If you’ve spent dozens of hours building a base, taming your favorite dinos, and testing custom mods on ARK, you know how frustrating it is when the game starts lagging, crashing on launch, or throwing random mod conflict errors. Many players assume the only fix is a full game reinstall, but that’s not true at all. Learning how 2 delete in game ark folders you don’t need can solve 90% of these common issues without forcing you to redownload 100+ GB of game files. I’ve done this dozens of times to fix broken mod packs and clear up space on my old gaming laptop, so I’m breaking down exactly what to do, what to avoid, and how to keep your saves intact the whole time.
Common Reasons to Delete In-Game ARK Folders
You don’t have to wait until your game is completely broken to clean out your ARK folders. Regularly removing unused files can keep the game running smoother and prevent issues before they pop up. The most common reasons players do this include fixing mod conflicts after removing a mod pack, clearing leftover files from old custom maps they no longer play, or freeing up storage space when their SSD is almost full.
Another big reason is fixing corrupted save previews or broken UI elements that pop up after a game update. I once had an issue where my single-player save wouldn’t load at all after a big ARK: Survival Ascended patch, and deleting just the temporary cache folders fixed it in 2 minutes, no reinstall needed. There are also cases where you want to wipe all mod settings to start fresh with a new mod list, and deleting the relevant folders is far faster than uninstalling each mod one by one.
It’s important to note that deleting unnecessary folders is far safer than editing core game files, as long as you know exactly what you’re removing. You don’t need any advanced technical skills to do this, either—all you need is access to your PC’s file explorer and 5 minutes of free time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Delete In-Game ARK Folders Safely
This process works for both ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended, regardless of whether you own the game on Steam, Epic Games Store, or Xbox PC app. Just follow these steps in order to avoid losing any important data:
- Back up your save files first: Navigate to your ARK saved data folder (usually under C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved for Steam users) and copy the entire "SavedArks" folder to your desktop or an external drive. This takes 30 seconds and means you can restore all your progress even if you delete the wrong thing by mistake.
- Locate the specific folders you want to delete: If you’re fixing mod conflicts, target the "Mods" folder and the "Saved/Mods" folder to wipe all leftover mod files. If you’re clearing cache, delete the "Saved/Cache" and "Saved/Config" folders (note that deleting Config will reset your graphics and control settings, so you may want to copy that folder too if you don’t want to redo your settings).
- Delete the folders and verify game files: Right click the folders you want to remove, select delete, and empty your recycle bin to free up the space. Once that’s done, open your game launcher, find ARK in your library, select "verify integrity of game files" to let the launcher redownload any core files you may have removed by accident.
- Test the game before restoring your saves: Launch the game once first to make sure it runs without errors, then close it again and paste your backed up "SavedArks" folder back into the "Saved" directory if you removed it during cleaning.
I always recommend closing the game and your game launcher completely before you start deleting any folders, to avoid file lock errors that can stop you from removing the files. If you get a message saying a file is in use, open your task manager, end all ARK and launcher processes, and try again. Never delete folders while the game is running, as this can corrupt your active save or cause permanent damage to your game installation.
For console players, this process looks a little different. You won’t have access to individual game folders, but you can clear your game’s cached data through your console’s storage settings to get the same effect of removing leftover mod and temporary files without touching your saves.
Critical Files You Should Never Delete When Cleaning ARK Folders
There are a handful of folders that hold all your most important ARK data, and deleting them will mean you lose hundreds of hours of progress if you don’t have a backup. First, the "SavedArks" folder I mentioned earlier holds all your single-player, non-dedicated server, and even some local server save data, so you should always leave that untouched unless you intentionally want to wipe your saves.
Next, the "ShooterGame/Content" folder holds all the core game assets, including maps, dino models, and base game UI elements. Deleting anything here will break your game completely, and you’ll have to reinstall the entire game to fix it. I’ve seen new players accidentally delete this folder when they’re trying to remove custom maps, so always double check the folder name before you hit delete.
If you use custom controller bindings or have spent hours tweaking your graphics settings, copy the "Saved/Config" folder to a backup location before you delete anything. You can paste it back after you’re done cleaning to skip redoing all your settings from scratch. The only time you should delete the Config folder is if you’re fixing issues related to broken graphics settings that won’t reset, or if you’re getting launch errors related to config file corruption.
One common mistake players make is deleting the "Saved/Logs" folder thinking it’s useless, but that folder holds error logs you can use to troubleshoot crashes if your game still doesn’t work after cleaning. It only takes up a few MB of space, so it’s better to leave it alone so you can pull logs if you need help from the ARK support team or mod creators. If you play on a public or private server, you also don’t need to touch any server-related folders unless you’re the server owner, as your progress is stored on the server’s side, not your local files.
Fixing Common Issues After Deleting ARK Game Folders
Even if you follow all the steps correctly, you might run into a few small issues after you delete folders, and most of them are super easy to fix. The most common issue is your game launching with default graphics and control settings, which happens if you deleted the Config folder. Just paste your backed up Config folder back into the Saved directory, or spend a couple minutes adjusting your settings to your preference again.
Another common issue is missing mods when you launch the game after deleting the Mods folder. This is normal—your launcher will automatically redownload all the mods you have subscribed to the first time you launch the game, so you don’t have to manually add them back. If you don’t want certain mods anymore, just unsubscribe from them in your launcher before you launch the game, and they won’t be redownloaded. That makes cleaning out unused mods way faster than removing them one by one through the in-game mod menu.
If your save files don’t show up after you’re done cleaning, don’t panic. That usually means you put the SavedArks folder in the wrong directory, or you forgot to copy it back after deleting the main Saved folder. Double check the file path, make sure the folder is named exactly "SavedArks" with no extra spaces or characters, and restart your game. If you made a backup before you started, you’ll never lose your saves permanently.
If your game still crashes after you delete the relevant folders, the issue might be with a specific mod that’s out of date, not with leftover files. Check the mod’s page in the Steam Workshop or Epic Mods store to see if it has been updated for the latest game patch, and uninstall any mods that haven’t been updated in months, as they’re likely incompatible with the current version of ARK. You can also check community forums to see if other players are having the same issue with a specific mod, to confirm that’s the source of your problem.
At the end of the day, taking a few minutes to delete unused or broken files is one of the easiest ways to keep your ARK installation running smoothly, without the hassle of a full reinstall. Whether you’re fixing mod conflicts, clearing up storage space, or troubleshooting launch errors, knowing how 2 delete in game ark folders safely will save you hours of frustration down the line. Just remember to back up your saves first, double check what folders you’re removing, and verify your game files once you’re done, and you’ll be back to taming dinos and raiding bases in no time.