Delete Steam Cloud Saves: Step-by-Step Guide

Steam Cloud saves are automatic backups of your game progress stored on Valve’s servers. This guide shows you how to delete those cloud saves from Steam’s servers, which is useful when you want to start fresh, fix corrupted save data, or free up cloud storage. You’ll need access to your Steam account and the Steam client installed on your computer.

What You’ll Need

• A PC or Mac with the Steam client installed and logged in
• Your Steam username and password (for web-based steps)
• Internet connection

Step-by-Step

1. Open Steam and go to your Library. Launch the Steam client and click on the “Library” tab at the top of the window.
2. Right-click the game whose cloud saves you want to delete. A context menu will appear.
3. Select “Properties” from the menu. This opens the game’s properties window.
4. Go to the “General” tab (if not already selected). Look for the “Steam Cloud” section.
5. Uncheck “Keep games saves in the Steam Cloud for [Game Name]”. This disables cloud sync for that specific game. Steam will ask if you want to delete the cloud saves—click “Delete” to remove them from Steam’s servers. If you only want to stop syncing without deleting, choose “Keep Files” instead.
6. Close the Properties window. The cloud saves are now removed from Steam’s servers.
7. Optional: Delete local save files. To fully remove all traces, navigate to the game’s local save folder (usually in Documents\My Games\[Game Name] or Documents\[Game Name] on Windows, or ~/Library/Application Support/[Game Name] on Mac) and delete the save files there. Be careful—this is irreversible.

Alternative method via Steam website:

8. Go to store.steampowered.com and log in.
9. Click on your profile name in the top right, then select “Account details”.
10. Under “Store & Purchase History”, click “View licenses and product keys”. This shows all games on your account.
11. Find the game and click “Manage” next to it. Then select “Delete Steam Cloud” from the dropdown. Confirm the deletion.

Common Mistakes

• Deleting local files first: If you delete local saves before disabling cloud sync, Steam will re-download the cloud version on the next launch, undoing your deletion.
• Not disabling sync for all devices: If you have Steam on another PC, cloud saves may still exist there. Disable sync on all devices or delete via the website to ensure complete removal.
• Confusing “Delete” with “Keep Files”: When unchecking the cloud box, Steam asks whether to delete the cloud copy. Choosing “Keep Files” leaves the cloud save intact—it just stops syncing.
• Assuming deleting cloud saves removes local saves: Cloud deletion only affects the server copy. Local files remain unless you delete them manually.

Tips

• Back up local saves first: Copy your save folder to a USB drive or cloud storage (like Google Drive) before deleting anything, in case you change your mind.
• Use the website method for multiple games: The web interface lets you delete cloud saves for any game without opening the client, which is faster if you’re cleaning up several titles.
• Check cloud storage usage: Go to Steam > Settings > Cloud to see how much space your cloud saves use. Deleting large saves can free up space.
• Re-enable sync after fixing: If you deleted cloud saves to fix corruption, re-enable cloud sync after you’ve started a fresh game so future saves are backed up.

Troubleshooting

• Cloud saves reappear after deletion: This happens if Steam is still running in the background or if sync is still enabled. Close Steam completely (right-click the system tray icon and select “Exit”), then reopen and try again.
• Steam says “Cloud not available” or “Sync error”: This is usually a temporary server issue. Wait a few minutes, restart Steam, and try again. If it persists, check your internet connection or Steam server status.
• Game still shows old progress after deletion: The local save files are still there. Delete them (as in Step 7) or move them out of the save folder, then launch the game.
• Can’t find the “Delete Steam Cloud” option on the website: Make sure you’re logged into the correct account and that the game actually uses Steam Cloud (check its store page). Some games don’t support cloud saves.
• Deleting cloud saves for a game you don’t own: You can only delete cloud saves for games on your account. If you’ve refunded a game, the cloud saves may remain—contact Steam Support in that case.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will deleting Steam Cloud saves delete my local saves? No, it only removes the copy on Steam’s servers. Your local files remain untouched unless you delete them manually.
• Can I recover a deleted Steam Cloud save? No, deletion is permanent. Steam does not keep backups of deleted cloud saves. That’s why backing up locally is recommended.
• Does disabling Steam Cloud for a game affect other games? No, each game has its own cloud setting. You can disable it for one game without affecting others.
• Why would I want to delete cloud saves? To start over with a fresh game, to remove corrupted saves that cause crashes, or to free up cloud storage space.
• If I delete cloud saves, will Steam re-upload them from my PC? Not unless you re-enable cloud sync. If sync is off, Steam won’t upload anything. If you turn it back on, it will upload whatever is currently in the local save folder.
• Can I delete cloud saves for a game I no longer own? If the game was removed from your account (e.g., refunded), you may not be able to access its cloud settings. Contact Steam Support for assistance.

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