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To carry your Shepard’s decisions through Mass Effect Legendary Edition, finish a game and choose that character in the next game’s import flow. The trilogy carries story choices forward, but it does not use one shared save file: Electronic Arts says each game keeps its own saves. If you own the original separate PC releases instead, the first-game-to-second-game process is different and may require the original Mass Effect 2 configuration utility. Identify your edition before following any file-path instructions, and copy your saves somewhere safe before changing files.
Which Mass Effect edition do I have?
Check this first: Legendary Edition and the original separate PC releases do not use one universal transfer procedure. A file-path tutorial for one edition can send you to the wrong folder or the wrong tool in the other.
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- Legendary Edition: Treat the three included games as separate games with their own saves. To continue a played-through story, use the previous-game character import when starting the next title. EA describes choices as carrying between the included games while noting that saves remain unique to each game. EA’s Gameplay Calibrations page explains that distinction.
- Original PC releases: The original Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2 transfer has an edition-specific configuration-utility step. The original Mass Effect 3 also has its own import selection for an ME2 character.
- Unsure: Check the game or collection name in your library before opening folders or copying saves. Do not assume that a folder path, utility, or cross-edition conversion applies to both versions.
EA’s product listing describes Legendary Edition as including the trilogy, and its gameplay page describes story continuity within those included games. That does not mean that installing the collection automatically merges old saves or converts every original-release save into a usable Legendary Edition save.
The product listing showed “Over 40 DLC” when accessed in 2026. That is a collection-content count, not a measure of how many decisions an import preserves. EA’s gameplay page describes choices carrying forward, but neither that statement nor the DLC figure is a percentage or count of imported decisions.
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How do I import my story in Legendary Edition?
For the fullest continuity, finish each game with the Shepard whose choices you want to carry forward, then select that completed character when starting the next game. Keep each game’s save files; importing a character does not turn the trilogy into a single shared save.
- Complete the first game. Finish the playthrough you want to continue and retain its save files.
- Start the second game and choose the previous-game character import. Select the completed first-game Shepard instead of beginning with a fresh character.
- Review the imported character and story setup. Confirm that the expected Shepard is selected before continuing.
- Complete the second game. Keep its save files as well as the first game’s.
- Start the third game and import the completed second-game character. Check the selection before proceeding, just as you did for the second game.
Menu wording and placement can vary by game and platform; EA’s feature description confirms the carried-choice concept but does not establish one universal, screenshot-level sequence for every platform. Look for the in-game option to import a character from the previous game rather than expecting the collection launcher to combine saves for you.
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How do I transfer original PC Mass Effect 1 saves into Mass Effect 2?
For the original PC releases, an EA-hosted community guide describes using the configuration utility in the Mass Effect 2 installation. This is not the Legendary Edition procedure. The guide’s steps are edition-specific community instructions, not a universal EA transfer workflow.
- Open the Mass Effect 2 installation folder and locate
MassEffect2Config.exein itsBinariesfolder. - Run the utility and open Save Games.
- Choose Copy Mass Effect 1 Save Games.
- When prompted, point it to the original first-game save folder:
DocumentsBioWareMass EffectSave. - Start the original Mass Effect 2 and select the option to import the first-game character. Check that the expected character is offered before continuing.
Do not substitute a Binaries folder beneath Documents for the Mass Effect 2 installation folder. A separate community forum reply describes copying saves into a DocumentsBioWareMass Effect 2SaveME1 folder as another original-edition remedy, but the configuration-utility route is the clearer walkthrough in the cited guidance. If you use that alternative, keep an untouched copy of the original files.
The EA-hosted community guide says its configuration-utility step is not required for the original Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3 import.
If the utility cannot find the first-game files, verify that you selected the original Mass Effect 1 save folder and that your Documents folder has not been redirected. If you have more than one installation or Windows user profile, check that the game and save belong to the same account. Avoid moving or renaming the only copy while troubleshooting: the utility is meant to copy saves, and an untouched backup gives you a way back if you select the wrong folder.
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How do I import an original Mass Effect 2 character into Mass Effect 3?
In the original Mass Effect 3, select New Game and then Import ME2 Character. Do not select an option for importing an ME3 character when your goal is to continue the previous game’s Shepard.
- Launch the original Mass Effect 3.
- Choose New Game.
- Choose Import ME2 Character.
- Check that the expected completed ME2 character appears before proceeding.
If the character is missing, do not assume that the first-game configuration step will fix it: the cited guide says that step is for the original ME1-to-ME2 process, not required for ME3.
Keep the distinction between the character-import choices clear: the import option is for continuing a completed ME2 Shepard, while the other new-game choices are not substitutes for that previous-game file. If the expected character does not appear, confirm that you are launching the original game and checking the correct PC profile and save location before trying any conversion or third-party file.
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What if I do not have a completed save from the previous game?
Mass Effect: Genesis offers a way to set selected earlier-story choices when starting Legendary Edition’s second or third game without playing the earlier title. It is a shortcut for chosen backstory decisions, not a reconstruction of every decision or progress detail from a missing playthrough.
EA says the optional Genesis comics are integrated before games two and three so a player starting later can make choices about prior games. That supports setting selected story choices, but not recovering every small decision, mission completion, relationship, or progression detail from a lost save. If preserving the fullest played-through story matters, keep the completed saves and import through the trilogy in order.
Think of Genesis as a limited starting-point alternative, not a save-recovery tool. It does not restore the exact prior character, all side content, or the full sequence of decisions from an unavailable playthrough. If your older save still exists on another drive or in a cloud-synced Documents folder, locating your own file is a better first step when you want the played-through version of the story.
Where are Legendary Edition saves on PC, and how do I back them up?
An EA staff forum reply gives the Legendary Edition PC save root as DocumentsBioWareMass Effect Legendary EditionSave. An accepted recovery answer identifies separate ME1, ME2, and ME3 folders beneath it. Copy the relevant folders to a separate location before reinstalling, changing PCs, or experimenting with files.
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- Open the Documents location actually used by your PC and look for
BioWareMass Effect Legendary EditionSave. - Copy—not move—the
ME1,ME2, andME3folders to another location, such as a separate backup folder or removable drive. - Keep the backup until you have confirmed that the game recognizes the saves you need.
- If Documents is redirected or synchronized through OneDrive, check whether the files are actually downloaded locally. A cloud placeholder may not be a local save file available to the game.
In a forum discussion about moving Legendary Edition saves to another PC, EA staff said manual local-file copying may work between PCs, while also clarifying that local files do not automatically transfer between systems. The discussion does not establish automatic synchronization or a supported PC-to-console continuation feature. The recovery discussion also notes that an older Origin restore option was absent for one participant in the newer EA app; do not rely on that old menu as current EA app guidance. See the EA forum discussion about Legendary Edition saves and Xbox.
A removable USB flash drive is one practical option for a separate PC backup or PC-to-PC copy, but it does not perform an in-game import or make incompatible formats compatible. A portable SSD is more storage than save files alone require. No particular device is necessary if you already have another safe place to keep a second copy; the important point is to retain an untouched backup away from the files you are changing.
When copying between PCs, retain the folder structure and put the files in the equivalent location on the destination PC. Then launch the right edition and check whether the relevant character is recognized. Manual copying is not the same as a cross-save service: it requires access to the local files on both machines and does not promise that a PC save can continue on Xbox.
Why is my save not showing up?
Start with edition, game, character, and folder location before changing files. A missing import can mean the wrong version or game is being launched, the previous playthrough is not complete, or the expected save is in a different Documents location.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11- Confirm the edition. Check whether you are launching Legendary Edition or an original separate release; do not apply original-PC folder instructions to the collection.
- Confirm the game and import choice. For original ME3, the selection is Import ME2 Character. For the trilogy’s in-game continuity, use the previous-game character import when starting the next title.
- Check that a completed character exists. The import flow needs a character from the previous game to offer.
- Check the correct save location. For Legendary Edition PC, inspect the root
DocumentsBioWareMass Effect Legendary EditionSaveand its game-specific folders. For original PC imports, use the applicable original-game locations rather than assuming the collection path. - Check redirected Documents or OneDrive. Verify the actual Documents folder and whether synchronized files are present locally.
- Restore from your own backup if needed. Avoid unknown downloaded saves or plot-flag edits as a first fix: either can replace or alter the story you are trying to preserve, and the cited publisher material does not validate those as recovery methods.
Before copying anything, check whether the save files are truly absent or simply in a different Documents location. A OneDrive setup can leave files visible in a cloud listing without the local file being downloaded. Look in the active Documents folder and confirm the files are available on the PC. If you have a backup, use a copy of it rather than overwriting the only remaining version.
If a character appears in one game but not another, return to the game-specific distinction: each game has its own save folder, and the correct next-game import flow still matters. Avoid repeated edits to several folders at once. Change one thing at a time, then reopen the game and check for the expected character so you can tell which step helped.
Can I move saves between PC, Xbox, or different editions?
Do not treat cross-device movement and in-game character imports as the same feature. The available EA forum statements support a narrower possibility of manually copying local saves between PCs; an EA community manager said PC-to-Xbox cross-saving was not planned for Legendary Edition. That is a historical staff statement, not a fresh compatibility audit of every current console case.
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Original releases and Legendary Edition also should not be treated as interchangeable save formats. Community reports say original ME1 and Legendary Edition’s first game use different formats, while original ME2 and ME3 files can sometimes be compatible. EA staff separately said moving a Legendary Edition ME2 save toward the original ME3 may work but warned of issues. These reports do not establish a reliable conversion workflow for every game, direction, and platform. Keep the source files intact and treat cross-edition copying as uncertain rather than guaranteed.
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In short, distinguish three different jobs: carrying story choices from one game to the next using that game’s import flow; manually relocating local files between PCs; and switching platforms or editions. The first is the normal trilogy-continuity path. The second may be possible when you copy the right files. The third is not a guaranteed save-transfer route, so preserve the original files and do not buy or install the collection on the assumption that it will automatically migrate an old playthrough.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do the import options differ?
The right option depends on whether you still have a completed save and whether you are continuing within one edition. These routes solve different problems.
| Route | What it carries or changes | Completed previous-game save needed? | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Previous-game character import in Legendary Edition | Continues story choices through the trilogy’s successive games. | Yes, for the fullest continuity of a played-through story. | Each game still has its own save files. |
| Genesis before a later Legendary Edition game | Lets a later-starting player set selected earlier-story choices. | No. | It is not a reconstruction of every action or progress detail from a missing playthrough. |
| Original PC ME1-to-ME2 configuration utility | Copies original first-game saves for the original second game’s import flow. | Yes. | It is edition-specific and does not apply to Legendary Edition. |
| Manual file copying between PCs | May move local files from one PC to another. | Existing save files are needed. | EA forum staff described this as a possibility; it is not automatic transfer or a PC-to-console guarantee. |
The key tradeoff is breadth versus convenience. A previous-game import depends on the completed save and is the route for preserving the played-through story. Genesis lets you start later without that file but only supplies selected earlier choices. Likewise, the original PC utility is useful only for the original first-to-second-game path; applying it to Legendary Edition does not solve a missing import.
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How we picked the safest route
The steps above follow the distinctions supported by EA’s product and gameplay pages and by clearly attributed EA forum statements: use the in-game import flow for story continuity, keep per-game files, separate original PC instructions from Legendary Edition, and preserve backups before attempting manual file movement. Where a route rests on community guidance or a historical forum answer rather than a universal compatibility specification, the article labels that uncertainty instead of promising a conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mass Effect publish a percentage of choices preserved by save imports?
No percentage or count of preserved decisions is established by the cited EA pages and forum guidance. EA describes choices carrying between the included games, but that does not support a numerical completeness claim.
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Does the Legendary Edition DLC count tell me how many story choices transfer?
No. EA’s product listing showed over 40 DLC when accessed in 2026, but that is a content count, not a statistic about imported decisions.
Can the Mass Effect Archives tapestry read my trilogy save automatically?
EA staff says the tapestry does not read trilogy saves; choices must be adjusted manually. It is separate from importing a character into one of the games.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCan I play Mass Effect Legendary Edition on PC and continue the same save on Xbox?
Do not count on it. An EA community manager said PC-to-Xbox cross-saving was not planned for Legendary Edition. That historical forum statement is not a current audit of every console setup, so keep your playthrough on the same platform if you need dependable continuity.
Can I copy a Legendary Edition save from one PC to another?
EA staff said manual copying of local files between PCs may work, but files do not transfer automatically. Copy the game-specific folders, preserve a backup, and check the destination PC’s actual Documents location.
Will an original Mass Effect save automatically work in Legendary Edition?
Do not assume so. Community reports distinguish the original and Legendary Edition ME1 formats, and there is no reliable all-games conversion workflow established. Keep the original files intact and treat cross-edition copying as uncertain.
What should I do if my save is not showing up?
Confirm which edition and game you launched, choose the right import option, and check whether a completed previous-game character exists. Then inspect the correct game-specific save path and any redirected Documents or OneDrive location; use your own backup before trying file changes.
Does Genesis recover my missing playthrough?
No. Genesis lets you choose selected prior-story decisions when starting later games, but it does not reconstruct every decision, mission, relationship, or progression detail from an absent save.
The Bottom Line
For a continuous Shepard story, identify your edition, keep each game’s saves, and use the previous-game character import between titles. Original PC ME1-to-ME2 has its own configuration-utility procedure; Genesis only supplies selected backstory choices if a completed save is missing. Back up files before moving them, and treat PC-to-console or cross-edition compatibility as uncertain rather than guaranteed.
