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Glossary:Game data

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
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Installation folder

The game's installation folder is where the game's files are stored, displayed as <path-to-game>. Save files are sometimes stored here as well but many newer games will put them in a different location.

Windows

  • For non-Steam games right click the shortcut and choose Open file location.
  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.
  • Changes to %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMFILES(X86)% and %WINDIR% are redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later when the process is elevated (a User Account Control prompt is shown on launch); Steam and many MMOGs change folder permissions to save directly into the installation folder.

OS X

  • For non-Steam games open Finder and click Applications on the side. Some games will be in folders.
  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.

Linux

  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.

Client folder

Steam

The Steam folder contains data for games using Steam integration; it uses the following locations by default:

  • 64-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Steam
  • 32-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES%\Steam
  • OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/
  • Linux: ~/.steam/steam/

Game data is saved within a folder called steamapps found within the Steam directory.

Uplay

The Uplay folder contains data for games using Uplay integration; it uses the following locations by default:

  • 64-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher
  • 32-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES%\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher

Origin

The Origin Client folder contains data for games using Origin integration; it uses the following locations by default:

  • 64-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Origin
  • 32-bit Windows: %PROGRAMFILES%\Origin

Windows data paths

Documentation on how to incorporate these paths into any wiki articles can be found here.

User profile

%USERPROFILE% points to the current user's profile folder.

Appdata

%APPDATA% and %LOCALAPPDATA% contain application settings for the current user profile.
Some games use %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow, this location does not have a short environmental variable so must be specified in this longer form. For Windows XP use %APPDATA%.
For Windows XP the %LOCALAPPDATA% files are stored in %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data.

Public

%PUBLIC% points to the Public user profile folder shared between all users.

ProgramData

%PROGRAMDATA% contains program data shared between all users, for Windows XP use %ALLUSERSPROFILE%.

Windows registry

  1. Open the Registry Editor:
    • Vista and later: open the Start screen/Start menu, type regedit, press Enter.
    • Windows XP: press Win+R, type regedit, press Enter.
  2. Go to the folder named.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

32-bit programs writing to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software are redirected to a Wow6432Node folder there; omit Wow6432Node if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Programs writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE without elevation are redirected to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE on Windows Vista and later.
Elevated 32-bit programs writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE are redirected to a Wow6432Node folder there; omit Wow6432Node if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows.
Non-elevated programs writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE are redirected to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\; omit Wow6432Node if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows.