Starfield has two PC storage models that should never be collapsed into one instruction. Standard PC/Steam saves are recognizable .sfs files, while the Microsoft Store/Xbox app build uses the Windows Gaming Services container. That distinction matters for backup, migration, and any future SaveEditor tool. If you use Steam, preserve the complete Starfield Saves directory and, when relevant, its Steam remote copy. If you use the Xbox app, preserve the WGS data first and do not rename opaque WGS files into .sfs files.
Where Starfield stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: Standard Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesStarfieldSaves
Steam remote copy: <Steam-folder>userdata<user-id>1716740remote
Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesBethesdaSoftworks.ProjectGold_3275kfvn8vcwcSystemAppDatawgs<user-id> | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1716740/pfx/; Steam Cloud may also use the matching userdata/1716740 area.. The known file or folder pattern is *.sfs. 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, Microsoft Store / Xbox app. Steam and Microsoft Store use materially different storage layouts. Treat WGS data as a separate container workflow instead of renaming files between storefronts. 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 and Xbox Cloud are documented. The Documents folder may also be synchronized by OneDrive when Windows folder backup is enabled. 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 standard PC save files use the .sfs extension. Microsoft Store/Xbox app saves use the Windows Gaming Services (WGS) container instead of the same visible-file layout as the standard Documents save folder. The current filename/folder evidence is *.sfs. File-extension context: .sfs 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 expected saves are not in Documents, identify the storefront first. OneDrive folder redirection and WGS storage are common reasons the obvious path does not match the active copy. 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: Windows, Steam, Microsoft Store, Steam Play, and cloud locations were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage for Starfield.