Hogwarts Legacy needs more careful path checking than a single copy-and-paste instruction suggests. Different PC storefronts and packaging contexts can produce `Hogwarts Legacy`, `HogwartsLegacy`, `Hogwarts`, or `Phoenix` paths, while Microsoft Store uses WGS. The safest backup begins by finding which directory changed most recently after an in-game save, then copying the entire user-ID folder. Keep alternate folders until you have positively identified the live one.
Where Hogwarts Legacy stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: Steam: %LOCALAPPDATA%Hogwarts LegacySavedSaveGames<user-id>
Epic may use %LOCALAPPDATA%HogwartsLegacySavedSaveGames<user-id>
Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesWarnerBros.Interactive.PHX_ktmk1xygcecdaSystemAppDatawgs<user-id> | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/990080/pfx/. The known file or folder pattern is *.sav. This is the practical starting point because launcher, profile, and storefront context can change which copy is active even when two folders look similar.
Storefront and profile differences
Documented launchers or storefronts: Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Microsoft Store / Xbox app. PCGamingWiki documents multiple folder-name variants, including launcher/streaming-specific paths. Identify the active storefront and actual modified folder before restoring anything. When looking for a missing save, identify the executable/storefront you actually launched and the user/profile that created the progress before copying anything between directories.
Cloud synchronization
Steam Cloud, Epic cloud, and Xbox Cloud are documented for the corresponding releases. A cloud service should be treated as another copy of the save, not as proof that the local folder is disposable. Before a manual restore, let synchronization finish, make an offline backup, and avoid starting the game while files are being replaced.
What the files represent
Steam/Epic PC saves are .sav files under Unreal Engine-style Saved/SaveGames directories. Microsoft Store uses WGS instead of the same visible-file layout. The current filename/folder evidence is *.sav. File-extension context: .sav A location guide does not claim that every file in the directory is safe to edit or that files from another storefront are automatically interchangeable.
If the save is not where expected
If the expected path is empty, search the documented alternate HogwartsLegacy/Hogwarts/Phoenix directories and check the storefront. Do not delete the older folder until the active save set is confirmed. Also check redirected Documents folders, Steam Play prefixes, account IDs, and launcher-specific containers where applicable. Preserve every candidate copy before testing a restore so troubleshooting does not destroy the only surviving version.
Verification context: Multiple Windows storefront paths, Steam Play behavior, and cloud services were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage.