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How to Verify Files and Reinstall Shogun 2 Complete Edition Without Losing Saves

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Verify Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition in Steam before reinstalling, but make a separate copy of your saves first. The safe order is: back up the Creative Assembly folder, remove or disable Workshop mods, run Steam’s file verification, test the game, and reinstall only if verification does not solve the problem. Steam Cloud is useful for synchronization, but it is not a substitute for your own backup.

The safest recovery order

A reinstall replaces the files in Steam’s installation directory; it does not guarantee that your Windows save folder will be preserved. Protect the save data before changing either location.

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  1. Exit Shogun 2. If Steam is showing a cloud-conflict dialog, close the game and Steam without choosing a version yet.
  2. Copy C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly to a clearly named folder on your desktop or an external drive.
  3. Disable or unsubscribe from Workshop mods and remove leftover mod files when appropriate.
  4. In Steam, open the game’s Properties, choose Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files.
  5. Launch the game and test it. If your campaign is missing, close the game and copy the backed-up save folder into the newly created Creative Assembly location.
  6. Only if verification and a clean test fail, uninstall and reinstall through Steam. Launch the fresh installation once, exit, then restore the backed-up save folder.

Keep the backup untouched until an existing campaign loads and you can save and reload it successfully.

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What Steam file verification actually does

Steam’s verification compares the files in your Shogun 2 installation with the files Steam expects. Missing or damaged installation files can be downloaded again, which makes verification a lower-risk and usually faster first step than a full reinstall. Steam says the check may take several minutes; the duration depends on the installation and the storage device.

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Verification is not a save-game repair tool. It does not decide which copy of a save is correct, remove every mod, or guarantee that a campaign built with a mod will load after that mod is gone. It also may report a small number of files that could not be verified. Steam explains that isolated failures can be normal when those files are local configuration files that are not replaced by the service.

Find the Windows save and configuration folder

SEGA documents this default Windows root for Shogun 2 configuration and saves:

C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly

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Replace YOURUSERNAME with your Windows account name. AppData is hidden by default. In File Explorer, enable hidden items (or use Folder Options to show hidden files) before browsing to the path. If you are unsure which files belong to Shogun 2, back up the entire The Creative Assembly folder rather than trying to select individual files.

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The backup should be outside the original path. A folder such as Shogun2-save-backup-2026-10-17 on the desktop is easy to identify, while a second drive protects you if the Windows installation or primary drive later develops a problem. Do not delete or overwrite the original folder until the game has been tested.

Make a manual backup before touching Steam

  1. Exit Shogun 2 completely. Wait for Steam to finish any visible synchronization activity.
  2. If Steam displays a cloud conflict, do not select a local or cloud option merely to dismiss the prompt. Close Steam and preserve the files first.
  3. Open the Windows path C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly.
  4. Copy the complete folder to a separate desktop or external-backup location. Use copy and paste rather than move, so the original remains available.
  5. Open the copied folder and confirm that it contains the Shogun 2 data you expect. Do not edit the copy.

This independent copy is the authoritative recovery point for the rest of the procedure. Steam Cloud can later be used, but it should not be the only place your campaign exists.

Remove or disable Workshop mods first

Mods can change the files Steam checks and can make a campaign dependent on content that is no longer installed. Before verifying, unsubscribe from Shogun 2 Workshop items or disable them in the game’s launcher, then remove leftover mod files when the mod’s instructions require it. The exact list of files varies by mod, so do not delete unrelated folders from the Creative Assembly directory.

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SEGA warns that a save dependent on a removed mod may require a new campaign. If a previously working campaign disappears or refuses to load immediately after mod cleanup, that may be a compatibility consequence rather than proof that the save was erased. Preserve the backup and, where legally and technically possible, restore the same mod set before attempting that campaign again. Do not overwrite your backup while experimenting.

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Verify Shogun 2 files in Steam

  1. Open the Steam client and select Library.
  2. Find Shogun 2 Complete Edition. Right-click it, or select its gear icon, and choose Properties.
  3. Open Installed Files.
  4. Click Verify integrity of game files.
  5. Let Steam finish the process and any downloads it schedules. Do not start a second verification at the same time.

Avoid combining verification with system-intensive scans or other disk-heavy operations. When Steam reports completion, note whether it reacquired files or simply confirmed the installation. A few files listed as failed do not automatically mean verification failed; local configuration files can be intentionally left unchanged.

Interpret the result before deciding to reinstall

What you see What it usually means Next action
Steam reacquires files and completes successfully One or more installation files were missing or damaged. Launch Shogun 2 and test the game before changing your save folder.
A small number of files fail repeatedly Steam says isolated failures can be local configuration files that are not replaced. Launch and test. Do not delete saves solely because of this message.
Verification completes but the game still will not launch The cause may be a mod, Windows component, driver, overlay, permissions, or another runtime issue. Use the troubleshooting checks below before performing a reinstall.
A campaign is absent after a clean launch The game may have created a new Creative Assembly folder, or the save may depend on a removed mod. Exit the game and restore the backed-up save folder; review mod compatibility.

Launch once and restore saves only when needed

Start the game after verification. If the menu and an existing campaign work, leave the files alone and make a new manual backup of the now-working state. If the game starts but your campaigns are not listed, exit rather than beginning a new campaign over the old data.

SEGA’s documented recovery method is to copy the backed-up save folder from the desktop location back into the recreated Creative Assembly location. Close Shogun 2 before copying. Use the backup made before verification, and preserve any newly created folder by renaming it or copying it elsewhere first. Then launch the game again and check the campaign list.

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If restoring the folder brings the campaign back but the game crashes when loading it, suspect mod dependence before assuming the save is corrupt. A save that requires a removed mod may not be usable in an unmodded installation.

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Reinstall Shogun 2 only after verification fails

A full reinstall replaces the Steam installation files, so it is appropriate when verification cannot repair the installation or when you need a clean set of game files. It is not a reason to delete the Roaming backup.

  1. Confirm that the independent copy of C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly opens and is stored outside the game and Steam directories.
  2. In Steam Library, open Shogun 2’s context menu and choose the uninstall option. Follow Steam’s prompts.
  3. After uninstalling, install Shogun 2 Complete Edition again through Steam. Allow the installation to finish before launching.
  4. Launch the newly installed game once. This creates the default folders and lets Steam complete first-run setup.
  5. Exit the game completely.
  6. Open the newly recreated C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly path.
  7. Copy the backed-up Shogun 2 save folder into that location. If Windows asks whether to merge folders, verify that you are copying from the backup to the new folder, not the reverse.
  8. Launch Shogun 2 and load the campaign. Test saving and reloading before deleting any backup.

Steam’s own backup guidance also cautions that saved games may require handling separately from installation files. Treat the Steam installation backup and the Windows save backup as different things; reinstalling the former does not prove that the latter was preserved.

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Use Steam Cloud without surrendering control of the save

Steam Cloud is synchronization, not an independently verified archive. Developers control which files a game uploads, and Steam warns that choosing incorrectly during a cloud conflict can lose data. Steam Support cannot recover lost saves after an incorrect choice.

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Steam’s general Windows Cloud data is under:

C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata

The game-specific folder inside userdata depends on your Steam account and the game’s app ID. Steam does not publish a Shogun 2-specific mapping in the cited support guidance, so do not guess at a subfolder or delete one while troubleshooting.

When a cloud conflict appears

  1. Stop. Do not click through the dialog just to start the game.
  2. Close Shogun 2 and Steam if possible.
  3. Make or confirm the manual Creative Assembly backup.
  4. Decide whether the local files or the cloud copy contain the campaign you want to keep. Compare dates and contents when you can do so safely.
  5. Only then choose the corresponding cloud-conflict option. If you cannot establish which copy is authoritative, keep Steam Cloud synchronization paused and work from the manual backup instead of guessing.

When to re-enable synchronization

After a reinstall, first launch with the restored local save and confirm that the intended campaign loads. Steam exposes per-game Cloud controls in the game’s Steam settings; use them only after you have selected the authoritative local or cloud copy. Keep the manual backup until a successful save and reload have completed with synchronization enabled.

If the game still will not launch

When verification has completed and a clean installation still fails, SEGA’s troubleshooting guidance points to several system-level checks. Apply one change at a time so you can identify what resolves the problem.

  • Disable Steam Overlay: Turn off the overlay for Shogun 2 and test again.
  • Install the Visual C++ components: In the Steam installation’s _CommonRedistvcredist folder under Steamworks Shared, run the supplied redistributable installers.
  • Update Windows: Install pending Windows updates, restart, and test.
  • Update graphics drivers: Install the current driver for your GPU from its manufacturer, then restart.
  • Check GPU power settings: Ensure the graphics control panel is not forcing an unsuitable power-saving profile for the game.
  • Try administrator permissions: Test launching Steam or the game with administrator permissions if normal access is being blocked.
  • Leave old beta branches: Opt out of obsolete beta or preview branches in Steam and return to the standard build.

These checks address launch and runtime conditions; none replaces the save backup. If the game works only after one of them, keep the restored save and record the setting that changed.

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Choose the least destructive recovery method

Approach Save risk Time and scope Mod implications
Manual folder backup Lowest, because it creates an independent local copy. Quick; protects data without changing the installation. Preserves files but does not make a mod-dependent campaign work without its required mod.
Steam file verification Low when the manual backup is made first. Usually faster than reinstalling; Steam says it may take several minutes. Checks installation files but does not resolve campaign dependencies.
Move the Creative Assembly folder aside Controlled, provided the original is retained. Resets preferences and cache while allowing saves to be copied back. Useful for separating a configuration problem from save or mod problems.
Full uninstall and reinstall Manageable only with a separate save backup and careful Cloud handling. Longest; replaces the Steam installation files. Produces clean installation files, but a campaign can still require its original mod set.
Steam Cloud recovery Depends on synchronization state and conflict selection. Can be convenient, but timing and file ownership may be unclear. Only files the developer configured for Cloud are synchronized.

Common mistakes that cost campaigns

  • Uninstalling before copying AppData: The Steam uninstall process is not a reliable save backup.
  • Trusting Cloud as the only copy: A conflict choice can overwrite the version you intended to keep, and Support cannot restore a lost save.
  • Deleting the Creative Assembly folder immediately: Moving it aside preserves a path back; permanent deletion does not.
  • Testing with mods still active: A mod can be the reason the game fails verification or a campaign will not load.
  • Starting a new campaign over the same files: Preserve the old folder before creating new data.
  • Copying in the wrong direction: Restore from the dated backup into the newly generated folder, never from the empty or newly generated folder over the backup.
  • Running several repairs simultaneously: Let Steam finish verification before starting another disk-heavy process.

When the recovery is complete

Consider the recovery successful only after the game reaches the main menu, lists the intended campaign, loads it into play, saves progress, exits, and reloads that save. At that point, retain the dated backup in a separate location. You can then decide whether to re-enable Steam Cloud and reinstall any required mods, checking the campaign after each major change.

The practical rule is simple: protect the Windows save folder first, verify Steam files second, and reinstall last. That order fixes damaged installation files while preserving a recoverable copy of the campaigns that matter.

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