Hollow Knight provides four clear profile files and also creates useful backup copies, making it a strong candidate for careful manual recovery. The key is to keep the entire LocalLow folder rather than only user1.dat: each slot can have a .bak file, older-version backups may appear after patches, and some global preferences/unlocks live elsewhere. SaveEditor therefore describes both the slot files and the boundary of what they do not contain, which avoids misleading a user who restores progress but still sees old global settings.
Where Hollow Knight stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowTeam CherryHollow Knight ; Microsoft Store progress can also involve the package WGS area documented by PCGamingWiki.. The known file or folder pattern is user1.dat through user4.dat; user#.dat.bak1 backup files and older-version copies may also exist.. 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, GOG, Microsoft Store. The main Windows profile files are under LocalLow. Some preferences/unlocks are stored separately, so replacing user1.dat does not necessarily reset every game-wide flag. 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, GOG Galaxy, and Xbox Cloud are documented. 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
The four player profiles are individual user#.dat files. The game also keeps automatic backup/older-version files, while some unlock/preferences data lives outside the main save files. The current filename/folder evidence is user1.dat through user4.dat; user#.dat.bak1 backup files and older-version copies may also exist.. File-extension context: .dat, .bak 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 a profile is corrupt or missing, try the matching game-created .bak only on a copy and preserve the current directory first. Verify the slot number before renaming files. 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: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Hollow Knight data plus the Hollow Knight Wiki Save Data page for user#.dat and .bak naming.