Alex Ruben
How To Install a 100% Save Game for GTA 5 in 2025 | Complete GTA V Save and Loading Tips
Honestly, trying to unlock everything in GTA V without grinding through all those missions can be a pain—especially if time isn’t on your side. This guide aims to help you sidestep the repetitive grind by installing a save file that’s already at 100%. Basically, it unlocks the full map, all missions, achievements, and pretties without you having to do the dirty work. Whether you’re rocking the original game, a repacked version like FitGirl, or DODI, these steps should cover it—plus some tips if your PC isn’t super beefy or if you’re offline. After this, you can just drive around like a boss and enjoy the chaos.
How to Fix GTA V Save File Installation Hassles
Ensure GTA V is fully closed
This seems obvious, but it’s worth mentioning: make sure GTA V isn’t running in the background when you put the save files in. Sometimes it weirdly keeps stuff locked or won’t recognize changes if the game’s still open. To do this:
- Press Esc to go to the menu, then choose Quit Game. Or use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to kill the game if it’s stubborn.
- Double-check in Task Manager that GTA V isn’t still running — totally annoying when it is.
On some setups, it might bug out and reload if you don’t completely shut it down. So, it’s worth double-checking before moving on.
Download the save file from a decent source
Just searching “100% save GTA 5” on Google isn’t enough sometimes. Use a reputable site, or at least one with good feedback—no shady links. Typically, you’ll find a file in ZIP or RAR format. For example, check out a site like GTA 5 Saves or a trusted GTA community forum.
Click the download button, and if it’s zipped, proceed to extract it. Often, you’ll get a folder with files like savegame.bak or similar. Don’t skip this step—without the extraction, you’re kind of flying blind.
Extract and prepare the save files properly
This part’s a little annoying because sometimes extraction tool issues cause headaches. Use a reliable extractor like 7-Zip or WinRAR. After unpacking, you should see files named something like SGTA50000 or similar. Not sure why it’s so obscure, but that’s normal.
On some systems, renaming or confirming that files are correctly extracted helps. Occasionally, the save file might be in a folder that needs to be renamed or moved around. So pay attention to that. Also, if your save file is in a compressed archive, don’t forget to extract it first—obvious, but stuff gets missed.
Find and access the GTA V save folder
This part trips a lot of people up because Windows likes hiding stuff. Here’s the usual path:
- Open This PC and navigate to Local Disk (C:).
- Go to the Users folder, then double-click your username. If you’re unsure, check what your login is by clicking Start.
- At the top, toggle on View and check Hidden items. Because Windows, of course, has to complicate things.
- Navigate to AppData — it’s hidden by default — then go to Roaming.
- From there, head into Rockstar Games > GTA V > Saves.
If you don’t see the Rockstar Games folder, maybe you’re in the wrong place or the save is in a different location depending on where you installed GTA V. Sometimes, especially with mods, the save folder shifts around.
Replace the existing save files with the new ones
Copy the extracted files—usually bak files or similar—and paste them into the Saves folder you just found. Overwrite whatever is there to replace your old progress because otherwise, it won’t load the new one. Confirm any overwrite prompts.
Tip: it’s always a good idea to back up your existing save files just in case—copy them somewhere safe. GTA’s save structure is finicky, and sometimes installing the wrong file breaks your game or causes crashes. Better safe than sorry, especially if you want to revert back later.
Fire up GTA V and check your progress
Launch GTA V, hit Story Mode, and see if all missions are marked complete. The map should be fully unlocked, and achievements should reflect the 100% status. Sometimes, you might need to load a game from the save menu rather than start a new one, just to make sure the save registers.
Sometimes, the game might tell you the save is incompatible or corrupt. If that happens, double-check the files are correctly placed, or try re-downloading a fresh copy and repeat earlier steps.
Extra tips & common pitfalls
- Make sure your GTA V version matches the save file—mods or cracks can cause issues.
- If things go sideways, restore from backup and start over—Windows can be weird about overwrites.
- Sometimes, restarting your PC after copying files helps the game recognize the new save data.
Wrap-up
Installing a complete save file can save a ton of time, and honestly, it’s kind of satisfying to just jump in and cruise around fully unlocked. Not sure why some of these save files are so convoluted—hormonal Windows quirks, probably. But if you follow these basic steps, it usually works. On some setups, it’s better to do the whole process in *administrator mode* just in case. And always, always back up your original save files first—you never know when things will go sideways.
Summary
- Close GTA V before messing with save files.
- Download from a reputable source.
- Extract files carefully with a decent tool.
- Navigate to Users > YourName > AppData > Roaming > Rockstar Games > GTA V > Saves.
- Replace existing save files and overwrite.
- Launch GTA V to confirm the fix.
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully this shaves a few hours off someone’s grinding—worked on multiple setups, so fingers crossed it’ll do the same for you. No guarantees, but it’s pretty straightforward once you get the hang of where everything lives.