On Windows, press Win+R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames, and press Enter. Open the numbered or alphanumeric account-ID folder inside it; your Satisfactory worlds are the .sav files there. Close the game before copying anything, and copy the entire account-ID folder to a separate location before replacing, moving, or testing a save.
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The exact Windows location
Coffee Stain’s support guidance gives the Windows location as %LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames. The percent signs make this an environment-variable path, so it works even when your Windows user folder is not on the usual drive or does not have the usual name.
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- Quit Satisfactory completely. Do not copy a file while the game is saving.
- Open File Explorer.
- Click the address bar, paste
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames, and press Enter. - Open the numbered or alphanumeric folder inside
SaveGames. That folder is tied to the Steam or Epic account that created the saves. - Look for files ending in
.sav. Sort them by Date modified to find the newest manual save or autosave.
If File Explorer says the location does not exist, check that Satisfactory has been started and that you are using the same Windows account that runs the game. A newly installed copy may not create its save directory until a game has been saved.
What the folders and files mean
The SaveGames directory can contain more than one account-ID folder. Steam and Epic use the same Windows parent directory, but each installation can place saves in a different ID folder. The folder with many numbers or another account identifier is not a second copy of the game; it is the container for that account’s worlds.
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Do not move only one file if you can avoid it. Copy the complete account-ID folder first. That preserves every manual save, autosave, and any related files in the same account directory, giving you a known-good rollback if a transfer fails.
Manual saves
A manual save is created when you choose the save command in Satisfactory. It is usually the easiest version to identify because its modified time matches the moment you intentionally saved. If you are preparing a transfer, make a fresh manual save, exit the game, and use that file as your starting point.
Autosaves
Autosaves are also .sav files, but their names and timestamps reflect the game’s automatic save cycle. An autosave can be newer than the manual save you actually want. Sort by modified date, then verify the filename and the in-game save time before copying or deleting anything.
Overwrite backups
The official Satisfactory wiki documents a SaveGames_backup folder under %LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames. When a manual save overwrites another save, the previous version can be placed in that backup folder. This is a useful recovery point, but it is not a complete backup system: the wiki warns that an autosave does not create this overwrite backup unless a file is manually overwritten.
How to identify the save you need
File names alone are not always enough, particularly when several factories use similar names. Use a cautious identification sequence:
- Make a fresh manual save in the world you want.
- Exit Satisfactory and wait for the game and launcher to finish closing.
- Open the account-ID folder and sort
.savfiles by modified date, newest first. - Match the newest file to the save name and time shown in the game’s load screen.
- Copy the whole account-ID folder before opening, editing, or replacing any file.
Never infer that the newest timestamp is automatically the right world. An autosave made in another factory can be newer than your intended manual save, and a cloud-sync operation can change timestamps after a file is downloaded.
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Steam and Epic saves on Windows
Steam and Epic installations use the same parent path, but they can create separate account-ID subfolders. This is why a save can appear to be missing after changing launchers: the file may still be present under the other account folder.
When the Steam folder is missing
If you moved from Epic to Steam and cannot see a Steam account folder, start Satisfactory from Steam, create a new game, and save it once. Close the game and check the parent SaveGames directory again. The new Steam account folder should appear beside the Epic folder.
Placing an Epic save in Steam, or vice versa
After making an independent backup, copy the required .sav files into the destination launcher’s account-ID folder. Keep the destination folder’s original files until you have confirmed that the transferred world loads. If you cannot tell which folder belongs to the destination account, create and save a throwaway world in that launcher first; its newly created folder and timestamp provide an unambiguous target.
A launcher transfer does not remove differences between game branches. A world saved by a newer or Experimental build may not behave correctly when opened by an older stable build. Keep the original files untouched until you have confirmed branch compatibility and a successful load.
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The reliable method is a close-copy-verify workflow rather than a drag-and-drop while the game is running.
- On the source PC, open
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames. - Close Satisfactory and its launcher.
- Copy the entire account-ID folder, not just the newest-looking file, to a USB flash drive or another storage location that the game does not use.
- On the destination PC, install and start Satisfactory once, then create and save a temporary world. Exit the game.
- Open the destination PC’s
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGamesdirectory and identify the newly created account-ID folder. - Make a backup copy of that destination folder before changing it.
- Copy the source
.savfiles into the destination account-ID folder. Keep any existing destination files until the transferred world has loaded successfully. - Start Satisfactory, open the load menu, and verify the world, factory state, and save timestamp.
The separate storage location matters because it gives you a version that is not being rewritten by the game or synchronized by a launcher. Coffee Stain specifically recommends backing up regularly by copying saves to another location, especially when cloud saves are enabled.
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Finding saves on Linux and Steam Deck
On Linux and Steam Deck, Satisfactory runs through Steam Play/Proton. Its Windows-style save directory is inside the Steam compatibility prefix for app ID 526870. Starting at the Steam library’s steamapps/compatdata/526870/pfx directory, locate the path that ends with FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/{YOUR STEAM ID}.
The exact Steam library root can differ between an internal drive, a microSD card, and another library location. Use the Steam library that contains Satisfactory, then open steamapps, compatdata, and 526870. Continue inside the pfx prefix until you find FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames, then open your Steam-ID folder.
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Deck file browsers hide dot-prefixed directories by default. In Desktop Mode, open the file manager and enable Show Hidden Files before browsing to the Steam library. If the compatibility directory appears to be missing, first confirm that hidden files are displayed and that you are looking at the library where Satisfactory is installed.
Copying a Deck save
Close Satisfactory, copy the complete Steam-ID folder to another storage location, and then transfer that folder to the destination Deck or PC. Keep the backup outside the Proton prefix. The prefix can be recreated or replaced during troubleshooting, while an external copy remains available.
Backup and recovery options
There are three different kinds of protection, and they do not provide the same control over versions.
| Protection | What it preserves | What can go wrong | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual save | A version you deliberately created in the game | You can overwrite it or mistake an autosave for the intended world | Create one immediately before a move, branch change, or experiment |
| Autosave | A recent automatic game state | An autosave is not guaranteed to create an overwrite backup | Use as an additional recent point, not as your only backup |
SaveGames_backup |
A previous version after a manual overwrite | It may not contain an autosave that was replaced automatically | Recover a manually overwritten save when the backup is present |
| Independent local copy | The complete account-ID folder at a chosen moment | It is only as current as the last copy you made | Keep on a USB flash drive or other storage the game does not use |
| Cloud synchronization | A launcher-managed copy that can follow you between computers | Conflicts can offer the wrong upload or download choice | Convenience after you have preserved a local copy |
Recovering a manually overwritten save
- Close Satisfactory and the launcher.
- Copy the current
SaveGamesdirectory to a separate location so the present state is preserved. - Open
SaveGames_backupunder the sameSaveddirectory. - Identify the backup that matches the time before the overwrite.
- Copy that backup to a separate working folder first; do not experiment on the only copy.
- Place the recovered file in the correct account-ID folder, retaining the original current file under a different name or in your external backup.
- Start the game and confirm the recovered world from the load menu.
If the expected file is not in SaveGames_backup, it may have been an autosave that was never manually overwritten. In that case, check every independent copy and any launcher-managed cloud conflict option before changing files again. There is no guaranteed recovery for a version that was never copied and has no overwrite backup.
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Cloud saves, version branches, and conflict prompts
Cloud synchronization is most likely to require a decision after switching between stable and Experimental branches, moving a save between Steam and Epic, or continuing the same world on another computer. The official wiki notes that these situations can produce a cloud-conflict prompt.
When a prompt asks whether to upload or download, stop and preserve the local files first. Copy the entire account-ID folder to storage outside the game directory, then compare the local save’s modified time and world state with the option offered by the launcher. Choose upload only when the local copy is the version you want in the cloud; choose download only when the cloud copy is known to be newer and correct.
The Satisfactory Steam announcement gives the same operational warning for Experimental: changes can have unexpected side effects, so back up saves before trying the branch. A branch switch should therefore be treated like a file replacement: close the game, make an independent copy, and keep that copy until the new branch has loaded and saved successfully.
Troubleshooting missing or unusable saves
The Windows path opens, but no files are visible
- Confirm that you are using the same Windows account that plays Satisfactory.
- Check every numbered or alphanumeric folder under
SaveGames; Steam and Epic can use different folders. - Start the correct launcher, save a new test world, exit, and check the directory again.
- Search for
.savfiles inside theFactoryGamedirectory rather than assuming the first folder is the right account.
The Steam folder did not appear after an Epic-to-Steam move
Launch the Steam version, create and save a new game, and close it. Steam should create its account-ID folder beside the Epic folder. Copy the desired files into that new Steam folder only after making a backup of both folders.
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- Check that the destination branch is not older than the branch that last saved the world.
- Restore the original files from your independent copy rather than repeatedly opening and saving the damaged version.
- Look in
SaveGames_backupfor the previous manually overwritten version. - If a cloud prompt appears, preserve the local copy before choosing upload or download.
The Deck path seems absent
Enable hidden files in the Desktop Mode file manager, verify that you are browsing the Steam library containing the game, and inspect steamapps/compatdata/526870/pfx. The save directory is inside that Proton prefix, not in a normal Documents folder.
Two computers show different worlds
Do not launch and save on both machines while investigating. Close the game on both, copy each machine’s complete account-ID folder to separate backup locations, then compare modified dates and the in-game save names. Resolve the difference manually or use the cloud conflict choice only after you know which copy is authoritative.
Quick Recap
Safe operating rules
- Close Satisfactory before copying, replacing, or renaming saves.
- Back up the complete account-ID folder, not only one visible
.savfile. - Keep at least one copy outside the directory used by the game and launcher.
- Make a fresh manual save before moving between PCs, launchers, or game branches.
- Preserve local files before responding to a cloud upload/download conflict.
- Treat
SaveGames_backupas a helpful overwrite recovery point, not as a substitute for independent backups.
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