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Close Gears of War: E-Day, let Steam Cloud or Xbox cloud finish synchronizing, then make a dated manual copy of the correct save location before installing any mod. Steam stores ordinary Windows files in %LOCALAPPDATA%GearsEDaySavedSaveGames. The Xbox app, Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass versions store opaque containers under %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMicrosoft.GearsEDay_<random>SystemAppDatawgs. Keep the original folder untouched, retain several dated copies, and place at least one copy on a different drive.
Why a manual backup is essential before modding
A mod can crash the game, prevent a campaign state from loading, or leave a save in a half-written condition if the game closes during a write. Cloud synchronization is useful for moving progress between machines, but it is not a version-control system: an automatic upload can propagate a damaged or incomplete save and replace the good copy elsewhere.
The reliable protection is a closed-game, dated file copy that exists outside the game installation and, preferably, on separate physical storage. Do not move or delete the live files. Gears of War: E-Day supports Xbox Play Anywhere and shared progression between Xbox consoles and PC, so a cloud account may contain a state that differs from the files currently on your PC. A local archive lets you choose deliberately instead of accepting an automatic conflict decision.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteCampaign supports up to five campaign playthroughs or states. A backup preserves all of the states present at the time of copying, which is especially important if you use more than one campaign slot.
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Find the save location for your storefront
Use the path that matches the version installed on this Windows PC. Do not substitute the Steam path for the Xbox app path or vice versa.
| Version | Save location | What to copy | Handling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam for Windows | %LOCALAPPDATA%GearsEDaySavedSaveGames |
The entire SaveGames folder and its contents |
Files have a conventional folder structure and can be copied with normal Windows tools. |
| Xbox app, Microsoft Store or PC Game Pass | %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMicrosoft.GearsEDay_<random>SystemAppDatawgs |
The entire wgs folder, including every container and metadata file |
Container names are opaque. Treat the folder as a package; do not rename, edit or delete individual files. |
%LOCALAPPDATA% expands to your Windows local application-data directory. You can paste either path into File Explorer’s address bar. In the Xbox-app path, <random> represents the package identifier suffix on your installation; the exact folder name can differ between systems.
Back up E-Day saves safely, step by step
- Finish the current session normally. Reach a point at which the game has finished saving, then exit through the game’s menu. Do not copy files while E-Day is running or while a save indicator is active.
- Wait for synchronization to settle. Steam should finish Steam Cloud synchronization before you touch the folder. For the Xbox app/Game Pass version, wait for the Xbox cloud operation to complete. If the client reports a conflict or an error, stop and resolve which state is correct before making the backup.
- Identify the storefront. Open the Steam
SaveGamespath or the Xbox-appwgspath from the table above. If you have more than one Windows account, confirm that you are in the account that actually played the game. - Check that the folder contains current data. Use File Explorer’s modified dates and file sizes as a sanity check. The check does not prove that a save is healthy, but it helps catch a wrong Windows profile or an empty directory.
- Create a dated destination outside the installation. A name such as
E-Day-save-backup-2026-10-19-before-modrecords when and why the copy was made. Put it in Documents or another location that is not inside the E-Day installation directory. - Copy; do not move. Copy the whole
SaveGamesfolder for Steam or the wholewgsfolder for Xbox app/Game Pass. Leave the source unchanged. A partial selection of files can omit metadata required to reconstruct a state. - Keep earlier versions. Do not overwrite an older dated backup just because the folder name is convenient. Separate snapshots let you return to a pre-mod state or to an earlier campaign chapter.
- Make an independent copy when practical. Copy the dated archive to a USB flash drive or external SSD. A second folder on the same system protects against a bad mod but not against a failing drive, ransomware or an accidental deletion of the Windows profile.
- Record the source and mod plan. In a small text file beside the archive, note “Steam” or “Xbox app/Game Pass,” the date, the campaign state you verified, and the mod version you are about to install. This prevents restoring an archive from the wrong storefront later.
- Only then install the mod. Keep the backup window open or otherwise easy to find while you test the modified game. If anything goes wrong, close E-Day before restoring files.
Steam: copy the normal save files
Locate the folder
Press Windows key + R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%GearsEDaySavedSaveGames, and press Enter. Alternatively, paste the same path into File Explorer. The folder you need is the complete SaveGames directory, not a single file selected by its timestamp.
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With E-Day closed and Steam Cloud synchronized, open Command Prompt and run:
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robocopy "%LOCALAPPDATA%GearsEDaySavedSaveGames" "%USERPROFILE%DesktopGearsEDay-save-backup" /E/E includes all subdirectories, including empty ones. The command creates or updates a desktop folder named GearsEDay-save-backup. For a real snapshot, use a dated destination instead of repeatedly overwriting one folder, for example %USERPROFILE%DesktopE-Day-save-backup-2026-10-19-before-mod. Robocopy’s output shows the files examined and copied; let it finish before opening the game again.
Restore a Steam backup
Exit E-Day and wait for Steam Cloud to stop syncing. Rename the current SaveGames folder to something such as SaveGames-after-mod rather than deleting it. Copy the contents of the chosen dated backup back into %LOCALAPPDATA%GearsEDaySavedSaveGames. If using Robocopy, reverse the source and destination only for this restore operation. Start the game after the copy completes and check the intended chapter or campaign state before allowing a new cloud upload.
Xbox app, Microsoft Store and Game Pass: preserve the entire WGS container
Locate the opaque package
Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%Packages into File Explorer and find the package beginning Microsoft.GearsEDay_. Open SystemAppDatawgs beneath it. The files inside wgs may have long, meaningless names. Those names are not an invitation to identify or edit individual saves.
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Create a dated destination such as E-Day-wgs-backup-2026-10-19-before-mod, then copy the complete wgs folder into it. Preserve the original package and every file inside it. Do not hand-edit container contents, change their names, or delete files that appear old. The Xbox app’s storage model expects the container’s internal relationships to remain intact.
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Restore a Game Pass backup
Close E-Day and the Xbox app if it continues to access the files. Make a safety copy of the current wgs folder first, then replace it with the complete dated backup folder. Do not merge individual files from two snapshots. Reopen the Xbox app, allow it to finish any synchronization, and verify the desired campaign state in-game. If a cloud conflict appears, preserve both the current and backup folders before choosing an upload or download option.
Cloud synchronization: avoid overwriting the good save
Steam Cloud and Xbox cloud are convenient for Xbox Play Anywhere and PC-to-console continuity, but they can spread the wrong state. A crash during a write, a mod that changes save behavior, or a conflict resolved on the wrong machine can make the newer timestamp the least trustworthy copy.
- Never treat “newest” as automatically “best.” Compare the campaign chapter, collectibles or other progress you recognize, not just the file date.
- Preserve both sides of a conflict. Keep a copy of the local folder and the dated manual backup before selecting an upload, download or “use local files” choice.
- Do not launch repeatedly while undecided. Each launch can create another synchronization event or update the damaged state.
- Use the manual archive as the authority. Restore the snapshot that contains the intended progress, test it with the game closed to other clients, and only then allow cloud synchronization.
If the cloud client has already overwritten a local folder, do not assume the manual archive is lost. Search the separate dated location and external drive first. The purpose of the archive is to provide a state that cloud automation cannot silently replace.
Install a mod only after the backup
Mod instructions are release-specific. A current Nexus Mods PAK example requires the game to be closed, places the mod under a ~mods folder, and uses different paths for Xbox-app/Game Pass and Steam installations.
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Xbox app, Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass path
- Close E-Day completely.
- Open
C:XboxGamesGears of War- E-DayContentFairlightConceptContentPaks. - Create a folder named
~modsinsidePaksif it does not exist. - Extract the downloaded archive somewhere temporary.
- Copy the supplied
.pakfile into~mods; do not copy the ZIP archive itself. - If the mod offers multiple AXIS revisions, keep only the one revision required by your E-Day release and the mod’s current instructions.
Steam path
- In Steam, open E-Day’s library page, choose Manage, then Browse local files.
- From the directory Steam opens, navigate to
FairlightConceptContentPaks. - Create
~modsinsidePakswhen necessary. - Extract the archive and place the supplied
.pakfile in~mods, not the ZIP. - Keep only one AXIS revision when the mod package contains alternatives.
To uninstall this type of mod, close the game and remove or move its .pak file from ~mods. Do not delete your save backup as part of an uninstall. Follow the individual mod description if its release uses a different directory, loader or file type.
Restore after a crash, corrupted state or failed mod
- Close E-Day immediately. If the launcher or storefront is still synchronizing, pause or exit it long enough to prevent another automatic overwrite.
- Move the mod’s
.pakout of~modsso the unmodified game can be tested separately. - Preserve the current save location by renaming it rather than deleting it. This captures evidence of what the failed session changed.
- Choose the dated backup whose campaign progress you want. Use a Steam
SaveGamessnapshot or a complete Xboxwgssnapshot; never mix files from the two storage models. - Copy that complete snapshot into the original location.
- Launch E-Day and verify the intended playthrough or state before enabling cloud uploads again.
- If the restored state is correct, make a new dated backup before trying a different mod version.
Backup methods compared
| Approach | Storefront | Copy scope | Cloud-overwrite risk | Recovery speed | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual local snapshot | Steam or Xbox app/Game Pass | SaveGames folder or complete wgs folder |
Low after the copy, provided the archive is not synchronized over | Fast; restore directly from the local disk | Same drive unless you place it elsewhere |
| Manual snapshot plus USB/external SSD | Steam or Xbox app/Game Pass | Same complete folder as the local snapshot | Low; the second device is outside the normal cloud path | Fast if the device is available | High against a Windows-drive failure |
| Cloud synchronization alone | Steam or Xbox app/Game Pass | Platform-managed state | High during conflicts, crashes or half-written saves | Potentially fast, but dependent on which state the service retains | Low; it is not an independent version history |
The practical choice is not local copy versus cloud. Use cloud for continuity and a manual, dated copy for recovery. The manual copy is the only option in this comparison that gives you a known point in time and lets you retain multiple versions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common backup problems
The Steam folder appears empty
Confirm that E-Day has been run under the current Windows account, that you are using the Steam installation, and that the game was fully exited after reaching a save point. Check the path by pasting it directly into File Explorer rather than browsing from a different user’s profile.
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You cannot find the Game Pass package
Open %LOCALAPPDATA%Packages and look for the package beginning Microsoft.GearsEDay_; the suffix is installation-specific. The required directory is SystemAppDatawgs, not a similarly named folder under the game-installation drive.
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Windows denies access to WGS files
Do not take ownership of individual files or attempt to edit their contents. Close the game and Xbox app, then copy the entire folder using an account that has access to the package. If access remains unavailable, preserve the folder in place and use the platform’s own synchronization and support procedures rather than altering container permissions blindly.
A cloud conflict offers confusing choices
Stop launching the game, copy the local state and any dated archive, and identify the campaign progress you intend to keep. Only after both states are preserved should you choose an upload or download action. If necessary, restore the manual snapshot first and let the service synchronize that verified state.
The mod does not load
Confirm that E-Day was closed during installation, that the folder is named exactly ~mods, and that you copied the extracted .pak rather than the ZIP. Check that the path matches Steam or Xbox app/Game Pass and that only the appropriate AXIS revision remains. Remove the PAK and test the unmodified game before changing save files.
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Maintain a usable save history
Make a fresh snapshot before every significant mod change, game update that affects mod compatibility, or experiment with an unfamiliar PAK. Use names that include the date and purpose, such as E-Day-save-backup-2026-10-19-before-mod and E-Day-save-backup-2026-10-20-clean-test. Keep at least one archive that predates the entire mod session and copy important archives to removable storage.
Periodically test that an archive can be opened as a normal folder and that its contents have not been accidentally moved or renamed. For Game Pass, the test is limited to preserving the complete opaque package; do not open or alter internal container data. For Steam, retain the complete SaveGames directory rather than selecting files by extension.
Quick Recap
Pre-install decision checklist
- E-Day is closed and no save or sync operation is still running.
- You have identified Steam versus Xbox app/Game Pass correctly.
- The entire correct save folder has been copied, not moved.
- The destination is dated and outside the game-installation directory.
- An earlier backup remains available.
- At least one copy is on a different physical drive when the saves matter.
- You know how to remove the mod’s PAK without touching the save archive.
- You will preserve both local and cloud states if a conflict appears.
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