In addition, you should notice the
hidden file that is what is ultimately populated by menuconfig. You should make backup copies of this file, every single time you change it. (Or, make one local copy of it and check it in to
git version-control.)
This way, when you inevitably
fsck it up ...
... no sweat. You just [carefully set the "busted" file aside and ...] grab the previous copy.
And, if you need to know
definitively what's different between one and the other,
diff is your friend.
Be aware, also(!) that
make distclean will
erase this hidden file!
This make-target does many things that are very useful (I routinely use it before recompiling any kernel), but you
must be sure that you do not lose the settings-file ... that is to say, that you can get it right back.
Rename it ... make distclean ... then rename it back. Q.E.D.)