.SAV File Extension

Many video games and video game emulators (which simulate game consoles on a PC) allow players to save their progress at certain points during gameplay. Often, the files that store these saved games use the .sav extension.

For example, many Nintendo video games store players' saved games in SAV files. In addition to being able to load these files on Nintendo consoles, players can also load them in Nintendo console emulators (alongside an accompanying game ROM), to resume their saved game on a PC or mobile device.

Depending on what type of game or emulator created your SAV file, the instructions for opening it vary. Refer to other entries on this page for specific instructions on how to open various types of SAV files.

SAV files are often used for storing datasets extracted from databases and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. However, they can also save data that has been entered manually by the user or data that has been generated by the software.

SPSS datasets can be manipulated in a variety of ways using the SPSS engine, but they are most commonly used to perform statistical analysis tests such as regression analysis, analysis of variance, and factor analysis. Results can be graphed to a variety of supported chart types, including bar graphs, line graphs, scatter plots, and histograms.

ME3 SAV files are saved to the C:\​Users\​[user]\​Documents\​BioWare\​Mass Effect 3\​Save\​ directory. A common SAV file is Local_Profile.sav.

SAV files are similar to Fallout 2 .MAP files but are compressed with GZIP compression. You can rename the "sav" extension to "gz" or "zip" and uncompress the archive with programs such as WinRAR.

Parallels Desktop for Mac is software that allows Mac users to run other operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, Android, and additional versions of macOS on their computers. The software creates .PVM files to store VMs, and the app generates a SAV file to store information about a VM state when you pause or suspend it.

Location of a SAV file in a PVM file

You can find SAV files in PVM files, which are macOS packages that contain all the files Parallels Desktop needs to launch an operating system. In macOS, you can right-click a PVM file and select Show Package Contents to view the SAV file in the package with Apple Finder.

You should not attempt to open SAV files. Instead, Parallels Desktop for Mac automatically loads the information in the SAV file when resuming a virtual machine after it is suspended or paused.

Some, but not all, Wii games save players' progress in SAV files. To most players, these files are "invisible" - meaning that players likely do not know their saved games are saved as SAV files. These players are content to save and load Wii games without considering how their progress is saved.

However, those who use Wii emulators or have modded their Nintendo Wiis will likely end up extracting, downloading, managing, and otherwise manipulating SAV files. For example, those who play New Super Mario Bros. Wii in the Dolphin emulator will create and load a related SAV file. As another example, those who play Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii and other fan-made New Super Mario Bros. Wii sequels on their Wiis will likely encounter SAV files created by those games.

You can open many Wii SAV files in Dolphin (cross-platform). To do so, you must possess a corresponding Wii ROM, which will likely be saved in an .ISO, .RVZ, or .GCZ file. To use a SAV file with a game, right-click that game in Dolphin's game list, select Open Wii Save Folder, and place your SAV file in that folder.

SAV files created by fan-made Wii games can be opened only on a Wii, using the game that created the SAV file.

The ClientSettings SAV file is referenced by Fortnite to configure various settings in the game. You can use ClientSettings Editor in Windows to view and modify the settings. Some settings that can be adjusted in the file include the HUDScale, the sensitivity of the gamepad and mouse, and the controller platform. You can also modify the user action key bindings, which are key shortcuts that allow you to perform one or more actions in the game by pressing one key.

To open the SAV file using ClientSettings Editor, simply select File → Open, navigate to your SAV file, and click Open. When you are finished modifying the file, select File → Save or Save As, name the file, choose the save location, and click Save.

When GameCube players save an in-progress game, their progress is typically saved in a .GCI or SAV file. The American versions of GameCube games save players' progress in GCI files, while their European equivalents save games in SAV files. These files are stored on players' GameCube memory cards.

Outside of loading saved games on their GameCubes, most GameCube players will not encounter a SAV file. However, those who use the Dolphin emulator to play GameCube games on their PCs can download, create, and open SAV files to resume in-progress games (including their own and other players') on their PCs.

You can open a GameCube SAV file in Dolphin (cross-platform). To do so, you must possess a corresponding European-edition GameCube ROM, which will likely be saved in a .GCM or .ISO file.

To load your SAV file, first use Dolphin's Memory Card Manager to add the file to your list of GameCube saved games. Then, open the SAV file's corresponding ROM and load the saved game your SAV file contains.

In Satisfactory, players create and manage a factory on an alien world. To expand their factory and win the game, players must battle aliens, extract planetary resources, and research new technologies.

At almost any time, Satisfactory players can save their current progress to a SAV file. They can load this file (from Satisfactory's Load menu) to resume their saved game.

Satisfactory stores users' SAV files in the following directory:

~/​Users/​UserName/​AppData/​Local/​FactoryGame/​Saved/​SaveGames

Some Satisfactory enthusiasts have created tools that allow players to edit the data their SAV files contain. This allows players to edit Satisfactory's game world, unlock achievements, add items to their inventory, and otherwise modify their saved games.

To load a SAV file in Satisfactory (Windows):

1. Place the file in Satisfactory's SaveGames directory (the location of which is noted above).
2. Open Satisfactory and load your SAV file.

If you want to edit a Satisfactory SAV file's contents, you can do so using Satisfactory Calculator Interactive Map (Web) or Satisfactory Save Editor (Windows).