When you have dozens of games, backing them up one by one is slow and easy to forget. JKSV can back up all saves at once, either for the whole system or for a single user. This guide explains how batch backup works, how to prepare your SD card, and how to store the result so it is actually useful in a recovery.
Whole-system vs single-user batch backup
A whole-system batch backup covers saves across users on the console, while a single-user batch focuses on one profile. Choose the whole-system option before a major change such as migrating to a new SD card or servicing the console. Choose the single-user option for routine protection of your own profile without copying everyone else’s data again.
Batch backup covers the save types JKSV supports, including Account, System, BCAT, Device-Shared, Temporary, Cache, and System BCAT data where present. Not every title uses every type, so an absence of a particular type for a particular game is normal.
Prepare space and power
Check free space on your microSD card before you start. A full library backup can be substantially larger than a single-game backup, and running out of space mid-batch can leave you with an incomplete set. If space is tight, copy older backups in /JKSV/ to a PC first and free room before starting.
Keep the console awake and powered for the duration. Do not remove the SD card, start a game, or let the battery run flat during a batch operation. Launch JKSV with Title Override so it has full memory access for the whole job.
Run the batch backup
- Open JKSV and navigate to the batch or backup-all function.
- Choose whole-system or single-user scope and confirm the selection.
- Wait for the progress to complete for all titles; larger libraries take longer.
- Review any titles JKSV reports as skipped or failed and note them for follow-up.
When the batch finishes, spot-check two or three titles in the list to confirm new backups with the current date are present. A quick spot-check catches a silent interruption far better than assuming success from the absence of an error message.
Store the batch result properly
Copy the entire /JKSV/ folder, or at least the newly created backups, to a PC or cloud location as soon as the batch completes. For cloud use, remember that JKSV cloud backups require ZIP format, and JKSV supports Google Drive and WebDAV uploads, including automatic upload when configured. Folder exports are fine for local PC storage.
Label the copied folder on your PC with the date and console it came from. If you own more than one Switch or maintain both emuMMC and sysNAND environments, an unlabelled backup folder becomes confusing within weeks. A simple dated folder name prevents restoring the wrong set later.
When to run a batch backup
Good moments for a full batch backup include before a firmware or Atmosphère update, before switching SD cards, before lending the console, and on a regular schedule if you play many games in rotation. Pair the habit with the single-game workflow for your most active title, which you can back up more frequently without repeating the whole library.
Next steps and related guides
This guide is part of our hub collection. Before you start, get the current build from the download page. You may also find these guides useful: back up a single game save and how to update JKSV.
JKSV is JK’s Save Manager by developer J-D-K, released under GPL-3.0 for Nintendo Switch 1 with Atmosphère. The current release is the date-based tag 12/02/2025. Always keep a second copy of important backups on your PC or in cloud storage, and test a restore on a non-critical save before you rely on a backup for a game you care about.