Back up your GTA V profile before adding any mod. In File Explorer, open %USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA VProfiles, copy the entire Profiles folder (including its numbered profile folder or folders) to separate storage, and keep the original in place. This protects Story Mode saves; it does not copy the installed game or every file a mod may change.
The two backups you should not confuse
GTA V stores player data separately from the large collection of files that make up the installed game. A profile backup is the essential first step before a mod experiment because it preserves save data in your Windows user account. A game-folder copy is optional and is useful only when you want a local, unmodified set of installation files for rollback.
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| Backup | What it contains | Where it is normally found | Why you might need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile backup | Numbered profile folder(s) containing GTA V user saves | %USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA VProfiles (the spacing in GTA V matters) |
Restore Story Mode progress after a bad mod, reinstall, or move to another Windows PC |
| Additional Rockstar data | Settings, saves and Rockstar Video Editor recordings identified by Rockstar’s clean-install instructions | %USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTAV and %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalRockstar GamesGTAV |
Preserve related user data before deleting or replacing Rockstar folders |
| Game-install copy | Executable, archives and other files installed by the launcher | Launcher-dependent; see the path table below | Roll back files changed by a mod without downloading the entire game again |
Folder names differ between the official transfer article and the clean-install article: Epic’s profile procedure uses GTA V with a space, while Rockstar’s broader user-data locations use GTAV without one. Treat those as separate paths and inspect what actually exists on your computer.
Back up the GTA V profile before installing a mod
1. Close the game and its launcher
Exit GTA V, then close the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam or Epic Games Launcher if it is still holding files open. Do not copy a profile while the game is saving. If a launcher remains active in the notification area, use its exit command before proceeding.
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2. Open the official profile location
- Press
Windows+Eto open File Explorer. - Click the address bar, enter
%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA VProfiles, and press Enter. - Look for one or more folders with short, numbered-looking names. These are the profile folders; do not select a random individual file and assume it is the complete save.
The path comes from Epic Games’ Windows transfer procedure. A redirected Documents library, a nonstandard Windows user folder, an edition change or a custom installation can place data elsewhere. If File Explorer reports that the path does not exist, search within your user Documents folder for Rockstar Games, then check both GTA V and GTAV folders. Do not delete anything while you are locating it.
3. Copy the complete Profiles folder
- In the folder’s parent directory, right-click
Profilesand choose Copy. - Open a separate destination, such as a USB thumb drive or another drive that is not the GTA installation drive.
- Right-click an empty area and choose Paste. Wait for the copy to finish before disconnecting the destination.
- Rename the copied folder to something unambiguous, for example
GTA-V-Profiles-pre-mod-2026-10-13. The date label is a practical way to distinguish this snapshot from later saves; it is not required by the game.
Copy the whole Profiles directory, not just the newest-looking file. The directory can contain more than one numbered profile, and retaining the hierarchy makes a later restore match the path expected by the game.
4. Keep the original and verify the copy
Leave the original folder untouched. Open the copied folder on the external destination and confirm that the numbered profile folder(s) and their contents are present. A second copy on another separate drive reduces the chance that one failed or misplaced device leaves you without the pre-mod snapshot; no official page specifies a required number of copies.
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Preserve Rockstar’s other user-data folders
If you may perform a clean install, replace a launcher installation, or remove mod files, preserve the additional locations Rockstar lists for saves, settings and Rockstar Video Editor recordings:
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%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTAV%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalRockstar GamesGTAV
Rockstar warns that data in those locations cannot be recovered if it was not backed up before the directories are deleted. That warning concerns cleanup; it is also a reason to make your copies before changing anything.
Show the hidden AppData folder
AppData is hidden by default in Windows. In File Explorer, select View > Show > Hidden items (the exact menu appearance varies by Windows version), then browse to %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalRockstar GamesGTAV. Copy the relevant GTAV folder to your separate backup location, preserving its folders and files. Showing hidden items changes visibility; it does not move the data.
Why these folders are not interchangeable
The profile transfer path and the clean-install paths use different folder names and purposes. Do not overwrite one with the other merely because both contain Rockstar data. Keep each backup in a clearly named parent folder, such as GTA-V-user-data-pre-mod, and record which source path it came from.
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Optional: make a copy of the installed game
A complete game-folder copy can be very large and requires enough free storage. It is a separate precaution from backing up saves. Use it when you want to restore files changed by a mod without downloading and patching the game again, or when a mod’s instructions explicitly identify files to preserve.
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Rockstar’s clean-install documentation gives these default locations:
| Distribution | Default installation folder | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Rockstar Games Launcher, non-Steam edition | C:Program FilesRockstar GamesGrand Theft Auto V |
Default only; a custom library can be elsewhere |
| Steam | C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonGrand Theft Auto V |
Steam libraries are often moved to another drive or folder |
| Epic Games | C:Program FilesEpic GamesGTA |
Default only; verify the installed location in Epic |
Find the actual folder instead of trusting the default
- In Steam, open the game’s Properties, choose Installed Files, and use Browse (labels can change with Steam updates).
- In Epic Games Launcher, open the game’s menu and view its installation or manage location.
- In Rockstar Games Launcher, check the installed game’s settings for its installation path.
Copying the entire directory with File Explorer preserves the files as they exist at that moment. Keep this copy clearly separate from the profile backup. Rockstar’s clean-install article explains which leftovers to remove during a reinstall; it does not establish a universal mod-backup procedure. A community guide at GTAPoliceMods recommends preserving the game directory and files a mod asks you to change, but that is community advice rather than Rockstar policy.
Install mods without losing the rollback point
Use a staged workflow
- Finish the profile and, if desired, game-folder backups while GTA V and its launcher are closed.
- Read the specific mod’s current installation instructions. Mods can target different files, folders or mod managers; there is no single file set used by every mod.
- Record the original location of every file the instructions tell you to replace or edit. If the mod supplies an uninstall method, save that information with your backup.
- Install one mod or one coherent group at a time, then launch Story Mode and test. A staged approach makes it possible to identify which change caused a failure.
- Do not replace your untouched profile backup with a newly created save until you are satisfied that the installation is stable.
If a mod changes only installation files, your profile copy may remain valid while the game files need restoration. If a tool changes settings or user data, use the additional Rockstar-folder copies as well. Follow the mod author’s current directions for its own files rather than assuming a game-folder copy covers every dependency.
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Steam’s game backup feature
Steam’s backup feature is designed for games that fully download, install and patch through Steam. Steam also states that third-party save locations vary by developer and that custom files may need to be copied back to their corresponding folders. Therefore, a Steam game-file backup should not be treated as proof that the GTA V profile in Documents is included. Make the separate Profiles copy described above.
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Steam Cloud limitations
Steam Cloud synchronizes supported data, but it is not an archival backup. Steam documents that synchronization can be delayed when you play offline; when you reconnect, an older version can be uploaded or a conflict can appear. Steam Support also says it cannot recover lost saves or resolve cloud conflicts for you. Keep a dated local or external copy before modding, and inspect any conflict dialog instead of automatically choosing a version you have not identified.
When restoring on a Steam PC
Complete the local restore while GTA V is closed. If Steam Cloud presents a choice between local and cloud data, determine which timestamp corresponds to your intended pre-mod profile before selecting an option. Cloud behavior is an additional synchronization layer, not a replacement for the folder you copied yourself.
Restore a profile after a failed mod or on another PC
Restore to the same Windows path
- Close GTA V and its launcher.
- Open
%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA VProfileson the target PC. Create the parent folders only if they are missing; do not invent a different path when the expected one exists. - Make a temporary copy of the target PC’s current
Profilesfolder before replacing it. This gives you a way back if you discover that the newer saves were the ones you needed. - Copy the backed-up
Profilesfolder into%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA V, preserving the numbered profile folder(s) inside it. - Launch GTA V and load Story Mode to check the expected save.
Epic’s transfer workflow uses this same path on the destination PC: copy the profile folder, paste it into the corresponding location, launch the game and load the save. The procedure is for Windows PC files; it is not a console transfer method.
Do not overwrite a newer save blindly
Compare the dates and contents of the backup and the destination before replacing anything. A pre-mod snapshot is valuable only if you know which progress it represents. Keep the destination’s temporary copy until the restored game has loaded correctly and you have decided which version to retain.
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Launcher, edition and Documents-folder caveats
Rockstar, Steam and Epic editions have different default installation folders, but the user profile is still under the Windows user’s data locations described above. A custom library, a different Windows account, a redirected Documents folder (for example, one managed by an organization or sync service), or an edition change can alter what you see. Use the paths as starting points, then verify the actual folders on your PC.
Do not apply these Windows paths to PlayStation or Xbox. The documented procedure here concerns local PC folders and does not establish a console backup workflow.
GTA Online and altered files
Rockstar has a support article for an error that occurs when attempting to access GTA Online servers with an altered version of the game; its remedy includes returning to a clean installation. That is a specific access issue, not a statement that every mod, edition or online configuration follows one universal rule.
Keep modded files for offline single-player use. Before attempting to go online, restore the clean files you backed up when appropriate and check Rockstar’s current support guidance for your edition and launcher. The available official material does not establish a blanket policy, a guaranteed enforcement outcome or a universal ban risk for every mod.
Troubleshooting the backup
The profile path is missing
- Confirm that you entered the path in File Explorer’s address bar, not the Windows Run dialog with a typo.
- Check both
GTA VandGTAVunder%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar Games. - Verify that you are signed into the Windows account that actually runs GTA V.
- If Documents is redirected, open the Documents folder from File Explorer’s navigation pane and browse from there.
AppData cannot be seen
Enable View > Show > Hidden items, then browse again. Do not delete the folder while investigating it.
Quick Recap
The copy will not finish
- Close GTA V and all launchers again, then retry.
- Check that the destination has enough free space and that the external drive is connected securely.
- Copy to a local temporary folder first if the external device disconnects, then move that completed copy to the external location.
- Open the destination and verify that the numbered profile folder and its files are present before considering the backup complete.
The restored save does not appear
- Confirm that the copied hierarchy is
...Rockstar GamesGTA VProfiles[numbered profile folder], rather than an extra nestedProfilesProfileslevel. - Make sure the game was closed during the copy.
- Check whether a launcher cloud prompt selected a different version.
- Restore the destination’s temporary copy if necessary and repeat using the dated backup you intended.
Pre-mod backup checklist
- GTA V and its launcher are closed.
- The entire
Profilesfolder was copied from%USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesGTA VProfiles. - The numbered profile folder(s) are visible in the backup.
- The backup has a recognizable date and is stored separately from the game installation.
- The two Rockstar
GTAVuser-data locations were inspected before any cleanup or deletion. - You know the actual launcher installation path if you are making an optional game-folder copy.
- The mod’s current instructions identify which files it changes and how to remove them.
- You will test in Story Mode first and review current Rockstar guidance before using altered files online.
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