The reliable way to protect a Valheim dedicated server is to use two backup layers: leave Valheim’s own rotating backups enabled for fast rollback, and regularly copy the server’s actual save directory to storage outside the live server. The first layer handles a recent mistake; the second can survive a failed disk, deleted files, or a damaged server installation.
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Automation must target the directory supplied with the server’s -savedir argument. If that argument is absent, use the platform default. Schedule the copy after a completed world save, or briefly quiesce the service, so the archive contains a consistent set of world and permission files.
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Valheim’s built-in backup rotation is local to the server environment. It is quick to use when someone builds over the wrong area, deletes an item, or discovers a problem shortly after it happens. It does not provide full disaster recovery: a failed system disk, an accidental deletion of the whole save directory, or a configuration mistake can affect both the live files and their local rotations.
An external or remote copy creates a separate failure boundary. An external hard drive, portable SSD, NAS, or another host can retain dated generations after the original server storage is lost. Keep that destination outside the live save directory. A backup folder inside the source can be copied into itself, consume space, and disappear along with the source.
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| Approach | Recovery speed | Failure scope | Consistency | Cost and capacity | Retention control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valheim rotating backups | Fastest for recent mistakes | Usually the same server environment | Managed by the game’s save process | Uses local disk space | Fixed by the server’s backup settings |
| Scheduled external or remote copy | Depends on copy size and destination | Can survive loss of the server host | Best when coordinated with a completed save | External drives have an upfront cost; remote storage adds recurring cost and network dependence | Age- and count-based pruning are configurable |
Use both. Treat local rotation as a short rollback window and the second copy as your disaster-recovery archive.
Find the save directory Valheim is actually using
Before creating a scheduled job, inspect the launch script, service unit, container configuration, or control-panel startup command. The -savedir [PATH] launch argument overrides Valheim’s default location. Your backup job must use that supplied path, not a guessed platform default.
| Platform | Default save root |
|---|---|
| Windows | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheim |
| Linux | ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim |
Verify the path and its contents
- Open the command that starts the dedicated server.
- Record the value immediately following
-savedir, if present. Resolve environment variables and relative paths to an absolute path. - If no override exists, use the default for the operating system in the table.
- Confirm that the directory changes when the world saves. Include the world files and permission files in the backup scope; do not copy only a single file.
- Check that the account running the server can read every file and that the account running the backup job can read the source and write the destination.
If the server runs in a container or under a service manager, the path visible inside that environment may be different from the host path. Back up the host directory that is actually mounted or passed to the server, and keep the destination on a different path or host.
Keep Valheim’s built-in rotation enabled
Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guide documents these defaults (the guide was published approximately in 2024 and accessed October 15, 2026):
| Argument | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
-saveinterval |
1800 seconds |
World save every 30 minutes |
-backups |
4 |
Retain four automatic backups |
-backupshort |
7200 seconds |
First automatic backup after 2 hours |
-backuplong |
43200 seconds |
Subsequent backups every 12 hours |
With those defaults, the four rotating points are approximately two, 14, 26, and 38 hours old when the rotation is full. The exact age depends on when the server starts and when saves complete. Increasing the count or changing intervals can widen the local rollback window, but these files still remain on the server environment. Do not disable rotation merely because you also have an external archive.
How to choose local settings
The default rotation is a useful safety net for a mistake discovered the same day. If players build or explore for long sessions, consider whether four points provide enough local history, then adjust the backup count or intervals in the launch configuration. Keep in mind that more local generations consume space on the same server disk and still cannot protect against that disk failing. Use local settings for speed, not as a substitute for an off-machine copy.
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Choose a destination that is not a subdirectory of the source. Give each run a timestamped directory, then prune old generations by both age and count. A dated, immutable-looking generation is easier to identify during an emergency than one archive that is continually overwritten.
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Windows PowerShell example
Edit the two variables to match your resolved -savedir and an external drive or network path. This example creates a new generation for each run and does not mirror-delete files from older generations.
$SaveDir = 'C:ValheimSaves'
$BackupRoot = 'E:Valheim-Backups'
$Stamp = Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm-ss'
$Destination = Join-Path $BackupRoot $Stamp
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Destination -Force | Out-Null
robocopy $SaveDir $Destination /E /COPY:DAT /DCOPY:DAT /R:2 /W:5
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ge 8) { exit $LASTEXITCODE }
Get-ChildItem $BackupRoot -Directory |
Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7) } |
Remove-Item -Recurse -ForceSchedule the script in Windows Task Scheduler. Set it to run under an account that can read the save directory and write to the destination. Configure a retention period that matches your available space; the seven-day value above is an example, not a Valheim requirement. Review the task’s result code and Windows event history after the first runs.
For a removable drive, assign it a stable drive letter or update the script whenever Windows assigns a different one. Do not let a missing drive silently turn the backup path into a normal folder on the server disk. A simple preflight check that the destination exists and has the expected volume can prevent this mistake. Keep the task’s “last run” status visible to whoever administers the server.
Linux shell and cron example
Set SAVEDIR to the path from the launch configuration and BACKUPROOT to a mounted external disk, NAS path, or remote mount. The script below makes a separate generation and removes generations older than seven days.
#!/bin/sh
set -eu
SAVEDIR="/srv/valheim/saves"
BACKUPROOT="/mnt/valheim-backups"
STAMP="$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)"
DEST="$BACKUPROOT/$STAMP"
mkdir -p "$DEST"
rsync -a "$SAVEDIR/" "$DEST/"
find "$BACKUPROOT" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -mtime +7 -exec rm -rf -- {} +Save it outside the live save directory, make it executable, and run it from a scheduler such as cron or a systemd timer. A cron entry such as 17 * * * * runs hourly at 17 minutes past the hour; choose a time that follows a completed world save on your server. Test the script manually first, then inspect the destination and scheduler logs.
If the destination is remote, make sure the mount is present before the job runs. A failed mount can otherwise cause data to be written to an ordinary local folder with the same path, giving a false impression that the off-machine copy succeeded. Have the job report non-zero errors so you can act on a disconnected drive, full destination, or permission failure.
Estimate storage before selecting a schedule
Measure the current save directory and multiply that size by the number of generations you intend to retain, allowing additional room for growth and temporary copy files. For example, an hourly schedule with a three-day window creates as many as 72 dated generations before pruning. A daily schedule with a 30-day window creates up to 30. The exact requirement depends on how large the world and permission files become, but the arithmetic helps you compare an external drive’s one-time capacity with a remote service’s recurring storage and transfer charges.
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Frequency should follow the amount of progress players can afford to lose. Hourly copies limit the likely gap to about an hour when the job succeeds; daily copies are cheaper and simpler but may lose most of a day’s activity after a failure. Keep Valheim’s local rotation for immediate rollback even when the external schedule is less frequent.
Schedule copies around completed saves
Copying while Valheim is writing can capture an inconsistent set of files. A multi-file world save may have some files from before the save and others from during it. Community container implementations address this with consistency checks or retries, but the conservative approach is to coordinate the archive with the server’s save cycle.
Use a post-save window
- Determine the effective
-saveinterval; the documented default is 1,800 seconds. - Choose a backup time shortly after an expected save completion, allowing enough buffer for the server and storage to finish writing.
- Run the copy during that window and record failures rather than silently retrying forever.
- If the server’s activity makes timing uncertain, briefly stop or quiesce the service for the archive step when the player population allows it.
Stopping the service is the strongest consistency guarantee, but it causes downtime. An active-file copy is more convenient and can be adequate when your job verifies that files are no longer changing. Whichever policy you choose, document it so an operator knows whether a generation was made from a live or quiesced server.
Avoid starting several large generations at once. If one copy is still running when the next scheduled time arrives, have the scheduler skip or serialize the second run rather than allowing competing reads and writes. After each run, check that the destination contains the expected world and permission files and that its newest timestamps are plausible. A completed process with an empty or partial destination is not a successful backup.
Choose a retention policy that matches your risk
Retention has two independent dimensions: how far back you can recover and where those generations live. Keeping 30 hourly copies on the same disk does not protect against that disk failing.
| Policy element | Decision to make | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Local rotation | Keep Valheim’s four-backup default or increase its count | Provides the quickest rollback for recent errors |
| External frequency | Hourly, every few hours, or daily, based on how much progress players can lose | Sets the maximum likely gap between generations |
| Maximum age | For example, seven, 14, or 30 days | Determines whether you can recover an older, unnoticed corruption |
| Maximum count | Cap generations as well as age | Prevents a high-frequency job from filling the destination |
| Destination | External disk, NAS, or remote host | Determines whether host-disk loss also destroys the archive |
One container implementation documents hourly external backups with a three-day default age and configurable maximum age and count. That is an example policy to adapt, not a universal Valheim requirement. Select a window that covers the longest period in which corruption might go unnoticed, and check that the destination has enough capacity for the resulting number of generations.
External drive versus remote destination
An external hard drive or portable SSD is a practical physical destination for dated archives. It has an upfront cost, does not depend on an internet connection during every run, and can be disconnected from the server when not in use. Disconnecting reduces the chance that ransomware, an administrator mistake, or a failing host will erase every copy, although it also means unattended jobs cannot run while the drive is removed.
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A NAS keeps the storage available on the local network and can serve several machines, but it remains vulnerable to the same power event or network incident unless it is in a separate location. A remote host provides better protection against loss of the server room and can run continuously, but it adds recurring storage or hosting cost, network dependence, and mount or authentication failure modes. Whichever destination you select, keep at least one copy outside the live save directory and verify that it is genuinely reachable.
Restore a world after corruption or disk failure
Do not overwrite the only remaining copy while investigating. Preserve the failed state first, then restore a selected generation into the configured save root.
- Stop the dedicated server cleanly. Do not replace files while the process is running.
- Make a safety copy of the current save directory, including its timestamp, before changing anything.
- Identify the generation to restore. For a recent mistake, Valheim’s local rotation may be fastest; for host loss or deleted files, use an external or remote dated generation.
- Copy the selected generation into the path specified by
-savedir, or into the platform default if no override is configured. Preserve the expected directory structure rather than nesting the save one level too deep. - On Linux, set ownership and permissions to the account that normally runs the server. The exact account name varies by installation; verify it from the service definition instead of assuming one.
- Check that the launch command still points to the intended save root and world.
- Start the server and confirm that the expected world, player progress, and permissions are present. Have a player connect and inspect a known location before declaring the restore successful.
- Keep the original failed directory and the restored generation until the server has been checked and a new external backup has completed.
If the restored world does not appear, stop again and verify the path, directory nesting, file ownership, and world name in the startup configuration. Do not repeatedly overwrite the preserved copy while troubleshooting.
Common restoration mistakes
- Wrong save root: restoring to the platform default while the service uses
-savedirleaves the server reading the old or empty location. - Nested directory: copying a generation so that the world files sit one level below the directory Valheim scans prevents the expected world from appearing.
- Missing permissions: a Linux service account may be unable to read files copied by an administrator account until ownership is corrected.
- Choosing the newest generation automatically: the newest copy may already contain corruption. Compare timestamps and symptoms, and choose a generation from before the problem.
- Deleting the failed state too soon: the original directory can help diagnose a bad restore or identify which generation is safe.
Operational checks that prevent silent backup failure
- Check the source: confirm the job still targets the current
-savedirafter server migrations or configuration edits. - Check the destination: verify that the external disk or remote mount is present and that free space is sufficient.
- Check freshness: inspect the newest generation’s timestamp and file count after each scheduler change.
- Check errors: configure Task Scheduler, cron, systemd, or your container platform to record failed exit codes and notify an administrator.
- Check isolation: ensure the destination is not inside the source and, for disaster protection, is not permanently attached to the same host.
- Check restores: periodically restore to a separate test copy of the server data. A backup that has never been opened is only an assumption.
The documented settings and paths above come from Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guidance. Your launch script, operating-system permissions, storage layout, and scheduler determine the final implementation, so re-check them whenever the server is moved or updated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a Valheim dedicated server store its worlds?
On Windows, the default root is %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheim. On Linux, it is ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim. If the launch command includes -savedir [PATH], that path overrides the default and is the one your backup job must copy.
Are Valheim’s automatic backups enough by themselves?
They are useful for quick rollback, but they normally remain in the same server environment as the live data. A failed disk, accidental deletion, or bad configuration can affect both. Keep the built-in rotation enabled and add a dated copy on an external drive, NAS, or remote host.
How often should an external backup run?
Choose a frequency based on how much player progress you can lose. Hourly copies limit the likely gap to about an hour; every few hours or daily copies use less storage but leave a larger recovery gap. Schedule the job after a completed world save whenever possible.
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How many Valheim backups should I keep?
Valheim’s documented default is four automatic backups, with the first after 7,200 seconds and later backups every 43,200 seconds. For external copies, set both a maximum age and a maximum count. A seven-, 14-, or 30-day window is an operational choice, not a game requirement; choose one long enough to cover unnoticed corruption.
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Can I back up while players are online?
You can copy active files, but a copy taken during a multi-file save may be inconsistent. The safer choices are to run shortly after the 30-minute default save completes, add a buffer, or briefly stop or quiesce the server during the copy. Record failures and do not assume a successful command means a consistent generation.
Should the backup folder be inside the Valheim save folder?
No. A destination inside the source can be copied recursively, consume space, and be lost with the source during deletion or disk failure. Put it on an external drive, NAS path, or separate host and verify that the intended mount is present before each run.
What should I do if the server disk fails?
Install or repair the server, recreate the configured save path, stop the service, and restore a dated external generation into that path. Preserve any surviving files first, set Linux ownership and permissions for the service account, confirm the world name and startup arguments, then start the server and inspect the world before deleting anything.
How do I know an automated backup really worked?
Check scheduler exit codes and logs, confirm the destination volume is mounted, inspect the newest generation’s timestamp and expected files, and watch for full-disk or permission errors. Periodically restore a generation to a separate test copy; a backup that has never been opened has not been proven usable.
The Bottom Line
Back up the path Valheim actually uses, not a guessed default. Keep the game’s four-point local rotation for fast rollback, then create timestamped copies after completed saves on an external drive, NAS, or remote host. Prune by age and count, monitor scheduler errors and destination space, and periodically test a restore while preserving the failed directory.
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