No Man’s Sky has evolved over many years, so older profile directories can contain naming conventions that differ from current saves. That makes destructive cleanup risky. Archive the whole NMS directory before renaming or moving anything, and keep Microsoft Store WGS data separate from normal desktop .hg files. A future game-specific tool should identify the exact generation and container before writing; Phase 23 only documents the storage and backup boundaries.
Start with the least destructive explanation
When No Man's Sky progress appears missing, first verify the active PC location: Windows: %APPDATA%HelloGamesNMS
Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesHelloGames.NoMansSky_bs190hzg1sesySystemAppDatawgs | macOS: $HOME/Library/Application Support/HelloGames/NMS/ | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/275850/pfx/. Expected files/folders: save*.hg
mf_save*.hg (current/metadata family; older installs may contain storage*.hg names). Many apparent save failures are actually profile, storefront, path-redirection, or cloud-selection problems rather than damaged game data.
Preserve every surviving copy
Copy the entire NMS profile directory, including metadata companions, before editing or migrating. For Microsoft Store, preserve the WGS container separately. Before renaming, moving, replacing, or opening candidate backups, copy them outside the live directory. Do not use the only surviving file as the test specimen for repair or editing.
Check launcher and cloud state
Storefront context: Steam, GOG Galaxy, Microsoft Store / Xbox app. Desktop storefront files and Microsoft WGS containers are different migration surfaces. Older installations can also contain legacy storage*.hg naming. Cloud notes: Storefront cloud support can synchronize the same profile. Cross-platform/cross-save features should be treated as service workflows rather than proof that arbitrary local files are byte-compatible. A sync client can reintroduce an older or newer version after a manual restore, so recovery work should keep local and cloud copies conceptually separate until the wanted progress is confirmed.
Use format and compatibility clues
No Man's Sky uses profile-scoped .hg save records. The Microsoft Store/Xbox app build uses WGS instead of the same visible Steam/GOG-style files. Older 2016/2017 file naming and current save naming can differ. Do not rename historical .hg files blindly without retaining the originals. If the file exists but is ignored, compare the complete directory structure, slot/profile naming, game edition, mods/DLC, and any companion metadata. Do not assume an extension change or generic checksum tool can repair a game-specific container.
Game-specific troubleshooting
If an older save is not listed, first preserve every .hg record and compare modification times. PCGamingWiki documents historical storage-to-save rename cases, but any rename attempt should be reversible. If a known-good backup works, preserve it and create a fresh in-game save before further experiments. If no copy works, prefer read-only inspection and source-backed game-specific tooling over repeated writes.
Verification context: Windows/macOS/Microsoft Store/Steam Play locations and historical .hg naming notes were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage.