How to Transfer Your GTA IV Save to a New PC
Last verified: 2026-09-14
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames
Copy the entire savegames folder under Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV.
Before you move anything, make a full backup of every GTA IV save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:
robocopy "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\GTAIV-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.
Switching computers? Here's exactly which GTA IV save files to copy, where they live, and how to make sure your progress loads on the new PC.
Where the files live: see the full GTA IV save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
How to transfer your GTA IV save to a new PC
- On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames, and press Enter to open the save folder.
- Copy the entire savegames folder under Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV.
- Copy those files to a USB drive, cloud folder (OneDrive/Google Drive), or network share.
- Install GTA IV on the new PC and launch it once, then close it — this creates the empty save folder.
- Open the same path (%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames) on the new PC and paste your copied files in, overwriting if asked.
- Launch the game and confirm your progress loaded before deleting the backup copy.
Does cloud sync move it for you?
GTA IV on PC does NOT use Steam Cloud — your saves are local only. Always copy the savegames folder manually before reinstalling Windows or switching machines, or the progress is gone.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to close the game / let the cloud finish syncing before copying — a later sync can overwrite your restore.
- The Complete Edition and older retail/GFWL versions can store saves in slightly different Rockstar Games subfolders — search Documents\Rockstar Games for the savegames folder if it isn't where you expect.
FAQ
How do I move my GTA IV save to a new PC?
Copy the entire savegames folder under Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV. The folder is at %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames. Copy it to the same path on the new PC after installing and launching GTA IV once.
Does GTA IV use cloud saves?
GTA IV on PC does NOT use Steam Cloud — your saves are local only. Always copy the savegames folder manually before reinstalling Windows or switching machines, or the progress is gone.
Where is the GTA IV save folder on PC?
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames. See our full GTA IV save file location guide for every platform (PC, PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
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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.