The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →On Windows, back up the entire %userprofile%DocumentsThe Witcher 3gamesaves folder to a separate drive or external device before updating, installing mods, or troubleshooting. For CD PROJEKT RED’s clean-install procedure, turn off the game’s Cloud Saves feature before uninstalling and deleting the Documents folder. After reinstalling, restore the files to the recreated gamesaves folder and confirm the save loads before relying on it.
Back up your local Witcher 3 saves on Windows
Exit the game first so it is not writing to a save. In File Explorer, open:
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%userprofile%DocumentsThe Witcher 3gamesaves
- Copy the entire
gamesavesfolder, not just the newest save. - Paste it to a different hard drive or external device. CD PROJEKT RED recommends a separate drive or external device for a clean-install backup in its clean-install instructions.
- Keep the copied folder untouched until you have confirmed that the game can load the intended save. Keeping a dated second copy is also a sensible precaution if you have room, but it is not an official requirement.
Each save consists of a .sav file and a .png file with the same name. Keep both files together; the image is part of the save set, not a substitute for the save data. CD PROJEKT RED states this in its PC support form.
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Prepare for a clean install
If you are following the official clean-install procedure, disable The Witcher 3 Cloud Saves feature before uninstalling the game and deleting the Documents folder. CD PROJEKT RED’s guidance specifies that order. Cloud Saves can be re-enabled afterward if you want to use them.
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This is a precaution for that clean-install process, not a universal description of every store client’s cloud-conflict prompts. Keep your separate local backup regardless of what a launcher reports about cloud copies.
Restore the files after reinstalling
- Reinstall the game without mods, as the official clean-install procedure directs for its troubleshooting process.
- Locate the recreated
%userprofile%DocumentsThe Witcher 3gamesavesfolder. - Copy the backed-up save files into it, preserving each same-name
.savand.pngpair. - Launch the game and check that the intended save appears and loads. The official support article gives different copy-and-launch ordering depending on whether the original problem was technical or gameplay-related, so follow its applicable instructions rather than treating one sequence as universal.
- After the local files are restored, re-enable Cloud Saves if desired. Retain the independent backup until you have verified the save in-game.
Manual backup or cross-progression?
These are different ways to protect or move progress. A manual copy gives you an independent recovery copy of the local files. Cross-progression is CD PROJEKT RED’s account-based way to transfer a save between platforms; it is not a replacement for keeping a separate backup.
| Method | Purpose | Where the copy is kept | Compatibility consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual local backup | Recovery after an update, mod change, or clean install | A separate drive or external device | Preserves files, but does not make a modded save compatible with another setup. |
| Cross-progression | Transfer progress between supported platforms | Account-linked cloud save | For cross-progression with mods, the same set of mods must be enabled on both platforms. |
Use cross-progression to transfer between platforms
CD PROJEKT RED’s cross-progression instructions call for updating to the latest patch, connecting the game to your CD PROJEKT RED account, creating a new save, and checking for the cloud icon. On the destination platform, connect the same account and load the uploaded save. This account-based route is useful for platform transfer; a separate local copy remains the safer recovery option for PC changes.
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Mod and version compatibility cautions
A backup preserves the files as they are; it does not remove mod dependencies or guarantee that a save will work under a different mod set or game version. CD PROJEKT RED’s Cross-Platform Mod Support instructions say that cross-progression requires the same mods enabled on both platforms. If a mod is missing or incompatible on the destination, the save may not load correctly.
That official notice also says XML, script, or w3strings mods will not work upon release of the update covered by the notice and points mod creators to REDkit for updating them. This statement is scoped to that update notice; it should not be read as a permanent rule for every later version.
A separate official Switch announcement from 2020 warned that mod-related bugs or blockers could carry over from a modded PC save and that renaming a save on PC could keep Switch Cloud Save from recognizing it. This is historical guidance for that Switch transfer, not evidence that every current platform handles saves the same way. See The Witcher’s Switcher update announcement.
Quick Recap
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