Where is your Elden Ring save file location on PC

A warrior illuminates a dark cave with their torch. Egg sacs are revealed
(Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment)

You'll want to know where to find your Elden Ring save file location before you venture out into The Lands Between. This is because Elden Ring can be an extremely difficult game, one where you will die a lot, over and over again. There's also the possibility of glitches and save file bugs to contend with, issues that can be circumvented by knowing where to access the save files for the game on your PC.

Elden Ring was one of the top-ranking games of 2022 , not only for its gorgeous scenery and detailed character models, but also its dynamic bosses and complex in-game mechanics. Now, players can dive into the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. In our review, we called it FromSoftware’s most ambitious expansion to date.

Backing up and saving your progress on an external hard drive is strongly advised for any PC gamer, but how where do you find your Elden Ring saves and how do you back up those precious files? We're here to help, and you'll find everything you need right here in this guide.

Elden Ring save file location

Radahn and Malenia in Elden Ring

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

You will find your Elden Ring save file in the your user directory. Right-click the folder icon on your quick bar and click 'File Explorer'. Then select 'This PC' from the menu on the left of the window and click through the director until you reach this location: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\EldenRing. Once here, you should see a file with a bunch of random-looking numbers. That number is your 64bit Steam ID, in case you were wondering. 

Click into this folder and you should see a file or multiple that end in .sl2. This is your save file. 

If you don’t see it, or can’t get into this folder, you may have to reveal hidden folders. To do that, in your file browser, hit View, then either find ‘Show’ and then click hidden items or just tick a checkbox on the toolbar titled 'Hidden Items'. 

Once you have access to the file, copy it and paste it somewhere else for safekeeping - we keep a folder of backup saves on our Desktop. This ensures you will always have a clean save on hand in case anything gets corrupted. 

You are going to want to stay on top of this process though, as your backup will not save with your save file. Make sure after every couple of hours or or at least when you're done playing for the day, you are backing up your save file to stop any frustration you might run into. 

That’s all you need to know. Losing game progress can be completely frustrating, and kill your momentum with a game dead in its tracks. Taking steps to avoid that is always the smart move. 

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Patrick Dane
Gaming Guides Editor

Patrick Dane is TechRadar Gaming's Guides Editor. With nearly a decade in the games press, he's been a consistent voice in the industry. He's written for a plethora of major publications and travelled the world doing it. He also has a deep passion for games as a service and their potential to tell evolving stories. To wit, he has over 2000 hours in Destiny 2, over 1000 in Overwatch and is now deeply into Valorant. 

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