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Verify the installation before reinstalling, and make a separate copy of C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly before changing anything. Remove or disable Workshop mods, run Steam’s file check, launch the game once, and reinstall only if verification does not fix the problem. Steam Cloud can help, but it is not a substitute for the manual backup: a cloud conflict can overwrite the wrong copy, and lost saves cannot be recovered by Steam Support.

Use this recovery order

The safest sequence for Shogun 2 Complete Edition is:

  1. Exit Shogun 2. If Steam is showing a cloud-conflict dialog, close the game and Steam without choosing either version yet.
  2. Copy the entire C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly folder to a separate desktop or external location. Keep the original and the copy until a campaign has loaded successfully.
  3. Unsubscribe from or disable Workshop mods, and remove leftover mod files when appropriate.
  4. Run Steam’s verification tool from Library > Shogun 2 > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
  5. Launch the game and test it before reinstalling. If your saves are missing, copy the backed-up Shogun 2 save folder into the newly created Creative Assembly folder.
  6. Only if verification fails to solve the problem, uninstall and reinstall the game, launch it once to recreate its folders, then restore the backed-up saves.
  7. Resolve Steam Cloud deliberately after you know which local save is authoritative.

This order repairs damaged installation files first, protects personal data before any reset, and avoids allowing a cloud sync or mod cleanup to destroy the only usable campaign copy.

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Protect the saves before changing the game

Make a complete manual backup

SEGA documents the default Windows configuration and save root as C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly. The AppData directory is hidden by default. In File Explorer, turn on View > Show > Hidden items (or enable hidden files in Folder Options), browse to that location, and copy the whole The Creative Assembly folder rather than only one visible file.

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  1. Close Shogun 2 and wait for any save operation to finish.
  2. Close Steam as well if it is displaying a cloud-conflict prompt; do not select a version while you are still making the backup.
  3. Create a clearly named destination such as Shogun2-save-backup-2026-10-17 on another desktop folder or an external drive.
  4. Copy The Creative Assembly into that destination. Do not cut or delete the original.
  5. Open the copied folder and confirm that it contains the Shogun 2 subfolders and files. A backup that exists only as an empty destination is not useful.

Keep this copy unchanged until you have started the game, loaded a campaign, and confirmed that the saves work. If the game creates a fresh folder during troubleshooting, the untouched backup remains your rollback point.

Why a cloud copy is not enough

Steam says that developers decide which files a game uploads to Steam Cloud. That means a local configuration or save file may not be included, even when Cloud is enabled for the game. Steam also warns that choosing the wrong side of a cloud conflict can lose progress, and Steam Support cannot recover lost saves. Treat Cloud as a convenience copy, not as your only backup.

Remove or isolate Workshop mods

Mods can change the files Steam checks and can make a campaign depend on content that is no longer installed. Before verifying, unsubscribe from the relevant Workshop items or disable them in the launcher. Remove leftover mod files only when you know where they came from; leave your manual save backup untouched.

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SEGA specifically warns that an existing save may be mod dependent. If you remove the mod set that created a campaign, that campaign may not load and you may need to start a new campaign. Therefore, record the active mod list before unsubscribing if preserving that campaign matters. After the base game is working, reinstall the same mod versions one at a time and test the campaign after each change.

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Verify Shogun 2 files in Steam

Exact Steam path

  1. Open Steam and select Library.
  2. Right-click Shogun 2, or select its gear icon, and choose Properties.
  3. Open Installed Files.
  4. Click Verify integrity of game files.
  5. Wait for Steam to complete the check before launching the game or starting another verification.

Steam says the process may take several minutes. Do not run two verifications at once, and avoid combining the check with intensive disk scans or other workloads that could make the process appear stalled.

Interpreting the result

Steam may report that a small number of files failed to validate. Steam explains that this can be normal when the files are local configuration files that are not replaced by the verification process. A few failed files do not automatically mean the installation is unusable. Let Steam finish, restart Steam if requested, and test the game.

If Steam reports that files were reacquired, launch Shogun 2 without restoring mods first. This isolates the base installation from Workshop changes. Do not delete your save backup because the verification result looks successful; verification changes installation files, not the independent copy you made earlier.

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Launch and test before reinstalling

Start the game once after verification. Test the path that previously failed: reach the main menu, open the campaign list, and load a disposable or older save before risking your newest campaign. Exit normally after the test so Steam can finish writing files.

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If the game works but your campaigns are not listed, close it and restore only the backed-up Shogun 2 save folder into the newly created Creative Assembly location. SEGA’s documented recovery instruction is to copy the save folder back from the desktop backup when the game works. Keep the rest of the backup available in case preferences or configuration files are also needed, but restore those items separately so a damaged setting is not reintroduced.

Reinstall only when verification did not fix the problem

Uninstall and reinstall safely

  1. Confirm that the manual backup is present and readable. Do not proceed with only a Steam Cloud copy.
  2. In Steam Library, open the game’s context menu and choose Manage > Uninstall (the exact wording can vary slightly by Steam client version).
  3. After the uninstall completes, install Shogun 2 Complete Edition again to the desired library.
  4. Launch the newly installed game once, wait for the main menu, then exit. This creates the default folders and first-run configuration.
  5. Browse to the recreated The Creative Assembly location and close the game if it is still running.
  6. Copy the backed-up Shogun 2 save folder into the recreated location, choosing the option that merges or replaces the empty/new save folder as appropriate. Do not overwrite the backup itself.
  7. Launch the game, load a campaign, and verify that the date, faction, and turn number match your expected save.
  8. Keep the backup until you have completed at least one new save and confirmed that it can be loaded after restarting Steam.

Steam’s backup guidance also cautions that saved games may need handling separate from installation files. A Steam library backup or reinstall therefore does not prove that personal saves have been preserved; the folder copy is the part that protects them.

What reinstalling does and does not reset

Uninstalling replaces the Steam installation files. It does not guarantee that the roaming Creative Assembly data is removed, and it does not guarantee that every save was uploaded to Cloud. Moving the Creative Assembly folder aside, rather than deleting it, is a narrower reset: it lets the game create clean preferences and cache while preserving your ability to copy saves back. Use the full reinstall for damaged game files; use the folder reset when the executable works but settings or user data are suspected.

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Restore Steam Cloud deliberately

After a reinstall, Steam may ask whether to use local files or files stored in the cloud. Do not choose automatically. First decide which copy contains the newest working campaign by checking file dates and, when possible, loading the local backup with Cloud synchronization temporarily disabled.

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  1. Open the game’s Steam properties and review its per-game Cloud setting.
  2. Keep Cloud disabled while you restore and test the known-good local saves if you are uncertain which copy is newer.
  3. Launch the game and make a test save with a distinctive name.
  4. Exit the game normally, then re-enable Cloud only after the local test is confirmed.
  5. If Steam presents a conflict, compare the local and cloud timestamps and choose the copy you have verified. Never dismiss the prompt by guessing.

Steam’s general Windows Cloud data is under C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata. The game-specific folder depends on the Steam account and application ID, and Steam’s support guidance does not publish a Shogun 2-specific mapping in this context. Do not substitute an arbitrary userdata folder for the documented Creative Assembly save location.

Where Shogun 2 saves and settings are stored

Data Windows location or handling Important limitation
Local Shogun 2 saves and configuration C:UsersYOURUSERNAMEAppDataRoamingThe Creative Assembly The folder is hidden by default; enable hidden items in File Explorer.
Steam Cloud files C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata The account and game-specific subfolder are not identified by Steam’s cited guidance for Shogun 2.
Manual recovery copy Any separate desktop folder or external backup location Keep it until a campaign loads and a new save has been tested.

The roaming folder is the practical source for a manual backup because it contains the user data that can be recreated or moved independently of the Steam installation. Cloud data is an additional synchronization layer, not a replacement path for that backup.

Choose the least disruptive recovery method

Approach When to use it Save risk Time and scope
Steam file verification The game will not launch, crashes, or appears to have damaged installation files. Low when a manual backup already exists; it targets installation files. Usually faster than reinstalling; Steam says it may take several minutes.
Move or reset the Creative Assembly folder The executable starts but preferences, cache, or user configuration appears corrupted. Low if the original folder is moved aside rather than deleted. Resets user data while allowing the save folder to be copied back.
Full uninstall and reinstall Verification and a clean user-data test do not resolve the launch problem. Manageable only with an independent save copy; installation backups do not necessarily include saves. Longest option; replaces the Steam installation files.
Steam Cloud restoration The local copy is unavailable or you have verified that the cloud version is newer. Depends on synchronization and conflict selection; a wrong choice can lose progress. Fast when synchronized, but the contents and game-specific path are controlled by the developer.
Mod rollback A crash or missing campaign began after adding or removing Workshop content. A mod-dependent campaign may require the same mod or a new campaign. Can be quick, but requires tracking the original mod set.
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Troubleshoot what remains after reinstalling

The game still will not launch

SEGA’s troubleshooting guidance lists several additional checks:

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  • Disable the Steam Overlay for Shogun 2 and test again.
  • Install the Visual C++ components supplied with Steamworks Shared. In the Steam installation directory, look under _CommonRedistvcredist and run the appropriate redistributable installers.
  • Install pending Windows updates and update the graphics driver from the GPU manufacturer.
  • Check GPU power-management settings so the game is not forced onto an unsuitable low-power profile.
  • Try launching with administrator permissions as a diagnostic step.
  • Opt out of old beta branches and use the current public branch.

Apply one change at a time and retest. If a change fixes the launch, keep the save backup anyway; these steps address runtime dependencies and permissions, not the integrity of your personal campaign data.

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A campaign vanished after mod cleanup

First confirm that you restored the correct save folder and that the game is using the same Windows account. If the save depended on a removed mod, the missing campaign may be a compatibility consequence rather than a lost file. Reinstalling the original mod set can make it readable again, but SEGA warns that some mod-dependent saves require starting a new campaign.

Steam reports failed files every time

A small, repeatable group of failures can be normal when Steam is reporting local configuration files that it does not replace. If the game launches and behaves normally, do not repeatedly verify or delete user data solely to clear that message. If the same check also reports reacquired game files, crashes continue, or the installation never completes, proceed to the clean-folder test and then the reinstall path while preserving the backup.

A cloud conflict appears

Stop before selecting an option. Compare the local backup, the current local folder, and the cloud timestamps. Choose the copy whose campaign you have actually opened and verified. If neither side is clearly correct, leave Cloud disabled and preserve both copies rather than allowing Steam to overwrite one.

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The restored saves do not appear

  1. Exit the game completely.
  2. Check that the save folder was copied beneath the recreated The Creative Assembly root, not into a duplicate nested folder.
  3. Confirm that you are signed into the Windows account that owns the original AppData directory.
  4. Temporarily disable Steam Cloud so it cannot replace the local files while you test.
  5. Launch again and check the campaign list. If the files still do not load, preserve the backup and investigate mod dependency before creating or overwriting saves.

Prevent the next reinstall from becoming a data-recovery job

  • Keep a dated manual copy of the Creative Assembly folder before major mod changes, Windows migrations, or disk repairs.
  • Maintain a short text list of Workshop mods used by each long-running campaign.
  • Use distinctive save names and periodically load an older save to detect corruption early.
  • Do not delete the old backup immediately after a successful reinstall; retain it until new saves have survived a restart and a Cloud synchronization cycle.
  • When Steam asks about conflicting files, decide based on a verified campaign rather than on the newest timestamp alone.

Verification is the first repair because it is narrower and generally quicker than a reinstall. The manual folder copy is the safeguard that makes either repair reversible, while careful mod and Cloud handling prevents a technically successful reinstall from turning into permanent campaign loss.

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