How to Transfer Your No Man's Sky Save to a New PC
Last verified: 2026-09-08
%APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS
Inside NMS is a folder named st_<SteamID>; copy that whole folder — it holds save*.hg and mf_save*.hg metadata files.
Before you move anything, make a full backup of every No Man's Sky save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:
robocopy "%APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\NoMansSky-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 No Man's Sky 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 No Man's Sky save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
How to transfer your No Man's Sky save to a new PC
- On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS, and press Enter to open the save folder.
- Select everything in that folder and copy it to a USB drive, cloud folder (OneDrive/Google Drive), or network share.
- Install No Man's Sky on the new PC and launch it once, then close it — this creates the empty save folder.
- The st_ folder is named with your Steam ID. If the new PC uses a different Steam account, rename the folder to match the new ID, or the game won't detect your saves.
- On the new PC, open the same path (%APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS) and paste the 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?
Yes on Steam with Steam Cloud enabled — saves sync automatically when you sign into the same account. Copy the st_ folder manually if cloud is off; the GOG version stores saves in the same HelloGames\NMS path.
Common mistakes
- Copying save*.hg but skipping the matching mf_save*.hg metadata, which hides the save.
- Steam ID folder name not matching the new account.
FAQ
How do I move my No Man's Sky save to a new PC?
Copy the save folder at %APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS 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 No Man's Sky cloud saves transfer automatically?
Yes on Steam with Steam Cloud enabled — saves sync automatically when you sign into the same account. Copy the st_ folder manually if cloud is off; the GOG version stores saves in the same HelloGames\NMS path.
Where is the No Man's Sky save folder on the old PC?
It's at %APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS. 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.
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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.