Kingdom Come: Deliverance uses Windows’ Saved Games folder, which is easier to back up than many AppData layouts, but its nearby profile/configuration directory can create confusion about what actually contains progress. SaveEditor separates the saves tree from profile XML and recommends copying them for different purposes. The page also emphasizes build, DLC, and mod context: a structurally intact save can still fail if the installation that loads it no longer matches the environment that created it.
Start with the least destructive explanation
When Kingdom Come: Deliverance progress appears missing, first verify the active PC location: Windows: %USERPROFILE%Saved Gameskingdomcomesaves. Expected files/folders: Profile/campaign save files below the saves tree; configuration profiles live separately under Saved Gameskingdomcomeprofilesdefault.. Many apparent save failures are actually profile, storefront, path-redirection, or cloud-selection problems rather than damaged game data.
Preserve every surviving copy
Back up the entire kingdomcomesaves directory. If preserving user configuration or mod-related profile settings too, copy profilesdefault separately so save data and settings remain distinguishable. Before renaming, moving, replacing, or opening candidate backups, copy them outside the live directory. Do not use the only surviving file as the test specimen for repair or editing.
Check launcher and cloud state
Storefront context: Steam, GOG, Epic Games Launcher, EA app, Microsoft Store. Multiple storefronts are documented, but the normal Windows save root is shared. Cloud services can still restore a conflicting copy. Cloud notes: Steam Cloud, GOG Galaxy, Epic, EA, and Xbox cloud support are documented depending on storefront. A sync client can reintroduce an older or newer version after a manual restore, so recovery work should keep local and cloud copies conceptually separate until the wanted progress is confirmed.
Use format and compatibility clues
The game keeps saves under the Windows Saved Games known folder rather than AppData. Configuration/profile XML is nearby but outside the saves directory, so backup scope can be chosen deliberately. A save can depend on the game version, DLC, or mod state. Restoring the file alone does not reproduce every external dependency. If the file exists but is ignored, compare the complete directory structure, slot/profile naming, game edition, mods/DLC, and any companion metadata. Do not assume an extension change or generic checksum tool can repair a game-specific container.
Game-specific troubleshooting
If a restored save refuses to load, compare game build/DLC/mod state and check cloud synchronization before assuming the save bytes are damaged. If a known-good backup works, preserve it and create a fresh in-game save before further experiments. If no copy works, prefer read-only inspection and source-backed game-specific tooling over repeated writes.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Kingdom Come: Deliverance save and profile paths.