How to Back Up Elden Ring Saves (Steam Cloud Has a History Here)

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Elden Ring keeps every character in one .sl2 file, Steam Cloud has a well-documented history of corrupting it, and the game gives you no way to undo New Game+ or a respec once you commit. Checkpoint64 backs that file up automatically and keeps every version, so a bad sync or a decision you regret is one Restore away.

Where Elden Ring saves live

%APPDATA%\EldenRing\<your Steam ID>\ER0000.sl2

That single .sl2 file holds every character slot you've got — there's no per-character save file to lose track of, just the one. If you run the Seamless Co-op mod, it keeps its own ER0000.co2 alongside it, so your modded co-op runs never touch the vanilla save. Checkpoint64 backs up both files. Elden Ring writes only to Windows in the app's game catalog, so this one folder is the whole picture.

Steam Cloud's rocky history with this game

Elden Ring has a well-known reputation, especially since launch, for Steam Cloud sync corrupting or silently overwriting saves — common enough that plenty of player guides tell you to just turn Steam Cloud off for this game and back up manually instead.

Checkpoint64 is that manual backup, minus the manual part. It keeps a dated version history of the actual .sl2 file that doesn't depend on Steam's sync working correctly, so if a cloud sync ever does go wrong, it doesn't take your only copy with it.

Backing up before New Game+ or a big respec

Elden Ring doesn't let you undo either of these. Start New Game+ and the world moves forward with you — there's no going back to NG. Respec past what your Larval Tears cover and you're stuck with the build. Both are exactly the kind of commitment where a backup taken five minutes earlier pays for itself: regret it, restore the .sl2 from before you committed, and you've got the old character back.

Seamless Co-op and modded saves

Modded runs get the same treatment — Checkpoint64 backs up the .co2 save the Seamless Co-op mod keeps, right alongside the vanilla file, so a modded co-op character has the same version history as a solo one. The modded game save backup guide covers the general approach for the rest of your modded library.

How Checkpoint64 backs up Elden Ring

  1. Pick Elden Ring. The save path — Steam ID subfolder included — is already known.
  2. Turn on auto-backup. Every 30 seconds it checks for a changed save and uploads a new version, sending only what changed.
  3. Restore in one click. Open Versions, pick the save from before the sync issue or the commitment you regret, and Restore.

Common questions

Where is my Elden Ring save file?

On Windows it's %APPDATA%\EldenRing\<your Steam ID>\ER0000.sl2 — a single .sl2 file holding every character slot. If you play with the Seamless Co-op mod, it keeps a separate ER0000.co2 file so modded co-op runs never touch your vanilla save. Checkpoint64 backs up both.

Is it true Steam Cloud can corrupt Elden Ring saves?

It's a well-documented risk, especially around launch — enough that plenty of player guides recommend turning Steam Cloud off for this game specifically and relying on a manual backup instead. Checkpoint64 is that manual backup: a version history that doesn't depend on Steam Cloud sync working correctly, so a bad sync can't take your only copy of the save with it.

Can I undo committing to New Game+ or a respec I regret?

There's no official undo for either — once you start NG+ the world resets forward, and a respec is limited by how many Larval Tears you've got. A backup taken right before either one sidesteps the problem entirely: if you regret it, restore the .sl2 from just before you committed and you're back to the exact character you had.

Does this work with the Seamless Co-op mod?

Yes — Checkpoint64 backs up the .co2 save alongside the vanilla .sl2, so your modded co-op characters get the same version history as your solo save. For the broader approach to modded saves, see the modded game save backup guide.