rFactor 2 Backup & Restore incl. workshop content and ALL settings

List of all the files and folders you need.

Backing up and restoring rFactor 2

To backup and restore rF2 onto a new steam library or new steam install (e.g. when you re-install Windows) with ALL settings and workshop items intact, these are the files and folders you need:

Folder: \steamapps\common\rFactor 2 (the game itself) which includes Folder: \steamapps\common\rFactor 2\UserData which contains all your settings and car setups.

File: \steamapps\workshop\appworkshop_365960.acf
Tells steam what workshop content you subscribed to.

Folder: \steamapps\workshop\content\365960
Contains the subscribed workshop content. (32GB in my case)

File: \steamapps\appmanifest_365960.acf
Lets steam know the rFactor 2 folder is in the library, so it shows up as "installed".
(Restart Steam to make Steam read this file.)

Zero manual setup is required after copying back all of the above, even if you copied the game from e.g. Windows 7 to a new steam install and new library folder location on Windows 10. Everything is the same as the old install. Workshop subscriptions won't have to be re-subscribed or re-downloaded, your wheel and pedals will be setup the same, graphics settings, car setups will be there, etc.

There is no need to tell Steam to "install" the game if you've made a backup of all of the above. Upon first run the game should automatically install any required Visual C redistributable packages, but they're in the \steamapps\common\rFactor 2\support\runtimes folder if you need them. There is nothing in C:\Users\Yourname\ for rF2 and you can completely ignore \steam\userdata\ as well because the userdata are in \common\rFactor 2\userdata.

I had to figure it out myself as this info wasn't easy to quickly find, so I created this brief guide to make the information available for the next person to find. This guide assumes you know how to use a PC. I'm not here to do Studio397's tech support for them, so if you need additional assistance, please use https://forum.studio-397.com , the Discord at: https://discord.gg/CruX93K or ask in the Steam discussion forums for the game: https://steamcommunity.com/app/365960/discussions/ .

[Roenie]

Non-workshop mod cars and tracks are in: \steamapps\common\rFactor 2\Installed\, so that's the directory you would have to sync, in addition to appworkshop_365960.acf and \steamapps\workshop\content\365960.

[CptCoprolite]

Interesting. Would this be a solid way to synchronize two gamers? We both have RFactor2, and can make sure our workshops align, but we (I) have more mods from elsewhere, it would be good to be able to assure there's alignment for race nights.