Diablo 1 Save File Location Guide

Due to User Account Control (UAC), modern Windows prevents old games from saving directly to Program Files. GOG redirects saves to a virtual folder.

Pro Tip: The AppData folder is hidden by default. To get there quickly:

Once inside the Diablo 1 folder, look for the DATA subfolder. Your .sv save files live inside the DATA folder.

Windows:

%USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\devilution\

Linux / macOS:

~/.local/share/diablo/

Android:

Internal Storage/Android/data/org.diasurgical.devilutionx/files/

Saves are still .sv format, often named single_*.sv.

If you are on Windows 10 or 11 using the GOG version (the most common setup today), do not overthink it:

Copy and paste this into your File Explorer address bar:

%localappdata%\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo 1\DATA

Hit Enter. You are now in the hallowed hall of your Diablo 1 save files.

If the folder is empty, you have never saved a character. Start a new game, kill a Fallen, save, quit, and refresh the folder.

About the Author: This guide is compiled for veteran adventurers returning to the Cathedral. Diablo 1’s save system is archaic, but your loot is timeless. Back up your files, stay awhile, and listen.

The Quest for Diablo 1 Save File Location: A Comprehensive Guide

Diablo 1, the action RPG that started it all, still holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. Released in 1996, this dark fantasy classic has stood the test of time, and its dedicated community continues to explore and play the game to this day. One of the most common issues faced by Diablo 1 enthusiasts is finding the save file location. In this article, we'll take you on a journey to discover the elusive Diablo 1 save file location, provide solutions for accessing and managing your saves, and offer valuable tips for optimizing your gameplay experience.

Understanding Diablo 1 Save Files

Before we dive into the save file location, it's essential to understand how Diablo 1 save files work. The game uses a simple text-based format to store player progress, character stats, and game settings. These save files are usually small in size and contain crucial information about your game progress.

Diablo 1 Save File Location: A Platform-by-Platform Guide

The Diablo 1 save file location varies depending on the platform you're playing on. Here are the locations for the most popular platforms:

Common file types

Notes

Example path (Windows 10, default install):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Diablo\Save\DefaultUser\CHAR_NAME.CHR

Related search suggestions added.

The save file location for Diablo 1 depends on which version of the game you are playing (the original CD version, the GOG version, or the version on Blizzard's Battle.net launcher).

Here are the locations for each version on Windows:

Because the original game runs poorly on modern hardware, many players use source ports. These engines require the original game assets (.mpq files) but rewrite the save system.

If you are playing the original disc version, the save files are stored directly inside the game's installation folder.

These mods generally move saves to a custom folder inside My Documents to avoid admin rights issues.

The location of save files depends entirely on which version you are playing (Original CD, GOG, or the DevilutionX source port) and your operating system. Windows Save Locations Primary Path File Naming Pattern GOG (Classic) C:\GOG Games\Diablo single_#.sv, multi_#.sv GOG (Enhanced) C:\GOG Games\Diablo\dx single_#.sv, multi_#.sv Original CD (v1.09) In the game's installation directory single_#.sv, multi_#.sv Original CD (Pre-1.09) %WINDIR% (typically C:\Windows) dlinfo_#.drv (hidden files) Hellfire Expansion C:\GOG Games\Diablo\hellfire single_#.hsv, multi_#.hsv DevilutionX %APPDATA%\diasurgical\devilution single_#.sv, multi_#.sv macOS & Linux (DevilutionX)

Modern versions of Diablo 1 on non-Windows platforms typically use the DevilutionX engine. macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/diasurgical/devilution Linux: ~/.local/share/diasurgical/devilution

Finding your Diablo 1 save files depends on which version of the game you are playing. Whether you are running the original 1996 disc version, the modern GOG.com release, or using the DevilutionX source port, the storage paths vary significantly. 📂 Quick Reference: Save File Locations 1. GOG.com Version (Modern PCs) diablo 1 save file location

If you purchased the game through GOG, your saves are usually kept within the game's installation folder to keep them portable. Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo\dx Alternative Path: C:\GOG Games\Diablo\ 2. DevilutionX (Source Port)

If you use the popular DevilutionX port to play on modern resolutions, saves are moved to your user profile to prevent permission issues.

Windows: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\diasurgical\devilution Linux: ~/.local/share/diasurgical/devilution macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/diasurgical/devilution 3. Original CD-ROM / Retail Version

The classic 1996 version typically stored saves directly in the root directory where the game was installed. Path: C:\Program Files\Diablo\

Note: On Windows 7, 10, or 11, if you didn't run as Admin, Windows might have moved them to a "VirtualStore" folder: %LocalAppData%\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Diablo 📄 Identifying Your Save Files

Diablo 1 uses specific file extensions to distinguish between single-player characters and multi-player data.

Single Player: Files are named single_0.sv, single_1.sv, etc. Multiplayer: Files are named multi_0.sv, multi_1.sv, etc.

Hellfire Expansion: If you are playing the Hellfire expansion, the files follow the same naming convention but are often stored in a subfolder named hellfire. 🛠️ How to Backup or Move Your Saves

Backing up your progress is essential, especially if you are experimenting with mods or transferring to a new computer. Locate the folder using the paths provided above.

Copy all .sv files. These contain your character's stats, inventory, and quest progress.

Paste them into a secure location like a cloud drive or USB stick.

To Restore: Simply paste the files back into the corresponding directory on your new installation. ⚠️ Common Issues & Troubleshooting Missing AppData Folder

If you are looking for the DevilutionX path and can't find AppData, it is likely hidden.

Fix: Open File Explorer, click the View tab, and check the box for Hidden items. Saves Not Appearing in Game

If you move a save file but it doesn't show up in the character selection menu, ensure the filename matches the expected format (e.g., single_0.sv). If you are moving saves from the original game to DevilutionX, the files are generally compatible, but you must place them in the AppData path mentioned above. Multiplayer Characters

Remember that in the original Diablo, multiplayer characters are separate from single-player ones. You cannot load a multi_0.sv file in the Single Player menu without using third-party character editors.

Are you trying to transfer saves between two different versions?

Are you playing the Hellfire expansion or just the base game?

Are you looking to edit your character stats using those save files?

I can provide specific instructions or tools for character conversion and backups.

The year was 1999. The air in my bedroom was thick with the smell of burnt pizza rolls and the electric hum of a CRT monitor. I was twelve, and for the last three months, I had been living a second life in the cathedral-shadowed town of Tristram.

My warrior, Sir Alaric the Bold, was not just a collection of pixels. He was me. He had started with a chipped short sword and a leather cap. Now, he wielded The Boneslayer, a unique great axe that hummed with a vengeance against the undead. He had faced the Skeleton King, Leoric, in the labyrinth beneath the cathedral, and had emerged victorious, his ears still ringing with the king’s cursed laughter. He had even made it to the Caves, level 11, where the very air seemed to bleed.

One humid July evening, disaster struck. A lightning storm crackled outside. The lights flickered. My family’s clunky Windows 98 machine, a beige tower we called “The Beast,” groaned. And then—a sudden, absolute silence. Then a blue screen. A white text. A fatal exception error.

My heart stopped.

I rebooted. The familiar chord of Windows startup played, but my soul was elsewhere. I double-clicked the Diablo icon. The loading screen—that ominous, burning image of the Lord of Terror—flickered. I clicked “Single Player.” I clicked “Load Game.”

Empty.

The save slot was a void. A gray, mocking abyss.

“No,” I whispered. “No, no, no.”

Three months. The Boneslayer. A ring of the Zodiac I’d found off a dead Goatman. Gone. I felt a grief that was utterly ridiculous and completely real. My father, hearing my strangled cry, came in. “What’s wrong? Did you break the computer?”

“It’s worse,” I said, my voice cracking. “Diablo ate my warrior.”

He sighed, the way only a dad who didn’t understand video games could sigh. But he was a logical man. A man of files and folders. He sat down at the keyboard. “Where does the game save the character?”

I shrugged. I had never thought about it. The game just knew. Due to User Account Control (UAC), modern Windows

He clicked open “My Computer.” Then “C: Drive.” Then a folder called “Program Files.” Then “Diablo.” We scrolled through the files: DIABAT.MPQ, DIABDAT.MPQ, a few .EXE files. Nothing obvious. No “Saves” folder.

“Maybe it’s in a hidden directory,” he muttered. He was a genius.

He navigated up a level. Then he clicked on a folder I’d always ignored: Windows. Inside that, a dusty, cobwebbed digital attic: Profiles. Then my username. Then a subfolder with a strange name: Application Data.

And there, buried like a secret treasure chest under a floorboard, was a new folder.

*\Diablo*

My father clicked it.

Inside was a single, beautiful, terrifying file:

Single_0.sv

“That’s him,” I breathed.

It was a tiny file. 51 kilobytes. And yet, it contained every decision, every kill, every piece of gold, every desperate potion-chugging moment of Sir Alaric’s existence. The file’s timestamp was from three hours ago—just before the storm.

The blue screen had corrupted the game’s memory, but the file itself… it was still there. Untouched. The game just couldn’t see it anymore because its internal list had been scrambled.

“Can we fix it?” I asked.

He shrugged again, but this time with a spark of challenge. “We can try.”

He copied the file to the desktop. Then, he closed the game, reopened it, and created a new, dummy character named “TEST.” He saved TEST, quit the game, went back to the Application Data\Diablo folder, and replaced the new Single_0.sv with the old one.

I held my breath as he restarted Diablo.

Click. Single Player. Load Game.

And there he was. Sir Alaric the Bold. Level 27. Strength 110. Holding The Boneslayer, standing in the lobby of the Caves, level 11, right where the lightning had found him.

I screamed. A pure, triumphant, twelve-year-old scream.

From that day on, I became the guardian of that file. I learned that on Windows 95/98/ME, the sacred path was: C:\Windows\Profiles\[YourName]\Application Data\Diablo\

On later systems, like Windows 2000 or XP, it migrated to: C:\Documents and Settings\[YourName]\Application Data\Diablo\

And on modern Windows, it hides in the labyrinth of: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Diablo\

That small, humble .sv file—short for “Save”—was more than data. It was a coffin for the Skeleton King. It was a map to Lazarus. It was a promise that even when the power failed, even when the blue screen came, the journey didn’t have to end.

I learned to back it up. To copy it onto floppy disks, and later, USB drives. I sent it to a friend across the country so he could play my warrior when I was asleep. We learned that renaming it to Single_1.sv or Single_2.sv would let you have multiple heroes—a feature the game itself never officially explained.

Twenty-five years later, I still have that file. I’ve copied it across a dozen hard drives, three operating systems, and two continents. I can’t run the original Diablo on my modern PC without a source port or a virtual machine, but the file remains. A 51-kilobyte ghost.

And sometimes, late at night, I’ll fire up an old emulator, navigate to that hidden, dusty folder in AppData, and load Single_0.sv. Sir Alaric will appear, still gripping his axe, still standing in the dark of the Caves.

The Butcher still whispers, “Fresh meat.” The acid-spitting dogs still lurk. And my twelve-year-old self is still there, brave and reckless, proving that the greatest treasure in the world isn’t a unique item or a level 15 spell.

It’s knowing exactly where your save file lives.

Finding your save file location depends on which version of the game you're running, as modern digital releases store data differently than the original 1996 discs. Quick Summary: Where to Look Modern GOG / Patch 1.09+: In the main game installation folder (e.g., C:\GOG Games\Diablo DevilutionX: In your user AppData (e.g., %AppData%\diasurgical\devilution Classic CD (Legacy Versions): Hidden in your C:\Windows directory. Detailed Locations by Version 1. GOG.com & Patch 1.09+ If you are playing the GOG.com version

or have patched your original game to version 1.09, your saves are kept directly in the folder where the game is installed. Default Path: C:\GOG Games\Diablo\ File Names: Single Player: single_0.sv single_1.sv Multiplayer: multi_0.sv multi_1.sv 2. DevilutionX (Modern Source Port) If you are using DevilutionX

for modern compatibility, your saves are moved to a standard Windows user directory to prevent permission issues. %AppData%\diasurgical\devilution\ Hellfire Saves: These often use the extension instead of 3. Classic CD Version (Pre-Patch 1.09)

In original versions of the game (1.00 through 1.08), Blizzard stored saves in a very unusual place: the Windows directory itself. C:\Windows\ File Names: These were hidden files named dlinfo_0.drv dlinfo_1.drv

These files were often "tied" to your computer's workgroup name, making them harder to transfer than modern Important Tips for Save Management Pro Tip: The AppData folder is hidden by default

Save file locations for (1996) vary depending on your game version, operating system, and whether you are using modern source ports like DevilutionX. 📁 Standard Save Locations Windows (Original & GOG Versions)

For most modern installations (including the GOG.com release and patched original retail versions), saves are located directly in the game's installation folder. C:\GOG Games\Diablo (or wherever you installed the game) Alternative Path:

C:\Users\[Your_Username]\AppData\Local\GOG.com\Galaxy\Applications\53835151161532868\Storage\Shared\Files Classic/Legacy (Patch 1.08 and Older)

On very old Windows versions (95/98) or unpatched retail copies, Diablo used a hidden system folder to prevent easy cheating. C:\Windows These files are often hidden and system-protected. DevilutionX (Modern Source Port) If you are using the popular DevilutionX engine to play on modern hardware:

C:\Users\[Your_Username]\AppData\Roaming\diasurgical\devilution Linux/Steam Deck: ~/.local/share/diasurgical/devilution ~/Library/Application Support/diasurgical/devilution 📄 File Naming Conventions

Diablo uses specific file names to distinguish between game modes and save slots: Example File Name Single Player (Diablo) single_0.sv Single Player (Hellfire) single_0.hsv Multiplayer multi_0.sv The number (e.g., ) corresponds to the character slot in the game menu. Hellfire Expansion:

For the original Sierra expansion, saves are typically found in the subfolder of your main Diablo directory. 🛠️ Important Notes Hidden Files:

If you cannot see the files in the Windows directory, ensure "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" is enabled in your File Explorer Options Multiplayer Characters:

Unlike Single Player, Multiplayer characters are saved locally but work differently; their progress in the world is not saved, only the character's stats and inventory. Compatibility:

Save files from the original game are generally compatible with DevilutionX, allowing you to move your

files into the DevilutionX folder to continue your progress.

Are you trying to move your saves to a new computer, or are you looking to use a save editor? I can provide specific steps for either.

The location of save files depends heavily on the version and patch level of the game you are playing. Modern Releases (GOG & DevilutionX)

If you are using modern digital versions or the popular engine reconstruction, look in these locations:

GOG Version: Typically found directly in the game's installation folder (e.g., C:\GOG Games\Diablo\) .

DevilutionX: Usually stored in %AppData%\Roaming\diasurgical\devilution .

Browser Version (Diabloweb): Saves are typically stored in your browser's local storage but can be exported as files to be used elsewhere . Original Legacy Versions Older installations vary based on their patch status:

Patch 1.09 and later: Saves are located in the main game installation directory (e.g., C:\Diablo\) .

Pre-Patch 1.09: Files were often hidden and stored in the Windows directory (e.g., C:\Windows\) .

Hellfire Expansion: Often stores files in the installation folder, but character files may have different extensions or be located in a save subfolder . Identifying Save File Names

You can identify your saves by their specific naming conventions: Single Player: single_0.sv, single_1.sv, etc . Multiplayer: multi_0.sv, multi_1.sv, etc .

Legacy/Hidden Files: May appear as dlinfo_0.drv or dlinfo_1.drv in older versions .

Finding your save files depends on whether you're playing the original version, the Hellfire expansion, or using modern source ports like DevilutionX. Quick Guide to Save File Locations

Original Diablo (Vanilla): Saves are stored directly in the main installation folder (e.g., C:\Games\Diablo). Look for files with the .sv extension.

Hellfire Expansion: Saves are located in a subfolder named Hellfire within your main Diablo directory.

DevilutionX (Modern Source Port): This version typically stores saves in your user profile:

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\diasurgical\devilution.

GOG.com Version: Similar to the original, check the installation folder provided by the GOG Galaxy client or the manual installation path you chose. Important Save File Tips

Single Player vs. Multiplayer: Single-player saves typically end in .sv, while multiplayer character data is often handled differently or stored in the multi_X.sv format.

Hidden Files: If you cannot see your multiplayer save files, you may need to use the Command Prompt to unhide them or ensure your Windows Explorer settings allow viewing of hidden files and folders.

No Autosave: Remember that the original game does not have an autosave feature. You must manually save via the Esc menu to keep your progress.

Beating the Game: In the original game, stats and equipment are only retained for a "New Game" if you save manually before the final blow to Diablo.

Are you looking to transfer these saves to another computer or use them with a specific mod?