How to Manually Migrate GTA IV Games for Windows – Live Saves

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Rockstar documents a manual method for migrating Grand Theft Auto IV save files from Games for Windows – Live.

Automatic-migration cutoff dates

On August 25, 2025, Rockstar Games Launcher removed the game-settings option for scanning computers for GTA IV Games for Windows – Live saves. Automatic scanning during installation remained available until September 16, 2025.

Saves can still be migrated manually using Rockstar's official migration instructions.

Open the destination folder

1. Install Rockstar Games Launcher.
   
2. Install Grand Theft Auto IV.
   
3. In Rockstar Games Launcher, select Settings.
   
4. Under My installed games, select Grand Theft Auto IV.
   
5. Next to View save files, select Open.
   

The folder opened in the final step is the destination for the legacy save files.

Find and migrate the legacy saves

Open another File Explorer window and search for folders named savegames. Rockstar also identifies these possible locations:

Code:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames

Copy the legacy save files into the destination folder opened through Rockstar Games Launcher, then launch Grand Theft Auto IV.

Cloud-save limitation

Rockstar states that cloud saves are not currently supported for games installed from physical media.