Saves & config

Minecraft Save File Location

Minecraft keeps its saved games in %APPDATA%\.minecraft\saves on Windows. Paths for macOS, Linux are listed below. Settings and config files live somewhere else, listed separately. Copy the whole folder to back a save up; paste it back to restore it.

Save games

3

Windows

Java Edition. One folder per world; copy the whole folder to move a world.

macOS

Linux

Settings and config files

1

Windows

Paste a path straight into the address bar of File Explorer — the %APPDATA% style variables expand to your own account, and it works even though AppData is hidden.

Backing a save up properly

Close the game first. A save folder copied while the game is running can catch a file mid-write, and the copy then loads as a corrupt save weeks later when you need it.

If the game uses Steam Cloud, close Steam entirely before restoring an old folder. Steam compares timestamps on launch and offers a choice between the local files and the ones on its servers; restoring while Steam is open often means the cloud copy quietly wins and the folder you just put back is overwritten.

Before you try a cheat

Back the save up first. Some codes on the Minecraft cheats page disable achievements for that save file, and a few cannot be reversed once used. A copy of the folder costs nothing and undoes all of it.

These paths are written by hand rather than imported, and a game update can move them. If one is wrong on your machine, tell us and it will be corrected.

Quick answers

Minecraft saves

Where are Minecraft save files stored?
On Windows they are in %APPDATA%\.minecraft\saves. Paste that path into the address bar of File Explorer and it will open the folder — the environment variables in it expand to your own user folder.
How do I back up my Minecraft save?
Copy the entire save folder somewhere else — an external drive, or cloud storage. Do it while the game is closed, or you may copy a file mid-write. Restoring is the same operation in reverse: close the game, then put the folder back.
Will Steam Cloud overwrite a save I put back?
It can. If the game uses Steam Cloud and the copy on Steam's servers is newer than the one you restored, Steam offers you a choice on next launch and it is easy to pick the wrong one. The safe order is: close Steam entirely, restore the folder, then start Steam and keep the local files when it asks.
I cannot see the folder in the path
AppData and LocalLow are hidden by default on Windows. In File Explorer, open the View menu and tick Hidden items, or just paste the full path into the address bar, which works whether or not the folder is visible.