Factorio is straightforward to archive because each world save is itself a ZIP file, but the surrounding mod environment still matters. A user can copy one .zip and preserve the map bytes, yet later discover that required mods or versions are missing. SaveEditor recommends backing up the saves directory together with mod/version notes and checking whether the installation is standard or portable before assuming %APPDATA% is authoritative. The page deliberately separates ZIP structural validity from the game-level compatibility of the serialized factory.
Where Factorio stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: %APPDATA%Factoriosaves. The known file or folder pattern is Save games are ZIP archives, normally named <save-name>.zip.. This is the practical starting point because launcher, profile, and storefront context can change which copy is active even when two folders look similar.
Storefront and profile differences
Documented launchers or storefronts: Steam, GOG, standalone. The default Windows root is AppData/Roaming, but ZIP/portable installations can use a local game data directory according to Factorio configuration. When looking for a missing save, identify the executable/storefront you actually launched and the user/profile that created the progress before copying anything between directories.
Cloud synchronization
Steam Cloud and GOG Galaxy cloud are documented. A cloud service should be treated as another copy of the save, not as proof that the local folder is disposable. Before a manual restore, let synchronization finish, make an offline backup, and avoid starting the game while files are being replaced.
What the files represent
Factorio’s standard user-data directory keeps saves as zip files. The archive contains the serialized map/state needed by the game, and the application directory can be relocated in portable/custom setups. The current filename/folder evidence is Save games are ZIP archives, normally named <save-name>.zip.. File-extension context: .zip A location guide does not claim that every file in the directory is safe to edit or that files from another storefront are automatically interchangeable.
If the save is not where expected
If a save is missing, verify whether the installation uses the standard user-data directory or a portable/custom write-data path. If loading fails, compare Factorio and mod versions. Also check redirected Documents folders, Steam Play prefixes, account IDs, and launcher-specific containers where applicable. Preserve every candidate copy before testing a restore so troubleshooting does not destroy the only surviving version.
Verification context: Reviewed against the current official Factorio Wiki application-directory documentation and PCGamingWiki save path.