Stardew Valley is a good example of why backing up a folder is safer than hunting for a single extension. A farm lives in its own directory, and the directory contains multiple related records. That makes the folder boundary the practical unit for backups. On Windows, macOS, and Linux the path is well documented and easy to copy once hidden application-data folders are visible. Before a major mod change or a manual save operation, copy the entire farm directory to a location outside the live Saves folder and give the copy a date.
Identify the exact save you intend to edit
The researched Stardew Valley PC save location is Windows: %APPDATA%StardewValleySaves | macOS: $HOME/.config/StardewValley/Saves/ | Linux / Steam Play: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/StardewValley/Saves/ (normally ~/.config/StardewValley/Saves/). Known file/folder pattern: <FarmName>_<unique-id>
SaveGameInfo. Storefront context: Steam, GOG Galaxy, Xbox / Microsoft Store. The normal desktop save folder is shared by Windows builds that use the standard StardewValley application-data path, while Microsoft Store/Xbox packaging and cloud behavior can differ. Do not assume a console or mobile save can be copied directly into the desktop folder. Do not edit a similarly named file from a different profile, edition, or cloud cache.
Make an untouched backup first
Copy the whole farm folder, not only one file. This preserves the main save, SaveGameInfo, and any paired backup files that may be useful for recovery. Keep that copy outside the live save directory and do not overwrite it with later experiments. Cloud context: Steam Cloud and GOG Galaxy cloud support are documented. Cloud sync is convenient but should not replace a dated offline copy before mods, save editing, or migration. If a launcher can synchronize the save, prevent it from silently replacing either the original or edited copy while testing.
Understand the format boundary
Each farm is stored as a folder. Standard desktop saves include the main farm save and SaveGameInfo; the main data is XML text even though the primary file normally has no conventional extension. File-extension context: No single extension is sufficient to identify every relevant save record. Compatibility note: Desktop saves are structured farm folders. Modded saves may depend on content or IDs provided by installed mods, so restoring the file without the same mod set can change behavior. These facts help identify the save but do not automatically reveal every field, checksum, encryption rule, or version-specific structure inside it.
Use only a Tool whose claim matches the file
Generic viewers and diff tools can inspect bytes without claiming game-specific semantics. A game-specific editor should be used only when its Tool page explicitly lists Stardew Valley, a matching supported version/container, and a Verified operational runtime. A planned URL or Game Hub is not evidence that an editor exists.
Test the edited copy safely
Write to a new output file when the Tool supports it, keep the original backup, restore the edited copy into the correct profile/storefront location, and launch the game only after the file operation finishes. If the game rejects it, If a farm disappears from the load menu, compare the folder name, the main save filename, and SaveGameInfo. Keep the original folder intact before trying older backup copies. Return to the untouched backup before trying another change.
Verification context: Desktop save paths and cloud services were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage. File-structure notes are limited to the standard farm-folder layout; no arbitrary XML rewrite is performed by this Game Hub.