Where to find the Civilization 7 save file location and how to back up the saved game data? What if you are unable to save the game progress in Civ 7? Now read this post on MiniTool to get detailed information.
With the release of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII on multiple platforms, more and more posts are reporting issues such as difficulty locating Civilization 7 save file location, Civilization 7 save file missing, and the game failing to save progress. In this post, I will walk you through the detailed steps to cope with these situations. Keep reading to get detailed information.
Where Is Civilization 7 Save File Location
On Windows PC, the game files of Civilization 7 are saved in the following location by default:
For Steam: C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier’s Civilization VII\Saves\
For Epic Games: C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (Epic)\Saves\
You can navigate to this location from File Explorer. Or, you can use the Run box to access this directory directly:
- Press the Windows + R key combination to open Run.
- Type %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier’s Civilization VII\Saves\ in the Run box and press Enter.
How to Back up Civilization 7 Saved Files
Now that you know where is the Civilization 7 save file location, the next step is to back up the game folder or files to prevent file loss due to corruption, accidental deletion, or system failures. By creating image files of the game data on another drive, you can easily restore your game progress if issues arise.
In the following part, I will show you how to use MiniTool ShadowMaker (30-day free trial) to back up Civ game files. This software is safe and professional enough to back up all kinds of work or game files. By the way, it is also good at disk cloning, partition backup, file synchronization, etc.
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Step 1. Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker, and then hit Keep Trial to get the home page of this backup tool.
Step 2. When you see the main interface of this software, go to the Backup tab, and then click the SOURCE tab to choose the files or folders you want to back up. After that, click the DESTINATION option to select a directory to save the backup files.

Step 3 (optional). If necessary, you can click the Options button to specify the Backup Scheme (full, incremental, and differential backup) and Schedule Settings (daily, weekly, monthly, log on, and log off). Make sure to turn on the toggle button before setting them up.
Step 4. Finally, click Back Up Now in the bottom right corner to start the backup.
How to Fix Unable to Save File in Civilization 7
In the following part, I will introduce how to solve the problem of not being able to save game progress in Civilization 7.
Way 1. Allow Civ 7 Through Controlled Folder Access
According to investigations, Windows Defender’s Controlled Folder Access feature will prevent the game from modifying or saving files in protected directories. So, you need to add the game-related executable files to the whitelist to solve the problem.
Step 1. In Windows Settings, select Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage ransomware protection.
Step 2. In the new window, click Allow an app through Controlled folder access.

Step 3. Click Add an allowed app, find the folder Civ 7 is installed in, and then add CivilizationVII.exe and CivilizationVII_DX12.exe to the whitelist.
After that, you can start the game and check whether you can save the game progress normally.
Moreover, you can choose to disable the Controlled folder access feature.
Way 2. Create a Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Folder Manually
Sometimes, Civilization 7 fails to save progress due to installation errors or cloud save conflicts that prevent the game from automatically creating the required save directory. In this case, you need to find the save directory location and manually create a new game folder.
Go to this location: C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games, and then create a new folder called Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
How to Recover Deleted Civilization 7 Game Files
If your game files stored in the local directory are missing and there is no backup, you can recover your files by using MiniTool Power Data Recovery. Serving as a professional and free data recovery software, it is able to recover files lost due to virus infection, accidental deletion, disk failure, and so on.
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- Launch the MiniTool file restore tool, select the location or partition from which you need to recover game files, and then click Scan.
- Use the Filter or Search feature to find the files you want to recover.
- Tick the targeted files and click Save to store them.
Bottom Line
In a word, this is a comprehensive guide explaining information about Civilization 7 save file location, game file backup, Civ 7 progress not saving, and game data missing. You can find detailed instructions in each section.
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