Skyrim Special Edition Save Location and Mod Checklist

“Skyrim save” is not a precise enough description for a careful transfer. The game edition, build and active mod profile all matter when identifying the environment that produced a character. Before importing someone else’s progress, document your own setup and keep a copy you can restore.

Community save download

100 Percent Clean Save for Skyrim SE — hosted on Nexus Mods. The completion and clean-save labels are the uploader’s descriptions. Check the exact file variant and its requirements; this is not a compatibility guarantee for every Skyrim edition.

View download on Nexus Mods

This opens the original download page, not an instant download from SaveGamesDL. Follow the host’s sign-in and download prompts. Completion labels belong to the uploader; we have not independently verified completion, compatibility or file safety. Preserve your own saves before importing anything.

Default Windows save folder

Bethesda’s reference distinguishes the original Skyrim directory from the Skyrim Special Edition directory. For a conventional Windows setup, the Special Edition reference path is: 1

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves

Treat this as a starting point rather than a universal guarantee for every storefront, redirected Documents location or mod-manager profile. Make a fresh save in the active profile, exit the game and identify the files that changed. If the reference folder is absent, investigate the profile configuration instead of creating empty directories at random.

Label backups by edition and profile

An archive called Skyrim-Backup is ambiguous when you have more than one installation. Use a descriptive name containing the edition, actual build, profile and date. Put a short text note beside the archive recording what was tested and the checkpoint it contains.

The note does not need your real name or private account identifiers. A nonpersonal profile label is enough to distinguish installations. Retain the names and versions of relevant mods rather than relying on the number of mods as a compatibility signal.

Compare dependencies before loading

Check the exact edition and game build first, then the mod list and any required additional content. Matching character names or similar loadouts do not establish that two installations have the same requirements. Keep the provider’s instructions with the downloaded archive so the transfer remains understandable later.

Do not remove or rename unfamiliar companion files simply to make the folder look cleaner. Identify their purpose using the documentation for that save and its tools. A tidy-looking directory is not a substitute for a complete, consistent save package.

Test with minimal changes

1. Back up the current profile’s saves and record the active mod environment.
2. Extract the incoming archive outside the active game folders.
3. Compare documented requirements and keep unresolved differences visible.
4. Add the intended files to the verified active location, protecting any same-named originals.
5. Load the checkpoint and read warnings rather than dismissing them as harmless.
6. Inspect the character and intended location, then create and reload a separate test save.

If loading fails, preserve the error message and stop making unrelated changes. A test that also changes mods, game files and save names makes it difficult to tell which change caused the result.

Describe compatibility narrowly

For an uploaded save, state the build and profile on which you actually loaded and re-saved it. A successful check is not a guarantee for every user or for the rest of a long playthrough. Keep the untouched backup until you are satisfied that the transferred character behaves as expected.

Frequently asked questions