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On a Windows PC, back up Destiny 2’s CVARS.xml file before you uninstall the game, reinstall it, move to another computer, or make major configuration changes. Bungie documents the file under %APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs. Copy that file to a separate location while Destiny 2 is closed, then verify the copy before you change anything.
This preserves a local configuration file, not your characters or account. Bungie’s Cross Save system addresses access to active characters on linked platforms; its guide does not promise to synchronize PC keybinds or other local settings. The steps below therefore treat account progress and Windows configuration as two separate backups.
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What you are backing up
The file relevant to the Windows PC procedure is CVARS.xml. Bungie’s Destiny 2 Epic Games Store Guide places it in the user’s Roaming AppData folder:
UsersUSER_NAMEAppdataRoamingBungieDestinyPCprefs
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%APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs
The official guide identifies CVARS.xml as the file to remove when resetting custom player settings, but it does not inventory every preference stored in the file. Treat it as the documented configuration file for this procedure, not as a guaranteed export of every Destiny 2 preference, profile, accessibility choice, or launcher setting.
Why a separate copy matters
Bungie states: “When relaunched, Destiny 2 will generate a fresh CVARS.xml file. This will revert all custom player settings in Destiny 2 to their defaults.” That reset behavior makes the original file valuable before you experiment. Keep the backup outside the game’s settings folder so an uninstall, cleanup operation, or accidental deletion does not remove both the working file and your safety copy.
Back up the file before switching games
- Close Destiny 2. Exit to the desktop and make sure the game is no longer running. Copying after the game has closed avoids preserving a file while it may still be writing changes.
- Open the documented folder. In File Explorer, click the address bar, enter
%APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs, and press Enter. This environment-variable path takes you to the Roaming AppData location for the signed-in Windows user. - Find the configuration file. Look for
CVARS.xml. Check the filename and extension carefully; do not substitute a similarly named file from another game or another Bungie folder. - Copy, do not move, the file. Right-click
CVARS.xml, choose Copy, open a folder outside the originalprefsdirectory, right-click an empty area, and choose Paste. Leaving the original untouched gives you a known-good source if the backup is incomplete or the game needs to be launched before you finish your migration. - Use a descriptive backup name or folder. For example, create a folder named
Destiny2-settings-backupand place the copied file inside it. If you keep backups from multiple computers or dates, add that information to the folder name rather than changing the XML structure. - Confirm that the copy exists. Open the destination folder and verify that
CVARS.xmlis present. You can use File Explorer’s Properties command to confirm that it is a file and to note its modified date. The important verification is that the copy is outside the original settings directory and can be opened or transferred independently.
Where to store the backup
A second internal folder is convenient for a short-term experiment, but it does not protect you from a failed drive or a Windows profile problem. If you are moving to another PC, copy the backup to storage that the target computer can access. A USB flash drive is optional; another removable drive, a network location, or cloud storage can also carry the file. No particular storage service is required for the file itself.
Keep at least one untouched copy until you have confirmed that the target installation behaves as expected. If you make several attempts, retain the original backup and create a new working copy for each test. This prevents a failed restoration from overwriting the only known-good version.
Transfer methods and what each one proves
The transfer method is less important than the checks around it. A valid backup should be outside the original settings location, reachable from the destination PC, and clearly identified as the file you intend to restore.
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| Method | Useful when | What to verify | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate folder on the same PC | You are changing games temporarily or testing a reset | The copy is outside %APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs |
It will not protect you from a failed drive or a deleted Windows profile |
| USB flash drive or other removable storage | You are moving the configuration to another computer without a shared storage location | The file opens from the removable drive and the drive is safely ejected after copying | The drive can be lost or damaged; keep another copy when the settings matter |
| Cloud or network storage | You need access from more than one computer | The upload completed and the downloaded file is still named CVARS.xml |
Sync conflicts can create multiple versions; select the intended copy before restoring |
| Launcher or game backup feature | You want a broader installation backup | Inspect the resulting backup for CVARS.xml and its destination path |
Do not assume configuration files are included |
Steam’s general guidance in Using the Steam Backup Feature warns that many games using third-party installers or downloaders are incompatible with its backup feature. The same page explains, in its discussion of Valve-created games, that saved games and configuration files may not be included and that custom files may need to be copied separately. That is a reason to inspect any launcher backup rather than evidence that Steam definitely includes or excludes Destiny 2’s CVARS.xml.
Restore the settings on another Windows PC
The official material identifies the file and its location but does not provide a complete, storefront-independent restore walkthrough. Use a conservative process that preserves the destination computer’s current file before replacing anything.
- Install and launch Destiny 2 once, if necessary. A new installation may need to create its user folders. Close the game after that first launch.
- Open the destination folder. In File Explorer, enter
%APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs. Confirm that this is the Windows user profile in which you will play Destiny 2. - Make a destination safety copy. If a
CVARS.xmlalready exists, copy it to a separate folder before making any replacement. This gives you a way back if the transferred settings are unsuitable. - Check the source file. On the removable drive, network location, or other storage, confirm that you selected the intended
CVARS.xmland not a file from a different date or computer. - Replace only after both checks. Copy the backed-up file into the destination
prefsfolder and accept the replacement prompt only when the source and destination paths are correct. If Windows reports a permissions or file-in-use problem, cancel, close Destiny 2 and related launchers, and try again rather than forcing the operation. - Launch Destiny 2 and test deliberately. Check a few keybinds and the settings that matter to you before deleting any safety copy. If the configuration is wrong or the game behaves unexpectedly, close it and restore the destination file you saved in step three.
Do not edit the XML by hand unless you know exactly which value you are changing and have a separate backup. A malformed or partially edited configuration can make troubleshooting harder than restoring the untouched file.
Resetting settings safely when the backup is available
If your goal is to start fresh rather than migrate old controls, you can preserve the current file first and then follow Bungie’s reset behavior. After the file is deleted and Destiny 2 is relaunched, Bungie says the game generates a new CVARS.xml and reverts custom player settings to their defaults.
- Close Destiny 2.
- Copy the existing
CVARS.xmlto a separate backup folder. - Confirm that the backup opens from that separate location and has the expected filename.
- Only then remove the original from the
prefsfolder. - Relaunch Destiny 2 to let it create a fresh configuration file.
This reset does not erase your Bungie account or active characters. It changes local custom settings, which is why a file backup is useful before you test it.
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Cross Save is not a settings-file backup
Bungie’s Destiny 2: Cross Save Guide describes access to a selected active character set from linked platforms. That account-level feature answers the question “Which characters can I use?” It does not, in the cited description, promise to copy a Windows PC configuration file, mouse bindings, controller mappings, graphics choices, or other local preferences.
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Before switching platforms or computers, handle both layers separately:
- Use your Bungie account and Cross Save settings for access to the intended active characters on linked platforms.
- Use the Windows file-copy procedure for the local Destiny 2 configuration.
- After signing in on the target PC, verify both the character access and the controls in the game rather than assuming one system confirms the other.
Storefront and platform limits
Bungie maintains separate support information for Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the Epic Games Store in its Destiny 2 Hub for Platform Support. The researched file path is documented in the Epic Games Store guide. That documentation does not establish that every PC storefront package, Windows setup, or future installation uses an identical path.
If the environment-variable path does not contain the file, do not invent a replacement path or copy a random XML file. Check which Windows account is signed in, confirm that Destiny 2 has been launched under that account, and consult the support page for the relevant storefront. The evidence covered here is for Windows PC; it does not establish a console procedure or a universal path for every platform.
Verification checklist before you uninstall or switch games
- Destiny 2 is closed.
- You opened
%APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefsunder the correct Windows user account. - The source file is named
CVARS.xml. - You copied the file rather than moving or deleting the original.
- The backup is outside the original
prefsfolder. - You can identify which computer and date the backup represents.
- If using removable, cloud, or network storage, you verified that the transfer completed.
- You retained an untouched copy before attempting a reset or restore.
- You understand that the file is not documented as a guaranteed export of every Destiny 2 preference.
- You have treated Cross Save and local settings as separate concerns.
Troubleshooting common failures
The AppData folder is not visible
AppData is commonly hidden in Windows, but entering %APPDATA%BungieDestinyPCprefs directly in File Explorer’s address bar avoids the need to browse through hidden folders. If the path does not open, check the spelling and the Windows account currently signed in.
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There is no CVARS.xml file
Confirm that Destiny 2 has been launched at least once under this Windows account, then close it and check the path again. If the file still is not present, the documented path may not match your storefront or installation context. Use Bungie’s platform-support hub rather than copying an unrelated file or assuming that a launcher backup created the configuration.
Windows says the file is in use
Close Destiny 2 and wait for the game process to exit. Also close the launcher if it is still performing an update or verification. If the warning persists, cancel the copy and retry after Windows has finished any pending operation; do not overwrite a file that may still be changing.
The restored controls are not what you expected
Exit the game, preserve the restored file in a separate folder, and return the destination safety copy you made before replacement. Check that you selected the correct computer’s backup and that the file was not renamed or altered during transfer. Because Bungie does not publish a complete inventory of the file’s contents in the cited guide, a successful copy cannot guarantee that every preference you remember will appear unchanged.
A launcher backup did not restore the bindings
Inspect the backup contents for CVARS.xml. Steam’s support documentation explicitly warns that configuration and custom files may require separate copying in some situations, and it does not make a Destiny 2-specific inclusion guarantee. Repeat the direct File Explorer copy instead of relying on the launcher’s package alone.
Questions readers commonly ask
Is CVARS.xml the complete Destiny 2 settings export?
Bungie’s published support material identifies it as the file used for the documented reset, but does not list every setting it contains. Back it up for the local configuration you need, while recognizing that the documentation does not guarantee a complete export of every preference.
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Can I back up the file while Destiny 2 is running?
Close the game first. The support material’s reset instructions concern deleting the file and relaunching; closing before copying is a cautious handling practice that reduces the chance of capturing a file while it is being written.
Will Cross Save restore my keybinds on another platform?
Not according to the Cross Save description cited here. It covers access to an active character set on linked platforms, while the Windows keybind backup is a separate local file.
Does this procedure work on consoles?
The documented path is a Windows PC path. The available support material does not establish a console file location or console restoration procedure, so do not apply these steps to a console.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteShould I delete the original after copying it?
No. Keep the original until you have completed your switch or reset and verified the result. Deleting it is the reset action Bungie describes; a separate copy is your recovery option.
What if I use a different PC storefront?
The path in this guide comes from Bungie’s Epic Games Store support guide, while Bungie provides separate platform-support information for other PC storefronts. Check the relevant platform guidance if the path is absent or differs on your installation.
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