I'm going to wipe and upgrade to Windows 10, is it necessary to save game files?

[BajanRex]

So, I'm confused if I need to save certain game files or not for my steam games. Like I know skins for CSGO won't be lost, but I'm not entirely sure what stuff to "backup" or save before I reset my pc. Any clear explanations? Or Do I not need to worry about saving stuff, and I'll be fine by reinstalling all my games when I wipe my pc?
Thanks!

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

I use Steam Cloud for most that support it but back up all games saves using...

https://www.gamesave-manager.com/

As for screenshots you haven't uploaded yet, the userdata folder holds screenshots you haven't uploaded. Save that if you like.

[BajanRex]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

I use Steam Cloud for most that support it but back up all games saves using...

https://www.gamesave-manager.com/

As for screenshots you haven't uploaded yet, the userdata folder holds screenshots you haven't uploaded. Save that if you like.

:qr:

Oh, I'll give the website a look! And oh yeah screenshots, definitely a good idea to save those if I have not uploaded them yet, thanks!

[FiatLux]

Originally posted by BajanRex:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

I use Steam Cloud for most that support it but back up all games saves using...

https://www.gamesave-manager.com/

As for screenshots you haven't uploaded yet, the userdata folder holds screenshots you haven't uploaded. Save that if you like.

:qr:

Oh, I'll give the website a look! And oh yeah screenshots, definitely a good idea to save those if I have not uploaded them yet, thanks!

If you are going to 'wipe' a drive for upgrading Windows then it's always a very good idea to take a complete image based backup by using a backup software that will allow you to restore individual files afterwards.
My own strategy also include a file backup tool for easier backup of personal files.
Of course such a strategy requires both a drive and some software.
An external USB drive you have to buy, but standard version of software can be had for free these days...
Backup software for full drive backup (recommended) : Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition :
https://www.paragon-software.com/free/br-free/
Simple file backup for continuous sync of personal files : SyncBackFree (the best but also advanced) :
https://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/index.html

P.S.
If you want to be sure that you can read a backup and that it works as you intend then check and test it prior to wiping your drive..
also
GameSave Manager as suggested by another user is also a very good idea , especially if your game installation is not on your system drive and also the 2BrightSparks SyncBackFree require that you manually set what you want to take backup of !

[Jack Schitt]

Hotsauce's suggestions are always good ones. If you're like me and don't want to use 3rd party services (less stuff = less that can go wrong) the files you need to make a backup of for the fastest way to get all your games back are:

- Your Library Folders:
/steam/common/steamapps

- Saved game files and custom content (some of this is auto through the cloud as Hotsauce mentioned):
*Some games store such content in the %appdata% folder directory. Type that, including the %'s, in File Explorer. There's a Roming, Local Low, and Local folder in there. Surf all of the appdata folders for any game relevant content and back it up.

**Some games save that content in another directory somewhere else like in the Documents folder or the root of C:\ or in a separate folder in the root of Program Files and Program Files (x86).

Look around before doing the upgrade to be sure you get all the stuff you want backed up.

When you finish with the upgrade copy the library files to where you want to store them (anywhere), install Steam, go to Steam > Downloads > Library Folders (button) and tell it where the library folders are, then click on each game to launch it. A much quicker than downloading and reinstalling them all process will run, it's the same as the game file integrity validation and you're good to go.

Any workshop subscriptions you might have won't change, they will re-download when you launch the game you're for and be there. You may have to re-activate them if they have to be activated somehow in the game.

Depending upon what operating system you're upgrading from there's a way to do that with the upgrade options without losing or having to re-install anything. You may want to study up on that before you go about doing it.

This is for upgrading win7 to win10. I believe it also works for any version of win8 to win10 but check in to that and be sure before doing it:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/windows-7-to-windows-10-without-data-loss/c1c17508-9775-4971-b856-0977295402cd?auth=1

[BajanRex]

Thank you all for commenting, this was really helpful, I appreciate it!

[Muppet among Puppets]

You can upgrade to 10 without wipe.
If anything goes wrong, you can return with click of a button.

You can choose if you want to keep things. At least i never lost any when upgrading, or going back (7 days, if its still like that)

[Jack Schitt]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

You can upgrade to 10 without wipe.
If anything goes wrong, you can return with click of a button.

You can choose if you want to keep things. At least i never lost any when upgrading, or going back (7 days, if its still like that)

I *think* the backup, 'return with click of a button' needs a restore point or backup available to use.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

You can upgrade to 10 without wipe.
If anything goes wrong, you can return with click of a button.

You can choose if you want to keep things. At least i never lost any when upgrading, or going back (7 days, if its still like that)

:47_thumb_up:
I *think* the backup, 'return with click of a button' needs a restore point or backup available to use.

Not wrong to enable that.

The upgrade creates a windows old folder.