Downloading Tomb Raider: Anniversary PC Savegame and Profile Files

This page pertains only to the Windows PC version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary. For the Macintosh version, please see here. For the Nintendo Wii version, see here. For Sony PSP saves, refer to the instructions included in each download file. For other Tomb Raider games, see here.

Tombraiders.net is not responsible for anything that happens to your computer as a result of downloading files or following advice given on this site or any linked site. I recommend taking the same precautions you would with any file you download from the Internet, including scanning the file with an anti-virus program, backing up your existing files before installing new ones, and following the instructions below, especially if you are unfamiliar with this process.

Special thanks to Andrew W., for donating his save files and expertise to the cause. Without him, this page could not have been written.

WHAT ARE SAVEGAME FILES?

Every time you pass a checkpoint or save your game in the Pause menu while playing Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a file is created containing all the information about your game so far—Lara's inventory, enemies killed, switches used, etc. These savegame files are coded so that the game program can "read" them. When you reload an earlier save, your computer interprets the savegame file and restores Lara and her world to the way they were at the most recent checkpoint.

Savegame files are named in a consistent format with a .TRASave file extension. These may have names like "Savegame 1.TRASave" if you do not type in a name for the save when you make it, or they may have names you choose. The file the game creates automatically at each checkpoint is called "autosave.TRASave".

Players using the PC version of the game can trade saves with other players just as we would share text files, pictures or other documents—by saving the files on a disk, sending them as email attachments or placing them on a web server to be downloaded.

WHAT ARE .ZIP FILES?

All the PC save files on this site come in .zip files. A .zip file (also called a .zip archive) is like a digital "envelope" containing other files. Using .zip archives lets me group savegame files, such as all checkpoints in a level, together in one convenient "package,". Also, since the data in .zip files is compressed, the files are smaller and download more quickly.

WILL YOUR SAVES WORK IN MY GAME?

My Anniversary save files were made using the North American DVD version of the game. As far as I know, they are compatible with most other DVD versions and with the Direct2Drive and GameTap download versions. They will not work with the BitTorrent download or with a certain Pakistani DVD version, both of which use a different source code. I do offer a collection of BitTorrent saves which were donated to this site by another player. These are on my savegame download page below the main selection.

HOW DO I DOWNLOAD A SAVEGAME FILE?

  1. Click any of the file links on the savegame download page. (There are also a few links to savegame files throughout the walkthroughs, such as following boss fights, etc.)

  2. A dialog box will pop up asking if you want to Open or Save the file, or Cancel the download. Choose the 'Save' option.

  3. Another dialog box will pop up asking where on your computer you would like to save the downloaded file. It doesn't matter where you save it, but I'd recommend using a location that's easy to remember so you can find the file after it has downloaded. (I like to download onto the Windows Desktop.) Choose the location you want and click the 'Save' button to start downloading the file.

  4. A new box will pop up showing the progress of the download. You may need to click a button to close the box when the download is complete.

HOW DO I GET THE SAVE FILES OUT OF THE .ZIP FILE AND INTO MY GAME?

All but the last step should be done when the Tomb Raider game is not running.

  1. Locate your existing Anniversary save files: If you have a shortcut to the 'My Documents' folder on your desktop, just double-click it to open it. Otherwise, click on the Start menu, then right-click 'My Documents' and choose 'Open' from the drop-down menu. This should open the 'My Documents' folder.

  2. Double click on the 'Eidos' folder within the 'My Documents' folder to open it.

  3. Double click on the 'Tomb Raider - Anniversary' folder within the 'Eidos' folder to open it.

  4. The 'Tomb Raider - Anniversary' folder contains a separate folder for each profile you have created. Double click on the folder for the profile you are currently using.

  5. Within the profile folder you should see several files: autosave.TRASave, Profile.TRAProfile, and any other TRASave files you have made while playing using this profile.

  6. Leave this folder open and return to the .zip file you downloaded.

  7. Windows XP and Windows Vista (the operating systems on which Anniversary is designed to run) opens .zip files automatically when you double-click them. Do that now. Inside the .zip folder, you will see one or more .TRASave files and a text file containing additional information about those particular saves.

  8. Select the .TRASave files you want from inside the .zip file. Then copy and paste them into the profile folder you opened in steps 1-6. Or, if you can position both windows so they're open at the same time, just drag the .TRASave files from one to the other. (Note that most of my saves are named for the corresponding checkpoints in each level. If you're not sure which checkpoint is which, just refer to my walkthrough for that particular level.)

  9. Close all open files. Then start the game as usual. From Anniversary's Main Menu, select Play Game, then Load Game, then choose the save you want from the list and press Enter. The new save should load and you can play on from there.

BACKING UP YOUR EXISTING SAVES

If you have been saving your game as you play—which hopefully you have been—you will already have some files in your Saved Games folder. In theory, you can have an unlimited number of files here; however, Anniversary only allows for 50 save files to be displayed in-game. If you have more than that, some will not be visible. The game warns you when you've reached this limit by displaying a message saying you must delete or overwrite existing saves in order to save again.

Once you've reached the maximum of 50 files, you may want to create a separate folder, either within the Saved Games folder or elsewhere, and move or copy some of your save files into it. Then, if you want to load them later, move them back into the Saved Games folder, as described above.

You may also want to back up your autosave.TRASave and Profile.TRAProfile periodically. I like to create a new folder and copy these files into it after I complete each level.

I always back up my save files on a memory stick or disk, just in case something goes wrong with my game or my computer. Then, if necessary, I can reinstall the game and restore my save files so I don't have to start the game over.

WHAT ARE TRA PROFILE FILES?

Unlike past Tomb Raider games, in which secrets, artifacts and such were recorded in the individual savegame files, Anniversary includes a separate file where this information is stored. This file is created when you begin a new game or create a new profile. Like TRASave files, TRAProfile files can be shared between players.

So, for example, if you have completed a level but missed some artifacts or relics, downloading another player's save file would not change this. But you could download a TRAProfile with all the artifacts and relics found and install that in your own game. Then you'd have those items and any rewards that finding them unlocks (e.g., outfits, etc.).

TRAProfile files also include a record of which levels have been completed in Time Trial mode, for the purpose of unlocking cheat codes.

HOW DO I DOWNLOAD A PROFILE FROM THIS SITE AND TRANSFER IT INTO MY GAME?

  1. First, CHOOSE the TRAProfile file(s) you want. This site includes three possibilities:

NOTE: If you have only finished part of the game so far but have missed a few artifacts and relics, you should probably download the TRA_level_profiles.zip file and use the profile for the level you just finished playing. That way, you'll get all the artifacts and relics for the levels you've completed, but you will still have the opportunity to find the remaining ones yourself.

  1. To download the file, just click on one of the underlined links above and then follow steps 2-4 listed above under "HOW DO I DOWNLOAD A SAVEGAME FILE?"

  2. Now follow steps 1-6 listed above under "HOW DO I GET THE SAVE FILES OUT OF THE .ZIP FILE AND INTO MY GAME?" to locate your existing saves and profile.

  3. This step is critically important. Back up your existing autosave and TRAProfile. To do that, first create a new folder within the profile folder. (Right-click anywhere inside the folder except on the name of an existing file and choose 'New' then 'Folder' from the pop-up menu.) Drag or copy and paste the files autosave.TRASave and Profile.TRAProfile into the new folder. Then if anything goes wrong and you are unable to use the downloaded files, you can move your own files back into the profile folder and continue playing from where you left off.

    NOTE: Instead of step 4, you could also start playing the game, create a new profile, start a new game using that profile, and then quit. Then locate the folder for the new profile you just created (within My Documents/Eidos/Tomb Raider-Anniversary). Then follow the rest of these steps using the folder for the new profile, rather than your original profile. You will also need to copy the autosave.TRASave and any other .TRASave files you may want from your original profile folder to the new one.

  4. Leave the profile folder open and return to the .zip file you downloaded.

  5. Windows XP and Windows Vista (the operating systems on which Anniversary is designed to run) opens .zip files automatically when you double-click them. Do that now. Inside the .zip folder, you should find one or more Profile.TRAProfile files.

  6. Select the Profile.TRAProfile files you want from inside the .zip file. Then copy and paste it into the profile folder you opened before. Or, if you can position both windows so they're open at the same time, just drag the Profile.TRAProfile file from one to the other. Windows will ask if you want to overwrite the existing file. Click OK only if you have already copied your existing file into a new folder, as directed in step 4.

  7. Close all open files. Then play the game as usual. Unless you have also downloaded and installed save files from this site, you'll still have the same saves as when you started, but you should have the artifacts, relics and rewards from the downloaded profile.

If your questions weren't answered on this page, or if you have suggestions for how to improve this savegame 'walkthrough,' please feel free to email or use the Contact Form on this site.