Where Does Fallout 76 Store Settings and INI Files?
Fallout 76 keeps characters on Bethesda servers, so the local folder holds INI settings rather than saves.
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Fallout 76 has no local saves to back up. Characters, inventory, and CAMPs live on Bethesda's servers, which is why reinstalls never cost progress. What lives on disk is configuration.
The Documents folder holds Fallout76.ini, the prefs file, and the custom override. Antivirus blocks, missing permissions, and OneDrive moves cause most launch failures here, not corrupt saves. Treat the folder as settings to tune rather than progress to protect.
Where Fallout 76 stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout76
Fallout76.ini, Fallout76prefs.ini, and Fallout76Custom.ini live here. Custom overrides survive updates; the stock files get rewritten by the launcher.
Frequently asked questions
The game errors about a missing INI on launch. What fixes it?
Copy Fallout76.ini from the game install folder into Documents\My Games\Fallout76 and set it read only. The game deletes and regenerates that file on launch, and the read only copy survives as the template it rebuilds from.
Where do I put graphics tweaks so updates keep them?
Fallout76Custom.ini overrides everything and survives updates that rewrite the stock files. Put tweaks there instead of editing the shipped INIs, which the launcher happily replaces.
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