How to sync game saves to the cloud on Windows using mklink

Many games store save files in a fixed local path with no built-in cloud sync option. If you reinstall Windows, switch machines, or simply want an automatic backup of your progress, the standard workaround is to move the save folder to a cloud-synced directory and replace it with a symbolic link. The game writes to the original path, the cloud client picks up the changes, and your saves are protected without any configuration inside the game itself.

This article covers the procedure for both OneDrive and Google Drive, with notes on where each service stores its local sync folder on Windows.

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • OneDrive or Google Drive desktop client installed and signed in
  • The game must be fully closed before you start
  • Administrator access — required to create symbolic links
Note: This procedure uses a directory symbolic link (mklink /D) rather than a junction. Junctions cannot point to paths inside a cloud sync folder reliably because cloud clients use their own reparse points internally. A symbolic link is the correct choice here.

Where cloud sync folders are located

Before running any commands, confirm the local path of your cloud sync folder. Both services use a local folder on disk that syncs to the cloud in the background.

OneDrive

The default OneDrive folder is:

C:\Users\John\OneDrive

To confirm the exact path on your machine, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray → Settings → Account → the folder path is shown next to your account name.

Google Drive

Google Drive desktop client (Drive for Desktop) maps a virtual drive letter — typically G:\ — but also maintains a local cache folder. For symbolic link purposes, use the local sync folder path, not the virtual drive. The default location is:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS

However, the most reliable approach with Google Drive is to use a folder inside My Drive that is set to Available offline (mirrored locally). To find that path: open Google Drive in File Explorer via the virtual drive letter, right-click a folder → Drive for desktop → Available offline. The mirrored path will be inside:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\<account-id>\root
Note: Google Drive’s virtual drive letter (G:\) is a network-mapped path, not a real local folder. Symbolic links to network paths require Group Policy changes to work. Always use the local DriveFS path when creating symlinks for Google Drive.

Step-by-step procedure

The example below uses a game called UltraGame that stores saves in:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save

Replace this path with the actual save folder of your game. Common locations are AppData\Local, AppData\Roaming, Documents\My Games, and Documents\SavedGames.

Step 1 — Find your game’s save folder

Most games store saves in one of these locations. Open each in File Explorer via Win+R to check which one contains your game’s data:

:: Common save locations — open in Win+R to check
%LocalAppData%\UltraGame\Save
%AppData%\UltraGame\Save
%UserProfile%\Documents\My Games\UltraGame
%UserProfile%\Documents\SavedGames\UltraGame

Once you find the correct folder, note its full path. That is the path you will move and replace with a symlink.

Step 2 — Create the destination folder in your cloud sync directory

Open CMD as administrator and create a folder inside your cloud sync directory where the game saves will be stored.

OneDrive:

mkdir "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame"

Google Drive (local mirrored path):

mkdir "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\<account-id>\root\GameSaves\UltraGame"
Note: Replace <account-id> with the actual folder name inside DriveFS — it is a long numeric string that corresponds to your Google account. You can find it by browsing to %LocalAppData%\Google\DriveFS\ in File Explorer.

Step 3 — Move the save folder to the cloud directory

Copy the existing save data into the cloud sync folder. We use robocopy to preserve file attributes, then delete the original after verifying.

OneDrive:

robocopy "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame" /E /COPYALL /R:3 /W:5

Google Drive:

robocopy "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\<account-id>\root\GameSaves\UltraGame" /E /COPYALL /R:3 /W:5

Step 4 — Verify the copy is complete

Confirm file count and size match between source and destination before deleting anything.

OneDrive:

dir "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" /S | find "File(s)"
dir "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame" /S | find "File(s)"

Google Drive:

dir "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" /S | find "File(s)"
dir "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\<account-id>\root\GameSaves\UltraGame" /S | find "File(s)"

Both lines must return the same file count and byte count before you proceed.

Warning: Do not proceed to Step 5 until the counts match. If they differ, run robocopy again — it will copy only the missing files.

Step 5 — Delete the original save folder

rd /S /Q "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save"
Common mistake: Skipping Step 4 and deleting before the copy is verified. Save files are small but irreplaceable — always confirm the copy first.

Step 6 — Create the symbolic link

OneDrive:

mklink /D "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame"

Google Drive:

mklink /D "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS\<account-id>\root\GameSaves\UltraGame"

CMD confirms:

symbolic link created for C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save <<===>> C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame
Result: The symlink is in place. The game writes to the original path — data lands in the cloud sync folder and uploads automatically.

Step 7 — Verify the symlink

dir /AL "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame"

Expected output:

25/03/2026  12:00    <SYMLINKD>    Save [C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame]

The <SYMLINKD> tag confirms this is a directory symbolic link. The path in brackets is the cloud sync target.

Step 8 — Test the game

Launch the game, load a save, play for a moment, then exit. Check the cloud sync folder — new or modified files should appear there, and your cloud client should begin uploading them.

:: Confirm files are present and have recent timestamps in the cloud folder
dir "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame" /S
Result: Game saves are now automatically backed up to the cloud every time you play. No configuration inside the game is required.

Hidden gems

Restore saves on a new machine in minutes

On a new Windows installation, install the game and your cloud client, let the saves sync locally, then recreate the symlink pointing to the cloud folder. The game picks up all your saves immediately — no manual copying required.

:: On the new machine — after cloud sync is complete
:: Delete the empty save folder the game created on first launch
rd /S /Q "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save"

:: Recreate the symlink to the cloud folder
mklink /D "C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\UltraGame\Save" "C:\Users\John\OneDrive\GameSaves\UltraGame"

One cloud folder, multiple machines

The same cloud folder can be used as the symlink target on multiple machines simultaneously. Each machine writes through its own symlink to the same cloud location. OneDrive and Google Drive handle sync conflicts automatically — last write wins for most save file formats.

Why symlink and not junction here

Cloud sync clients (both OneDrive and Google Drive) use NTFS reparse points internally to manage their sync state. Junctions are also reparse points — stacking them on top of cloud sync paths can cause the sync client to malfunction or skip the folder entirely. A symbolic link (mklink /D) does not use the same reparse point type and avoids this conflict.

Tips and limitations

  • The game must be closed when creating or removing the symlink — open file handles will cause errors
  • OneDrive personal and OneDrive for Business use different local paths — verify the correct one before running commands
  • Google Drive virtual drive letter (G:\) is not a real local path — always use the DriveFS local path for symlinks
  • Some games detect symlinks and refuse to write to them — this is rare but happens with certain anti-cheat systems. If the game fails to save, revert the symlink and use the cloud client’s built-in backup feature instead
  • Cloud sync must be running for saves to upload — the symlink alone does not upload anything, it only redirects writes to the sync folder

Official reference

mklink — Windows Commands | Microsoft Learn

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