Prey is one of the titles that uses Windows Saved Games rather than Documents/AppData. Copy the Arkane Studios Prey SaveGames directory before deleting profiles or trying checkpoint recovery.
For this PC reference, the documented storage is Windows: %USERPROFILE%Saved GamesArkane StudiosPreySaveGames. The known file or folder pattern is campaign/checkpoint directories beneath SaveGames. Prey stores its PC progress under Windows Saved Games in an Arkane Studios tree. Preserve the full SaveGames directory because campaigns and checkpoints can span multiple related records.
Backup guidance: Close Prey (2017), let the launcher finish any synchronization, then copy the complete documented save directory to a dated folder outside the live path. Preserve companion files rather than selecting only the newest-looking record. Cloud availability depends on storefront; Bethesda documents the local Saved Games location as the recovery baseline. Launcher and cloud context matters because The active Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG installation determines which local profile and cloud copy can overwrite the save. Identify the storefront and account before restoring files.
Compatibility and recovery should stay conservative. Treat saves as version-, storefront-, account-, and mod-sensitive unless the game or a separately verified migration workflow proves otherwise. A similar filename or extension is not evidence that two releases are interchangeable. If the expected progress is not visible, If progress is missing after a restore, confirm the active Windows account, storefront/profile, cloud state, and exact directory first. Restore the untouched backup before experimenting with individual files or older autosaves. SaveEditor.com only labels a game-specific editor as available when a separate linked Tool has a verified operational runtime; this reference page by itself is not an editor claim.