Steam Cloud saves are stored locally under C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[steamID]\[appID]\ on a default Windows install of Steam. Which files a game uploads to the cloud is up to its developer, so it varies by game, and a game that does not use Steam Cloud will not have its saves in that folder. Everything here comes from the Steam Support Steam Cloud page and the game file backup page, which we opened directly on September 30, 2026. We do not list save paths for individual games, because the developer sets them. If you need more help on the account side of Steam, our guide on how to get a Steam refund is a useful companion.
Bottom line: does the game use the cloud at all?
Before you go looking for Steam Cloud saves, settle one question first: does this game use the cloud? A game that does not has no saves in the userdata folder, because they live wherever the developer chose. According to the official page, turning Steam Cloud off means progress that would have gone to the cloud stays only on the computer where you played. Steam Support also says it cannot recover lost saves or resolve cloud conflicts for you, so when a sync warning appears, it is safer to fix the cause than to click past it. This guide covers save files only; gameplay video files are a separate matter.
How to find your Steam Cloud saves, step by step (Windows)
- 1Check the logo on the store page — Open the game's page in the Steam store and look for the Steam Cloud logo at the upper right. If it is there, the game uses Steam Cloud. If not, the saves live wherever the developer chose, and you will not find them in the userdata folder described here. The official page notes that many games do not use Steam Cloud for save games, and in that case the game developer may be able to help you find or move the files.
- 2Confirm cloud sync is on — For one game, right click it in your Steam Library, choose Properties..., open the General tab, and check the Cloud Synchronization setting. For all games, open the Steam client Settings window, go to the Cloud tab, and look at the toggle next to 'Enable Steam Cloud Sync for applications that support it'. If sync is off for a game, its progress is stored only on the computer where you played and will not appear on another one.
- 3Open the userdata folder — On a default Windows install, open C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata. Inside is a folder named with the unique Steam ID of the account signed in on that computer, and inside that each game has its own folder named by appID. The official example is the Dota 2 folder, 570. The page gives no path for Steam installed in a different location, so we only describe the default location. File names and structure inside a game folder are decided by the game, so check the developer's guidance before moving or deleting anything.
- 4Read cloud_log.txt — Every time a file is written to or pulled from the cloud, Steam adds an entry to a file called cloud_log.txt. Its default location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\logs. If you doubt that a sync happened, close the game and open that file to see whether entries were written. The official page does not explain what individual log lines mean, so this guide does not interpret them.
- 5Decide what to do with a conflict window — If the local files differ from the cloud copy when you start a game, a Steam Cloud conflict window appears, because the same file was changed in two places without syncing and Steam cannot choose on its own. The page says the most recently modified version is usually the best choice, but you should think carefully about how the dates and times shown match your own play and progress. Playing in offline mode makes a conflict very likely, since nothing syncs until you are back online. The page shows the window only in screenshots, so we do not name its buttons.
- 6When progress is missing on a new computer — First check the store page again to confirm the game uses Steam Cloud. The official page gives two causes: the sync did not finish before you closed the game, or a sync uploaded an older version of your data. Your original data may still be on the previous computer, so launch Steam there and let it sync; your progress may then show up on the new computer the next time you start the game. For games that do not use Steam Cloud, the page says the save cannot be recovered if you can no longer access the old computer.
Steam Cloud at a glance, per the official page (verified September 30, 2026)
| Item | What the official page says | How to check and what to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Whether a game uses Steam Cloud | Developers can fully customize how a game uses Steam Cloud, including which user files are uploaded. | Look for the Steam Cloud logo at the upper right of the store page. For exactly which files sync, you may need to ask the developer or the community. |
| Default local location of game saves | C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\[steamID]\[appID]\ (Windows default) | The official example is Dota 2 (appID 570): Steam\userdata\[steamID]\570\ The page does not state the path when Steam is installed elsewhere. |
| Steam client settings | Collections, friend nicknames and items changed in the Settings menu are also saved to the cloud and pulled in when you sign in. | The local files for these settings are stored in Steam\userdata\[steamID]\7\ |
| Sync activity log | An entry is written to cloud_log.txt each time a file is written to or pulled from the cloud. | Default location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\logs |
| Turning it on and off | There is a per-game switch and a global switch. | With Steam Cloud off for a game, progress that would have gone to the cloud is saved only on the computer where you played. |
| Steam game file backup | It backs up the installed game files. It is not a backup of Steam Cloud saves. | Installed Files tab, Backup game files. Backups of games made by Valve do not include save games or settings files. |
What to check when sync does not work
- If you played in offline mode, confirm that sync completes once you are back online and see whether a conflict window appears.
- If a sync failure message appears, fix the cause before starting the game. The page warns that ignoring it and choosing 'play game' can cause a conflict between cloud and local files and make data or progress disappear.
- Restart your modem and router, and switch from wireless to wired Ethernet if you can. Data caching or compression on some ISPs and mobile networks can cause trouble, so also test on a different network.
- Review firewall and antivirus settings. For antivirus, the page mentions adding an exception so ...\Steam\userdata is excluded from real-time scanning.
- Temporarily disable, for testing, software that modifies or monitors system, disk or network activity. The page lists antivirus, ad-blockers, web-optimizers, firewalls, system cleaners, recording software, proxies and performance boosters as examples. Some of these steps are outside Steam, so the page recommends working with an IT support professional.
- If nothing works, the Steam Cloud help wizard on Steam Support shows the FAQ guidance and lets you submit a support ticket. The page says Steam Support is unlikely to be able to restore lost saves, so narrow down the cause in the order above before it gets that far.
Save files and gameplay recordings are separate things
This guide is about save files; gameplay video is a different kind of file. DOR does not back up or restore saves and does not fix cloud problems. One narrow connection is that the Steam Cloud Troubleshooting section lists recording software among programs that can interfere, so if you are isolating a sync problem, turning off whichever recording app you use for a test is within the official procedure. Once sync is sorted out and you want to keep your matches, DOR detects supported games automatically and records the full match as an mp4. PUBG goes further: on top of full-match recording it saves kills and other highlights as automatic clips. On an NVIDIA graphics card the match is encoded with NVENC hardware encoding, and game sound and your microphone land in the same file, so you can replay a session that ended with a sync warning, audio included. Videos land in the in-app library, a different set of files from the save folders under userdata. For the wider workflow of recording Steam games, see how to record Steam games.
Official sources and verification date
We opened these pages directly on September 30, 2026. Steam Cloud behavior, default paths, settings menus, conflict and failure guidance, and Troubleshooting come from Steam Support: Steam Cloud. The Backup game files steps and the note about Valve games come from Steam Support: Using the Steam Backup Feature. The help wizard for cloud problems is Steam Support: Steam Cloud help wizard. Menu names are quoted in the English wording shown on the official page. Pages can change, so recheck the official page before you act.
