Hollow Knight Save File Corrupted — How to Fix & Recover

If Hollow Knight says your save is corrupted or won't load, don't overwrite anything yet. Here's the exact file to restore, how to roll back to your last good save, and how to prevent it next time.

Quick answer

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight stores each slot as userN.dat with a matching userN.dat.bak backup. Close the game, copy the folder, then rename the corrupt user1.dat aside and rename user1.dat.bak to user1.dat to roll back that slot.

Where the files live: see the full Hollow Knight save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).

How to transfer your Hollow Knight save to a new PC

Fully close Hollow Knight (check it isn't still running in Task Manager) so nothing overwrites the files while you work.
Open the save folder: press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight and press Enter.
Back up EVERYTHING first: copy the entire folder to your Desktop or a USB drive. This is your undo button — do it before any change.
Restore the game's own backup: in that folder, rename the corrupt user1.dat to user1.dat.broken, then rename user1.dat.bak to user1.dat. Launch the game — it should load your previous good save.
Roll back Steam Cloud if the local files are also bad: exit the game, disable cloud sync for Hollow Knight in the client, restore your known-good local backup, then re-enable sync so the good save uploads (not the corrupt one).
Verify the game files (Steam: right-click the game › Properties › Installed Files › Verify integrity) to rule out a damaged install rather than a damaged save.
Still stuck? Right-click the folder › Properties › Previous Versions (or Windows File History) to pull an older copy of the save from a system restore point.

Does cloud sync move it for you?

When Steam Cloud and your PC disagree, the client shows a sync conflict and asks which save to keep. Read the timestamps: pick the one matching your real last session. If you already picked wrong, restore the folder backup you made in step 3 before letting it sync again — otherwise the corrupt/older save overwrites the cloud copy too.

Common mistakes

Overwriting before backing up. The #1 way people turn a recoverable save into a lost one — always copy the whole folder first (step 3).
Letting the cloud re-sync the bad save. Disable cloud sync before you restore, or the corrupt file just downloads again.
A 'corrupted save' warning on the slot select screen usually just means the .dat failed a read — restoring the .bak or re-syncing Steam Cloud fixes it without losing the whole slot.
Assuming it's the save when it's the game. If nothing loads, verify the install and check recently added mods before writing off your save.

FAQ

Where is the Hollow Knight save file on PC?

It's in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Team Cherry\Hollow Knight. Press Win+R, paste that path, and press Enter to open it. See the full Hollow Knight save location guide for PS5/Xbox paths too.

Can I recover a corrupted Hollow Knight save?

Often yes. Hollow Knight keeps an automatic user1.dat.bak backup you can rename back into place, and Windows Previous Versions or your cloud copy may hold a clean version. Always back the folder up before trying.

Why did my Hollow Knight save get corrupted?

Usually a crash or power loss while the game was writing the file, a cloud-sync conflict resolved the wrong way, or a full/failing disk. Keeping manual backups each session is the only reliable protection.

Will I get banned for restoring a save?

Restoring the game's own backup or a folder copy you made is fine. Byte-editing a save with an external editor is what risks anti-cheat flags in online games — avoid that route if you play online.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.