Try to play ATS on Steamdeck, trashed my computer save.

[Namekujisennin]

Hello,

I just got a Steamdeck so one of the first things I tried was playing ATS.
I launched it and it asked me to create a new profile. I was weirded, but put my world of truck credentials and got a brand new account stamped with my old profile picture.
I figured I would check on my PC to just refresh the cloud save: turns out the Steamdeck version uploaded this blank profile to the Steam Cloud without asking, and my PC downloaded it.
This has never happened with any other games. I always am asked for confirmation in the odd chance the cloud content and the computer content are not shared.

I am guessing I lost it all, excepting for a few years old backup I might have around before that "cloud" convience became a thing?

[Namekujisennin]

I digged through my computer files and I have actually tons of backups on the current PC.
What is puzzling is no matter what I do to try to restore older version, only the new level0 profile shows up.
I noticed Steam profiles and profiles folder, but none can do.
With that new profile (which does have a whole directory of 50 saves weighing 5MB), I am unable to load any of my previous profile save.
I am totally confused.

[ttower]

I am assuming you gave the new profile the same name as your original. Rename or delete that profile from the Steam Deck/Cloud. You may also have to disable cloud saves for ATS on your desktop, then put the profile backups in place. This game is weird about recognizing profiles manually placed in the game files. I assume that when you started the game on Steam Deck, it asked for new profiles because it was a fresh game install. Once you had an active profile, it would have probably synced your old profiles off the cloud to the Steam Deck.

[Namekujisennin]

Thank you!

I had not given the same name, and somehow the old profile had gotten wiped from the steamcloud, BUT, as you said when I had copied back my old profile as a regular one into the PC folder, it was there and wouldnt show up because it was defaulting the silly new level0 one, but indeed there it was in the back!
I have since started a few games on the deck, and I'd say it is about 50/50 whether they would pull the proper steam cloud save or just generate a new blank one.
I am warned now!