How to Transfer Your Factorio Save to a New PC
Last verified: 2026-09-14
%APPDATA%\Factorio\saves
Copy the entire save folder from %APPDATA%\Factorio\saves on your old PC to the exact same path on the new PC — that folder is your whole Factorio progress.
Before you move anything, make a full backup of every Factorio save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:
robocopy "%APPDATA%\Factorio\saves" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Factorio-save-backup" /E /COPY:DAT /R:1 /W:1
/E mirrors the whole save tree (every profile sub-folder and slot) to a backup folder on your Desktop without touching the originals. Copy that folder to the new PC, then restore by swapping the source and destination paths.
Move your Factorio save to a new PC — the exact folder to copy, cloud-sync notes, and the mistakes that lose progress.
Where the files live: see the full Factorio save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
How to transfer your Factorio save to a new PC
- On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %APPDATA%\Factorio\saves, and press Enter to open the Factorio save folder.
- Select everything inside that folder and copy it to a USB drive, a cloud folder (OneDrive/Google Drive), or a network share.
- Install Factorio on the new PC and launch it once, then quit — this creates the empty save folder so the path exists.
- On the new PC, open the same path (%APPDATA%\Factorio\saves) and paste the copied files in, overwriting if asked.
- Launch Factorio and confirm your progress loaded before deleting the backup copy.
Does cloud sync move it for you?
The Steam version of Factorio does not use Steam Cloud — saves stay in AppData\Factorio\saves. Because each save is a self-contained .zip, moving to a new PC is just copying the .zip files into the saves folder there.
Common mistakes
- Copying only a single save file instead of the whole folder — many games keep settings, profiles, or rolling backups alongside the main save.
- Forgetting to launch Factorio once on the new PC first, so the destination folder doesn't exist yet when you paste.
FAQ
How do I move my Factorio save to a new PC?
Copy the save folder at %APPDATA%\Factorio\saves from the old PC to the exact same path on the new PC, then launch the game. Use a USB drive, cloud storage, or a network share to move the files.
Will Factorio cloud saves transfer automatically?
The Steam version of Factorio does not use Steam Cloud — saves stay in AppData\Factorio\saves. Because each save is a self-contained .zip, moving to a new PC is just copying the .zip files into the saves folder there.
Where is the Factorio save folder on the old PC?
It's at %APPDATA%\Factorio\saves. Paste that into the File Explorer address bar (or Win+R) to open it. See our full location guide for every platform.
Do I need to copy any other files?
Copy the whole save folder, not just one file — some games store settings, backups, or profile subfolders alongside the main save. Copying the entire folder avoids missing anything.
Other games
- A Plague Tale: Requiem Save File Location (PC, Steam, GOG, Game Pass)
- Celeste Save File Location (PC, Steam, GOG, itch)
- Content Warning Save File Location (PC, Steam Deck)
- How to Transfer Your Dave the Diver Save to a New PC
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- How to Transfer Your Stardew Valley Save to a New PC
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Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.