How to Delete Steam Cloud Saves

The thing to know first: Steam gives you no button that deletes a cloud save. The cloud page lists your files and lets you download them, but there is no remove option. What you do instead is overwrite the cloud copy with an empty local one, using Steam's own conflict prompt.

The sequence below is the reliable way to do that. Getting the order wrong is what causes the old save to come straight back.

See what is actually stored first

Go to store.steampowered.com/account/remotestorage while signed in. It lists every game using Steam Cloud and how much space each uses, and lets you show the individual files.

Worth doing before you delete anything — you can download a copy from here, which is your only backup once the overwrite is done.

The overwrite method

1. Turn off cloud sync for that game. In your Library, right-click the game → Properties → General, and untick Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud. On some builds this is under the Updates tab as Enable Steam Cloud synchronization.
2. Close Steam completely. Not just the window — quit it from the tray, or the client will sync behind you and undo the next step.
3. Delete the local save files. They are usually in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<your-id>\<app-id>\, though many games also keep saves in Documents or AppData. The app ID is in the game's store URL.
4. Reopen Steam and launch the game. It starts fresh. Create a new save, then quit properly from the game's own menu.
5. Re-enable cloud sync in the same Properties screen.
6. Restart Steam. A conflict prompt appears asking which version to keep. Choose the local one.

The cloud copy is replaced by the new local file. The old save is gone.

Where this goes wrong

• Leaving Steam running while deleting files. The client re-downloads the cloud copy immediately. This is the single most common failure.
• Not getting the conflict prompt. It only appears when Steam sees a genuine difference. If nothing appears, the local files were not actually removed, or the game keeps its saves somewhere else.
• Choosing "cloud" at the prompt. That restores exactly what you were trying to remove.
• Assuming userdata is the only location. Plenty of games store saves in Documents\My Games\ or %APPDATA% and only sync a pointer. Check the game's page on PCGamingWiki if the first attempt does not work.

Removing a game from cloud storage entirely

Turning off Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud and leaving it off stops future syncing, but the files already uploaded stay on Steam's servers. There is no user-facing way to purge them.

If you genuinely need them removed — a shared account, or something you would rather not have stored — Steam Support is the only route, and they handle it case by case.

Turning cloud sync off for everything

Steam → Settings → Cloud, and untick Enable Steam Cloud. This is a blunt instrument: every game stops syncing, and moving to another PC will no longer carry your progress. Per-game is almost always the better choice.

If you just want a clean start

Deleting cloud saves is often the wrong tool for this. Many games have an in-game option to erase a profile or start a new game slot, which is faster and does not risk the rest of your saves. Check the game's own menus before doing any of the above.

FAQs

Does uninstalling the game delete cloud saves?

No. That is the point of cloud saves — reinstalling restores them.

Can I delete one save slot rather than all of them?

Only if the game stores slots as separate files. Delete the specific file locally, then sync. Games that use one combined save file cannot be split this way.

Will this affect my achievements?

No. Achievements are stored on your Steam account, not in the save file, and unlocked ones stay unlocked.

Where is my Steam ID number?

It is the numbered folder inside Steam\userdata. If there is only one, that is yours.