No Rest for the Wicked Save Corrupted — Fix & Recover Your Save

Last verified: 2026-09-23

Save file

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Moon Studios\NoRestForTheWicked\DataStore

If a No Rest for the Wicked save won't load, shows an error, or your character/realm vanished after a patch, STOP — don't start a new character or let the game re-save yet, because a new write (or Steam Cloud syncing the broken state) can overwrite a still-recoverable copy. Your saves live in an unusual place: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Moon Studios\NoRestForTheWicked\DataStore (LocalLow, NOT the normal AppData\Local or Roaming). Inside DataStore each major update keeps its own numbered subfolder, and inside those are separate .DAT files for your account, character and realm. Fully quit the game, copy the whole NoRestForTheWicked folder somewhere safe, then restore the .DAT files from a previous-update subfolder or roll back Steam Cloud — a corrupt .DAT usually can't be repaired in place, but an older copy almost always survives.

Where the files live: see the full No Rest for the Wicked save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).

How to transfer your No Rest for the Wicked save to a new PC

Fully quit No Rest for the Wicked and confirm it's closed in Task Manager (the game and Steam Cloud both write on exit — don't copy files while it's still running or mid-sync).
Open your save folder: press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Moon Studios\NoRestForTheWicked and press Enter. Note it's LocalLow, not the Local or Roaming AppData folder most guides assume.
Back up first: copy the entire NoRestForTheWicked folder to your Desktop or a USB drive before changing anything. This is your undo button.
Open DataStore. You'll see one or more numbered subfolders — each corresponds to a major update. Inside are .DAT files for account, character and realm. Sort by Date modified so you can tell the newest (possibly corrupt) files from older good ones.
If corruption started right after a patch, look in the PREVIOUS update's numbered subfolder — your pre-patch character/realm .DAT is often still there. Copy the known-good .DAT files over the broken ones (keep your backup intact).
If every local copy is bad, roll back Steam Cloud: fully exit the game, turn OFF Steam Cloud sync for No Rest for the Wicked (Steam ‑ right-click the game ‑ Properties ‑ General), restore your good backup into the folder, launch to confirm it loads, THEN re-enable sync so the good save uploads over the corrupt cloud copy.
Check Windows Previous Versions / File History: right-click the NoRestForTheWicked (or DataStore) folder ‑ Properties ‑ Previous Versions for an automatic copy from before the crash or patch.
Verify game files afterward (Steam: right-click the game ‑ Properties ‑ Installed Files ‑ Verify integrity of game files) to rule out a bad install, and disable mods before deciding a save is truly corrupt — a removed/updated mod can make a fine save fail to load.

Does cloud sync move it for you?

No Rest for the Wicked stores saves locally in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Moon Studios\NoRestForTheWicked and syncs through Steam Cloud. The danger is sync direction: if the corrupt local save uploads, it overwrites your last good cloud copy. Always disable cloud sync BEFORE restoring a backup, verify the restored save loads, then re-enable sync so the good file becomes the cloud copy. Because the game is in early access, big updates occasionally change or migrate save data — the per-update numbered subfolders inside DataStore are exactly why an older, pre-update .DAT is usually still recoverable.

Common mistakes

The path is LocalLow, not Local or Roaming. Typing %APPDATA% (which opens Roaming) or %LOCALAPPDATA% (Local) will NOT show your saves — use %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow.
Don't start a new character or let an autosave fire after corruption — a fresh write can push the broken state into the current update's subfolder. Copy the whole folder out FIRST, then experiment.
Early-access updates sometimes create a new numbered subfolder and migrate your data. If your character looks 'gone' after a patch, it may just be that the game is reading a new folder — your old .DAT files are still in the previous subfolder.

FAQ

Where are No Rest for the Wicked save files on PC?

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Moon Studios\NoRestForTheWicked\DataStore. Note it's LocalLow (not Local or Roaming). Inside DataStore each major update has its own numbered subfolder containing separate .DAT files for your account, character and realm.

Can a corrupted No Rest for the Wicked save be repaired?

A scrambled .DAT usually can't be fixed in place. The reliable recovery is to copy a good .DAT from the previous update's numbered subfolder, restore a manual backup, or roll back Steam Cloud to a pre-corruption copy.

My character disappeared after an update — is my save gone?

Often not. Early-access patches can create a new numbered subfolder inside DataStore and read from it, so the game looks empty while your old character/realm .DAT files still sit in the previous subfolder. Copy them into the current folder (after backing up) to restore progress.

How do I stop it happening again?

Periodically copy the NoRestForTheWicked folder to a USB drive (especially before installing a big update), don't quit while the game is saving, and keep Steam Cloud on so you have a second copy — but disable sync before restoring a backup so the corrupt file doesn't overwrite the good cloud save.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.