How to Transfer Your The Long Dark Save to a New PC
Last verified: 2026-09-14
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark
Copy the entire TheLongDark folder from AppData\Local\Hinterland — keep all the save-slot files together as one set.
Before you move anything, make a full backup of every The Long Dark save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:
robocopy "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\TheLongDark-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.
Copy the entire TheLongDark folder from AppData\Local\Hinterland — keep all the save-slot files together as one set.
Where the files live: see the full The Long Dark save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
How to transfer your The Long Dark save to a new PC
- On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark and press Enter.
- Copy the whole TheLongDark folder to a USB drive, cloud folder, or network share.
- Install The Long Dark on the new PC and launch it once, then close it.
- Open %LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark on the new PC and paste the copied files in, overwriting if asked.
- Launch and confirm your survival run loaded before deleting the backup.
Does cloud sync move it for you?
The Long Dark uses Steam Cloud on Steam. Let the cloud sync finish on the new PC before copying or restoring so a later sync doesn't overwrite your backup. The Microsoft Store build keeps saves in a Packages sub-folder named for Hinterland Studio.
Common mistakes
- Copying only one save slot instead of the whole folder — keep the set together.
- Restoring a manual backup before Steam Cloud finishes syncing, which can overwrite it.
FAQ
How do I move my The Long Dark save to a new PC?
Copy the save from %LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark on 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 The Long Dark cloud saves transfer automatically?
The Long Dark uses Steam Cloud on Steam. Let the cloud sync finish on the new PC before copying or restoring so a later sync doesn't overwrite your backup. The Microsoft Store build keeps saves in a Packages sub-folder named for Hinterland Studio.
Where is the The Long Dark save folder on the old PC?
It's at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Hinterland\TheLongDark. 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 sub-folders 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.