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A step-by-step guide to migrate KH saves from one KH version to the other (or from one savefile to the other)
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guide-how-to-migrate-kh-saves.md

How to Migrate Save Files Between Kingdom Hearts Versions (EGS to Steam, etc.)

This guide is primarily intended for PC players; however, it can be adapted for other platforms with the necessary adjustments.

During my attempt to transfer my Kingdom Hearts (KH) save file from the Epic Games Store (EGS) version to the Steam version, I encountered numerous challenges. After extensive research and trial and error, I successfully migrated my save data. This guide documents my findings and the exact steps I followed. While my process focused on migrating from EGS to Steam, the method should also work in reverse.

Additionally, with this knowledge, you will be able to extract specific save slots from one save file and insert them into another. To do this, you can skip any modifications to the "sys" entry, as it is unnecessary when transferring individual slots.

Step-by-Step Guide

To migrate your save file, you will need Kingdom Save Editor (KSE), an open-source tool designed for modifying KH save files. You can download it here: Kingdom Save Editor.

However, KSE's behavior is inconsistent and unpredictable, making the migration process somewhat complex. It took me considerable time to determine the correct procedure, which I will outline below.

Important Preliminary Notes

  • Backup your saves: Before making any changes, create a compressed .zip archive of your save files. This is crucial, as a single misstep could permanently erase your data.
  • File naming conventions: Save files from the Steam version have an additional "_WW" suffix, while those from the Epic Games version do not.

Migration Steps

1. Preparing Your Old Save File

  1. Ensure backups are created before proceeding.
  2. Open Kingdom Save Editor (KSE). If you encounter an error about a missing file, ignore it and click "OK."
  3. In KSE, navigate to File > Open... and select your old save file.
  4. A window titled "Open Save Menu" will appear, displaying a list of entries:
    • One of these entries will be named something like -01/system.bin or BISLPM-66675FM-SYS. This contains metadata about your save slots.
    • Other entries, such as BISLPS-25198-01, represent actual save data. The suffix likely corresponds to the save slot number.
  5. You may choose whether to migrate the "sys" entry. If you do, you must migrate all save slots from the old file to the new file, replacing any existing saves in the process.
  6. Export the necessary entries:
    • Highlight the "sys" entry (if migrating it) and click Export. Save the file in the same directory as your old save.
    • Repeat this process for the specific save slots you wish to transfer, keeping track of their original names.

2. Importing Data into the New Save File

  1. Close the "Open Save Menu."
  2. Navigate to File > Open... again and select the new save file.
  3. In the "Open Save Menu," delete any existing entries you intend to overwrite:
    • Select the "sys" entry and click Delete. The entry will be marked as "." Warning: KSE modifies files directly, meaning the deleted data is permanently erased at this stage.
    • Repeat for any save slots you are replacing.
  4. While the deleted entry is still highlighted, click Import and select the corresponding file exported from the old save.
  5. Repeat the process for each save slot being migrated.
  6. Close the "Open Save Menu" and reopen it (via File > Open...) to refresh the UI.
  7. Rename the newly imported entries to match their original names:
    • Select the entry, click Rename, and enter its original name exactly as it appeared in the old save.
    • If migrating the "sys" entry, ensure it is named as it was in the old file (unless naming schemes are identical across versions).
    • Occasionally, KSE does not persist renaming changes automatically. If this happens, manually save the file by navigating to File > Save.
  8. Repeat steps 3–7 for each remaining save entry.
  9. Verify that timestamps of modified entries reflect the current date and time.

3. Final Verification

  • Open Kingdom Hearts and check if your save files appear in the load menu.
  • If you did not migrate the "sys" entry, the save list may display outdated metadata. However, the save will load correctly.
  • To update save metadata immediately, load the save in-game and manually overwrite it by saving again.

Alternative Methods

A user on Reddit mentioned a web-based conversion tool: KH Save File Converter. However, as of December 24, 2024, this tool did not work for me. After conversion, my new save file contained no saves. The reason for this is unclear, but it may be incompatible with newer Steam save formats.

Conclusion

I hope this guide assists you in migrating your save files successfully. Enjoy your time in Kingdom Hearts!

Happy gaming!

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