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Big Fish Games are usually moved to a new computer by reinstalling them—not by copying the old game folders. Install the Big Fish Games App (formerly Game Manager), sign in to the account used for your purchases, and download eligible desktop games from Purchase History. Saved progress is separate: it may stay on the old computer, so keep that computer until you have checked your games and backed up any saves the individual titles support.
Before you move or erase the old computer
Take a few minutes to confirm you can access the right account and preserve any progress you care about. A purchase showing in your account does not guarantee that the old computer’s save data will appear on the new one.
- Check the account: Record the email address used for Big Fish purchases and make sure you can sign in or receive a password reset.
- Check Purchase History: Note the games you expect to reinstall. A quick screenshot or written list helps if you have a large library.
- Check important saves: Open your favorite games on the old computer and confirm their progress is present. Look up each game’s support instructions for whether and how its save data can be backed up.
- Keep the old computer: Do not uninstall the games or wipe the drive until you have installed and opened the games you care about on the new computer and checked any supported save migration.
- Check the new system: A game that ran on the old computer may not be compatible with a newer version of Windows or macOS.
Big Fish’s app download instructions provide separate PC and Mac downloads. Use the official Big Fish site rather than an unofficial installer.
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Install the Big Fish Games App on Windows
- Open Big Fish’s Big Fish Games App download page and choose the PC download.
- Run the downloaded installer and follow its prompts.
- Open the app and sign in with the Big Fish account associated with your purchases.
- Select Purchase History in the app’s left-hand menu to find your games.
Big Fish says the app may also install automatically when you download a PC game from its website. If the app opens under the wrong account, check the email shown in the upper-right corner and sign in with the account that made the purchase.
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Install the app on Mac
- Choose the Mac download from the official app download page.
- Double-click the downloaded folder or archive to unzip it.
- Move the Game Manager app into your Applications folder, then open it and follow the prompts.
- Sign in to the Big Fish account that holds your desktop purchases.
Big Fish says the app should be placed in Applications to work properly. If macOS reports that installation is denied, you may need to use an administrator account. Big Fish’s Mac permission guidance also recommends removing and reinstalling the app if needed.
Reinstall your purchased games
The usual route is through Purchase History. Button labels can vary slightly: the app may show Download, while the website may show Install Now.
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- Open the Big Fish Games App and verify the email address shown in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Purchase History from the left-hand menu.
- Find a game and select Download. Alternatively, sign in on the Big Fish website, open My Account → Purchase History, and select Install Now.
- Respond to any browser or operating-system prompts that appear, then wait for the download and installation to finish.
- Open the game and check that it starts and recognizes the purchased version.
If installing from the website fails, Big Fish recommends trying the download from Purchase History inside the app. Its download and installation troubleshooting guide covers that route and other common failures.
Reinstalling from Purchase History is safer than copying the entire game folder from the old computer. The installer can set up the app components and other files the game needs; a copied folder may lack activation data, shared components, permissions, or other required configuration. Copying game files is not Big Fish’s general reinstall procedure.
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Will your saved progress transfer too?
Not necessarily. Reinstalling a game restores its software, but does not guarantee that it restores progress from the old computer. Big Fish support material indicates that some games need permission to create local save files, but the available guidance does not establish one save location or transfer method for every title. Check the individual game’s support information before copying anything.
If the title’s instructions support manual save migration, use a cautious process:
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- Close the game on both computers.
- Back up the old computer’s game-specific save folder to a USB drive or another secure location.
- Install and launch the game once on the new computer so it can create its own folders, then close it.
- Find the new save location using that title’s instructions and back up the newly created files too.
- Copy the old saves only as directed by the game’s support instructions. Launch the game and verify the progress before removing either backup.
Save locations and file formats can differ by title, publisher, operating system, and edition. Do not assume that a generic Windows folder applies to every game, or that a Windows save will work with a Mac version. Some games do not support manual save transfer at all. Big Fish’s support article about games that cannot save because of permissions illustrates why save behavior can depend on the individual game and computer.
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A game is missing from Purchase History
Before troubleshooting the installer or paying again, check:
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- The account email: Sign out and try the other email addresses you may have used to buy games.
- The type of purchase: Check whether you are looking for a desktop purchase rather than a mobile purchase, trial, promotional entitlement, or subscription benefit.
- The platform: A PC or Mac version may be treated separately; do not assume a purchase for one platform includes the other.
- The title’s availability: A title in Purchase History may still have compatibility or availability limitations on a newer operating system.
Big Fish describes mobile games as being obtained through vendors such as the App Store or Google Play, rather than through the desktop Game Manager. See its mobile and free-to-play information. If the account and purchase type appear correct but the desktop game is still missing, contact Big Fish support before buying it again.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix download, installation, or activation problems
Work through these steps in order, stopping once the game installs and opens:
- Respond to browser prompts. If you started the install from the website, look for a download or permission prompt that needs your approval.
- Try the app’s Purchase History. Open the Big Fish Games App, sign in to the correct account, and download the game from there.
- Try the other network method. In the app, go to Options → Advanced, select Default, and retry. If that fails, choose Alternate Method and try again.
- Check security software. A firewall or security program may block Big Fish components. Big Fish identifies
bfgclient.exe,bfgprocess.exe, andbfggameservices.exeas possible exceptions. Thebfgclientfolder is commonly under Program Files (x86); if that folder is absent, check Program Files. Prefer allowlisting the specific files over turning off protection. If you temporarily disable protection to test, turn it back on immediately. - Update or reinstall the app if it is damaged. Use the app’s update option if available. For Windows, Big Fish documents Options → About → Check for Updates. The version announcement is dated September 15, 2025; do not assume its listed version is still the newest. If the app continues to fail, follow Big Fish’s reinstall instructions, download the current app again, sign in, and reinstall games from Purchase History.
- For Windows 11, uninstall through Settings if necessary. Use Start → Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Big Fish Games → three-dot menu → Uninstall, then install the app again. On Mac, Big Fish’s reinstall guidance says to move the app to the Trash and empty the Trash before downloading its replacement.
- For activation errors 1400, 1401, or 1402, refresh the account sign-in. Sign out of the app and sign back in with the purchase account. Try the game from the app’s Purchase History. If needed, uninstall the affected game and reinstall it from My Account → Purchase History. See Big Fish’s error 1400–1402 instructions.
- Get support diagnostics if the problem persists. Big Fish’s Dr. Felix tool creates a ZIP report with information such as app logs, hardware diagnostics, network tests, and running processes that can help support investigate.
If an older game installs but will not run, treat that as a compatibility problem rather than a missing purchase. Big Fish maintains a separate Mac help section, including material on newer macOS releases and older 32-bit applications. Check the specific title’s current product or support information; compatibility cannot be inferred for every game from the platform alone.
Moving between Windows, Mac, and mobile
- Windows to Windows: Usually the most direct move: install the PC app, sign in, and reinstall from Purchase History. Compatibility with the new Windows version still depends on the game.
- Mac to Mac: Reinstall the Mac app, place it in Applications, and check administrator permissions and macOS compatibility.
- Windows to Mac, or Mac to Windows: Do not assume a purchase includes both builds or that save files work across platforms. Verify the title’s platform availability and purchase details.
- Desktop to mobile: Treat these as separate versions and purchase channels. Big Fish says mobile games are obtained through mobile vendors, not the desktop Game Manager.
Reinstalling on your own replacement computer is different from transferring an account to a new owner. Big Fish’s Game Club terms restrict account access and membership transfer to another person.
Final migration check
- The Big Fish Games App is installed from the official source and signed in to the right account.
- Your eligible desktop purchases appear in Purchase History, and your important games download.
- Each favorite game opens and activates on the new computer.
- Any supported saves have been restored and verified, with backups kept until you are sure they work.
- You have checked compatibility for older or cross-platform titles.
Only after those checks should you erase, recycle, or give away the old computer.
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