Quick answer
Quit Silksong. Open the correct numeric Steam ID or default folder, then copy the complete folder to your Desktop, an external drive, or another location outside the live save directory. Name it with the date, computer, and slot—for example, Silksong-backup-2026-09-12-laptop-slot2. Keep that untouched folder, use a second copy for testing, and keep the edited download as a third file. Download Original Backup also saves the exact bytes you uploaded to the editor.
Keep three files with three different jobs
- Untouched original: the dated folder copy you never edit or rename. If a test goes wrong, this is what you restore.
- Working copy: a duplicate you inspect, rename, or place in the live game folder.
- Edited or recovered result: the downloaded candidate. Keep it separate until the game opens it, saves normally, quits, and opens it again.
Create the backup step by step
- Exit Silksong completely so it is not writing the slot.
- Open the official Windows, macOS, or Linux save folder and then the correct Steam ID/default sub-folder.
- Copy the entire folder to a location outside the live game directory.
- Name the folder with the date, device, slot, and game version when known.
- Upload only the relevant numbered userX.dat to the editor.
- Select Download Original Backup before changing resources or progression.
- Keep every original until the edited result survives a full restart test.
Use a folder name you will understand next week
A folder named “Silksong-backup-2026-09-12-laptop-slot2-before-edit” tells you when it was made, which computer it came from, which profile it protects, and whether the editor had touched it. Keep the file inside with its real user2.dat name so the slot remains obvious.
Do not leave “user1 copy final new.dat” and three similar files in the live folder. The game expects the normal filename, and those suffixes do not tell you which copy actually opened successfully.
Backup and Auto Save are not the same
Your manual backup is a filesystem copy you control. Silksong Auto Saves are recovery points managed by the game. Team Cherry warns that reverting to an Auto Save overwrites the current slot, so make a manual backup first.
Steam Cloud is another synchronized copy, not a substitute for a manual backup. Cloud automation can reproduce an unwanted older state across devices, which is why a dated offline copy matters during recovery.
Preserve the original before testing
Work on copies, change one thing at a time, and keep the original until the chosen save opens, saves normally, closes, and opens again.
How to Back Up a Silksong Save File Safely FAQ
Does Download Original Backup modify my save?
No. It downloads the exact bytes uploaded to the browser before edits are applied.
Is Steam Cloud enough as my only backup?
No. Synchronization can replace one device’s copy with another. Keep a dated manual copy outside the managed save folder.
Should I back up shared.dat too?
For a full-folder safety copy, preserve every file. Upload only the numbered userX.dat profile to this editor.
Sources and evidence
Official guidance defines the safe baseline. Community links document real player cases, but a successful report is not a universal or version-independent fix.
Official: Team Cherry: save folders and Auto Save overwrite warning Official: Steam Support: Steam Cloud