Behavior: Uninstalling keeps local saves, steam cloud is also supported for Dark Souls series, but always back up data if you have any doubt.

So, does uninstalling a game on Steam delete saves? The short answer is generally no. Steam usually keeps your local save files and, even better, uses Steam Cloud for many games. However, it’s important to be aware of the exceptions. Games without Steam Cloud support, cloud sync issues, or corrupted files can lead to lost progress. Therefore, always ensure that you have a backup of game save data. It’s always wise to backup your save files before uninstalling a game if you want to be completely safe. Following the recommendations listed in this article, should ensure that your game progress and precious game saves are always safe and secure.