Switching OSs

[Robby]

Recently, my old Macbook broke, and I am getting myself a Windows laptop. My question is, will all my save data transfer over when I log in on my new computer? I checked, and all my games in my library are compatible with both operating systems, so I wonder if I get to keep a few hundred hours of my life. Thanks!

[_I_]

you will need to backup stuff yourself

get a usb stick or external drive and copy all of your things to it

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Suki:

Recently, my old Macbook broke, and I am getting myself a Windows laptop. My question is, will all my save data transfer over when I log in on my new computer? I checked, and all my games in my library are compatible with both operating systems, so I wonder if I get to keep a few hundred hours of my life. Thanks!

If you are referring to games which use Steam's cloud saves, then yes when you get your Windows PC you'll just install the Steam client and then install your games and they should resume where you were with the cloud save.

This is something you'll need to check on a per-game basis to see if its using the Steam cloud save features. If its not, then you'd need to try to backup the save data from the game's save folder on your MacBook and then manually move that to the save folder for the game once you've reinstalled it via Steam on your new Windows computer.

More information on the Steam Cloud Save features can be found here:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/68D2-35AB-09A9-7678

You can look at Dead Cells as an example of a game that uses Steam Cloud to see where to look on the games store page to see if it supports the Steam Cloud features. Most games that list support for Steam Cloud primarily support it for Cloud saves so there is a very good chance that if your games have that indication you will be fine. You can always search / ask in the games specific discussion to see if the specific game supports cloud saves

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Saved Games played by Mac Games would not transfer. This is not a thing between multiple OS' at all. As the file system is differernt for each one.

If you played games on MacOS and then install them on Windows OS, you will have to start all over again.

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Saved Games played by Mac Games would not transfer. This is not a thing between multiple OS' at all. As the file system is differernt for each one.

If you played games on MacOS and then install them on Windows OS, you will have to start all over again.

This isn't true at all. The filesystem being different doesn't make the file different. Unless a game is specifically using a different file for different OSes you definitely can copy the file to another storage device and then restore it into the correct location on your Windows installation. This is effectively what Steam Cloud is doing but using Steam's cloud storage as the "storage device".

[Bad 💀 Motha]

The saved game files between games won't be the same when comparing say MacOS version vs the WinOS version.

That's not what Cloud Backups are for. They are for getting saves across multiple devices, that use the same OS. It's not going to work in this case.

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

The saved game files between games won't be the same when comparing say MacOS version vs the WinOS version.

That's not what Cloud Backups are for. They are for getting saves across multiple devices, that use the same OS. It's not going to work in this case.

You are wrong. I've done this for several games with macOS support that I played on my MacPro5,1 and moved their save files to my PC manually. I've done this with Baulders Gate, City Skylines, Dead Cells, and several others. The only potential issue with this is game-specific the versions of the game between OSes might be on different versions/builds and if they've modified the save file structure between versions the save file may not be compatible with the game version. This was the case with Dead Cells if I tried to move the save from the PC back to macOS as the macOS version of the game was on a build that was behind the PC version so once the save file was modified by the PC version it was updated to that game versions save file structure.

Games that use Steam Cloud for Cloud Saves will work for the game on the OSes the game natively supports across devices and OSes...

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Unless a game is specifically using a different file for different OSes

Here is a quote from Valve that says you are incorrect about Steam Cloud saves

Originally posted by Valve:

Steam supports cross-platform integration of cloud data between different operating systems. However, not all games make use of this feature. You would want to check with the community or the developer to confirm the details of cross-platform cloud integration.

Steam Cloud

A decent amount of my games that have native macOS and Windows support, which use Steam Cloud for cloud saves work fine across platforms. The main issue with ones that don't are as described above where they have different versions/builds which have differences in the save file structure between those versions.

Also note, how do you think you can play a game on Steam Deck using SteamOS (aka linux) and then pickup where you left off on your Windows PC?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Ok thats good to know. Yes I was looking for confirmation as well.
Sorry if sounded misleading in my words.
Thank you.

[Der tüddelige Fußgänger]

Depends, surely every game on steam supports windows (it is the most dominant os after all)

For steam cloud saves. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't

Sometimes maybe good sometimes maybe ♥♥♥♥