How to Transfer Your Valheim Save to a New PC

Last verified: 2026-09-23

Save file location

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim

Copy worlds_local (your maps) and characters_local (your characters) folders — you need both.

Back up first (Windows) — copy & run

Before you move anything, make a full backup of every Valheim save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:

robocopy "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Valheim-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 Valheim 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 Valheim save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).

How to transfer your Valheim save to a new PC

On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim, 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 Valheim on the new PC and launch it once, then close it — this creates the empty save folder.
Copy both worlds_local and characters_local. A world without its character (or vice versa) leaves you unable to continue where you left off.
On the new PC, open the same path (%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim) 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 if cloud saves are enabled — Valheim syncs both worlds and characters. If you disabled cloud (common for large worlds), copy both folders by hand.

Common mistakes

Copying the world but forgetting its character (or vice versa) — you need both worlds_local and characters_local.
On Valheim 1.0 (Sept 2026) each world is a FOLDER inside worlds_local — copy the entire folder, not a single file. On a pre-1.0 world that hasn’t converted yet, copy both the matching .db and .fwl together.

FAQ

How do I move my Valheim save to a new PC?

Copy the save folder at %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim 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 Valheim cloud saves transfer automatically?

Yes on Steam if cloud saves are enabled — Valheim syncs both worlds and characters. If you disabled cloud (common for large worlds), copy both folders by hand.

Where is the Valheim save folder on the old PC?

It's at %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim. 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.

Did the Valheim 1.0 update change how saves transfer?

Yes — since 1.0 (Sept 2026) each world is stored as a folder inside worlds_local instead of a single .db + .fwl pair. The transfer method is the same: copy the whole worlds_local (and characters_local) folder. Pre-1.0 worlds still show a .db + .fwl pair until the game converts them on first load.

Other games

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.