How do you fix a Steam Cloud out-of-sync error?

To fix a Steam Cloud out-of-sync error, close the game on every PC, back up the newest local save, confirm Steam Cloud is enabled, restart Steam online, and select Retry Sync. If Steam reports a conflict, compare timestamps carefully and keep the copy containing your latest progress—not automatically the cloud copy.

What does Steam Cloud out of sync mean?

Steam Cloud is out of sync when the files stored on your PC do not match the remote copies, or Steam could not complete an upload or download. This is a general Steam issue rather than a fault specific to Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX or a particular train simulator.

Common causes include playing offline, moving between computers before an upload finishes, a game crashing during shutdown, an interrupted connection, an incorrect system clock or Steam being closed too quickly. The message does not necessarily mean that either copy is corrupt.

How do you resync Steam Cloud safely?

The safest fix is to protect the latest local save first, then let Steam retry the transfer in a controlled order.

1. Close the game everywhere. Quit it on every computer that uses the same Steam account. Allow the first PC to finish closing the game rather than ending it through Task Manager, because many games write saves during shutdown.
2. Back up the local files. With Steam closed, copy the simulator's native save or profile folder to another location. Steam's cached files are often beneath userdata\<SteamID>\<AppID>\remote inside the Steam installation, but some games save through Documents, Saved Games or AppData instead. Copy both locations if present; our safer local-backup procedure before reinstalling Windows explains which flight-simulator data Steam Cloud may omit.
3. Check the Steam account and connection. Open Steam in online mode and confirm that you are signed into the account which owns the game. Avoid launching the simulator until the cloud warning has been dealt with.
4. Confirm Steam Cloud is enabled. Check the main Cloud option in Steam Settings, then open the game's Properties and check its per-game Steam Cloud option. Do not repeatedly switch Cloud off and on at this stage.
5. Restart the client fully. Exit Steam through its menu instead of merely closing the window to the notification area, then reopen it. Install any client update Steam offers.
6. Retry the synchronisation. In the Library, select the cloud warning or status near the Play control and choose Retry Sync. Leave Steam open until the status changes to Up to date.
7. Test a clean upload. Launch the game, load the expected profile, create a distinctive manual save if the simulator supports one, and quit normally. Wait for Steam to finish uploading before shutting down the PC or opening the game elsewhere.

Which save should you choose in a Steam Cloud conflict?

Choose the copy containing your latest confirmed progress, using where and when you last played as the main evidence. The words “local” and “cloud” describe storage locations, not which file is necessarily newer or safer.

A mistake we see constantly is choosing the cloud copy simply because it sounds authoritative. An empty local save from a new installation can be newer than a valid cloud save, while a wrong system clock can make an older file appear newer. File size, named save slots and what you last did in the simulator are often better clues than the timestamp alone.

How do you force Steam Cloud to upload the correct save?

You can force a clean resync by making one backed-up local save authoritative, but only after closing the game on every other computer.

1. Make another backup of the local save and the relevant Steam userdata folder.
2. Disable Steam Cloud for that game in its Properties, leaving the global setting alone.
3. Restore the desired save locally, launch the game and confirm that the correct progress loads. Create a new manual save if possible, then quit normally.
4. Re-enable Steam Cloud for the game. If a conflict prompt appears, choose the option that uploads the confirmed local files.
5. Wait for Up to date before opening the simulator on another computer.

Do not begin by deleting remotecache.vdf, the whole userdata directory or every local save. Those methods can remove the evidence needed to identify the good copy and may cause an empty profile to be uploaded.

Why does Steam Cloud keep failing to sync?

Repeated failures usually point to the Steam client, network or local file access rather than a one-off conflict.

• All Steam games fail: restart Steam and Windows, check that the PC date and time are set automatically, and test without a VPN or proxy. Security software must allow Steam to connect.
• Only one game fails: check whether it crashes or hangs while closing, whether the local disk is full, and whether the game's Cloud allocation is full. Delete obsolete in-game saves only after making a backup.
• Saves cannot be written: Windows Controlled folder access or another security tool may be blocking Steam or the simulator from Documents or Saved Games. Permit the affected applications rather than disabling protection permanently.
• The client state appears stuck: Steam's Clear Download Cache command can refresh the client session, although it signs you out. This is a later step, not a substitute for backing up saves.

Verifying game files can repair a simulator that crashes before closing cleanly, but it does not restore missing Cloud saves. If the client itself cannot start, follow our steps to repair Steam when it will not open before attempting another sync.

Does Steam Cloud back up every flight simulator file?

Steam Cloud backs up only the files that each game is configured to synchronise. Aircraft, scenery, Community folders, third-party add-ons, screenshots and some controller profiles may remain entirely local even when Steam displays Up to date.

Some simulators also split data between Steam Cloud, a publisher account and local folders. Microsoft Flight Simulator, for example, uses Microsoft account services for significant profile data, so a Steam sync message does not prove that installed packages or every preference is backed up. If MSFS 2024 keeps restoring an older configuration, our explanation of cloud data overwriting MSFS 2024 settings covers that separate conflict.