Dark Souls Remastered also stores several character slots inside one .sl2 profile container. A reliable backup therefore captures DRAKS0005.sl2 at the profile level and keeps the numeric user folder context. Steam Cloud can help, but it should not be the only copy before a mod, manager, or migration. SaveEditor.com does not describe one character as an independent file because that would misrepresent the container structure.
Choose the correct backup boundary
For Dark Souls Remastered, the researched PC save location is Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsNBGIDARK SOULS REMASTERED<user-id> | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/570940/pfx/. The known save file or folder pattern is DRAKS0005.sl2. Copy DRAKS0005.sl2 and preferably the complete numeric profile folder. Copying the complete documented save boundary is safer than selecting one visually obvious file, because companion metadata, indexes, backups, or multiple slots can be required together.
Make an offline copy before changing anything
Close the game first, wait for the active launcher to finish writing, then copy the save data to a separate folder that the game and sync client do not watch. Label the copy with the game, storefront, profile, and date. Documented launcher context: Steam. The account-specific numeric directory matters. Keep the directory level when moving backups between PCs.
Account for cloud saves
Steam Cloud is documented for Dark Souls Remastered, but a manual dated copy is still recommended before experimentation. Before restoring an older backup, decide which copy should win. If the game or launcher starts while an older manual copy is in place, synchronization can replace it before you confirm that it works. Keep the untouched backup outside the live save path until the restored progress has been opened and saved normally.
Restore without changing format assumptions
The Windows profile uses a single DRAKS0005.sl2 container under the NBGI account directory. Multiple in-game characters can live inside the same file. Compatibility note: File replacement affects the whole profile container. Character-level merging requires a dedicated parser and is not implied by this Game Hub. Restore into the matching storefront/profile context whenever possible. Do not rename a save extension, move a folder into a different container type, or assume a console/mobile copy is equivalent unless a tested migration path specifically says so.
Recovery fallback
If an imported profile does not appear, verify that it is inside the correct numeric account folder and that cloud synchronization did not restore another revision. If the restored copy fails, put the untouched original back first. Then compare location, account/profile, cloud state, and the full directory structure before trying a different backup. The objective is reversible recovery, not repeated destructive experiments on the only copy.
Verification context: The Documents/NBGI save path and Steam Cloud support were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage. DRAKS0005.sl2 naming is corroborated by current save-manager/community references.