How to Back Up a Space Engineers Dedicated Server and Restore Worlds

For a reliable Space Engineers server backup, stop the dedicated server normally, copy the complete world folder and the server configuration file, and keep a second copy in a separate dated location. To restore, stop the server again, preserve the currently loaded files, replace the live world files with the backup, and restart. The important complication is location: depending on the installation, saves can be under AppData, ProgramData, or a SteamCMD installation directory, so verify which copy the server is actually loading.

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What a complete Space Engineers server backup contains

A world backup is more than a single save file. Treat the save directory as a unit and preserve the configuration that tells the dedicated server how to run it.

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The world folder

Copy the entire folder for the world you want to protect, including every file and subfolder. Do not select only recently changed files or individual mission files. A partial copy can leave a world apparently present but missing its settings, identities, or other state.

The dedicated-server configuration

Also copy SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. Its location is not consistent across installations: one documented layout places it in the server’s AppData area, while a community layout places a copy inside each world’s save folder. Search both locations and record which file your installation uses. If you are unsure, preserve both copies rather than deleting one.

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Find the save directory the server is actually using

Stop the server before browsing or copying its files. A running process can write while you copy, producing an internally inconsistent backup.

Why checking both AppData and ProgramData matters

Administrators have reported editing a world under AppData only to have the server continue loading a duplicate under ProgramData. If a restore appears to have no effect, stop the server and inspect both locations before changing more files. Compare folder names, modification dates, and the files that changed after a controlled test shutdown. Keep the untouched copy until you know which location is active.

Use the folder loaded by the dedicated server, not a local Steam save

A dedicated server maintains its own save directory. A local single-player or client save can have a similar name but is not automatically the server’s live world. Back up from the dedicated installation’s save path and verify the world by its in-game state after a test start.

Prepare the server for a safe backup

1. Announce maintenance. Tell players when the server will stop and how long the file operation should take. Preventing logins during the copy avoids changes being made while files are in transit.
2. Shut down normally. Use the server’s ordinary stop control and wait for the process to exit. A normal shutdown is intended to save the world; the forced /f stop kills the process without saving, according to the dedicated-server guidance summarized for this procedure.
3. Confirm the process is gone. Do not copy while the dedicated-server executable is still running. If it is hung, use a forced stop only as an emergency measure and expect that the most recent unsaved changes may be absent.
4. Write down the active world and path. Record the world folder name, the save root you used, and the server configuration path. This small log prevents restoring a similarly named world from the wrong directory later.

Create a dated backup, step by step

1. Open the candidate save roots. In File Explorer, enter %AppData%RoamingSpaceEngineersDedicatedSaves in the address bar. Then inspect C:ProgramDataSpaceEngineersDedicated; enable hidden items if necessary. For SteamCMD, inspect the installation’s TempContent path as well.
2. Identify the world folder. Open the folder that corresponds to the world shown in the dedicated-server configuration or control panel. If names are ambiguous, compare the folder’s modification time with the time of the clean shutdown and retain the original until a test confirms the match.
3. Copy the whole world folder. Use Copy and Paste to a backup destination such as an external disk or a separate volume. Let the transfer finish before opening files in the destination. Preserve the folder’s internal structure.
4. Locate and copy SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. Check the server’s AppData area and the world folder itself because installations differ. Put the configuration beside the world backup and record the source path in a text note.
5. Name the backup unambiguously. Include the world name and a sortable date and time, for example MyWorld-2026-10-14-2130. Do not overwrite an earlier known-good copy.
6. Make a second copy. Keep another copy on a different physical or managed storage location before attempting a restore. A second copy protects against a bad transfer, accidental replacement, or failure of the primary backup disk.
7. Check that the copy is usable. Confirm that the destination contains the world folder, its subfolders, and the configuration file. Compare the number of files and total size with the source as a basic transfer check. Do not modify the backup while validating it.

Do not wrap the world in the wrong parent folder

When moving a local world to a dedicated server, copy the world folder itself, not the numbered Steam-ID directory that contains it. The server needs the folder representing the world and its contents; an extra parent level can make the save invisible to the server’s world selector.

Restore a world on a self-managed dedicated server

Restoration replaces the files the server will load. The safest sequence preserves today’s live state before introducing the older copy.

1. Stop the server cleanly. Announce the outage, use the normal stop command or control, and wait for the process to exit. Avoid /f unless the process is unresponsive.
2. Preserve the current files. Copy the live world folder and the active SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg to a separate folder labeled with the restore date. This is your immediate rollback if you select the wrong backup.
3. Select the backup. Verify the world name, date, and source path. If you have copies under both AppData and ProgramData, make sure the selected backup corresponds to the location the server actually uses.
4. Replace the live world contents. Open the live world folder and copy every file and subfolder from the backup into it. Accept the replace prompt for existing files. Do not leave a mixture of old and backup files; remove or move files that exist only in the live folder if the backup represents the complete intended state.
5. Restore configuration deliberately. If the backup includes SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg, place it in the same path from which the live configuration was taken. If your installation keeps a configuration inside the world folder, restore that copy there too. Keep the pre-restore configuration until the server starts successfully.
6. Start the server and verify in game. Join with an administrator account, check the world date and a few known builds or inventories, and confirm that the expected settings are active. If the old state is not present, stop the server rather than saving over the backup and investigate the alternate save root.
7. Retain the rollback copy. Do not delete the pre-restore files until players have confirmed that the restored world is correct and stable.

Using a host’s control panel

A managed host may provide an in-game restore script and a separate control-panel restore function. Use the host’s documented restore mechanism first, because it may copy every file from a selected backup over the current world or may require a particular service stop state. Download the current files before restoring if you might need them. The control-panel procedure and the in-game script are separate paths; follow the one that matches where your backups are stored.

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Migrate a local world to a dedicated server

The migration sequence is a backup followed by a controlled restore into the dedicated server’s save directory.

1. Close the local game and stop the dedicated server. Neither side should be writing the files while you copy them.
2. Find the local world folder. In the local saves location, identify the folder that represents the world. Copy that folder itself rather than the surrounding numbered Steam-ID directory.
3. Create a safety copy. Preserve the original local world before changing or uploading anything.
4. Copy the world folder to the dedicated save root. Use the server’s active AppData, ProgramData, or SteamCMD location, and keep the same folder level expected by the server.
5. Align settings. A community troubleshooting report advises that the world’s sandbox configuration and the main dedicated configuration agree after a move. Treat this as advisory rather than a guaranteed rule: compare the settings you intentionally use and resolve conflicts without deleting the original files.
6. Start and test privately. Check ownership, inventories, grids, scripts, and world settings with administrators first. Only announce the migration complete after the expected state appears.

Troubleshoot a restore that does not load the expected world

The server starts the old world

The most likely cause is a second save directory. Stop the server and inspect AppData and ProgramData, then check the SteamCMD TempContent location if applicable. Look for the copy whose files changed after the last controlled shutdown. Restore into that active location, not merely the path you first found.

The restored folder is not listed

Check that you copied the world folder itself and did not add an extra parent directory. Confirm that the folder is under the dedicated server’s save root and that the server account can read it. Keep the original backup untouched while correcting the folder level.

The world loads but settings differ

Compare the restored world’s sandbox configuration with SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. Because installations can store the configuration in different places, confirm which copy the server reads. Do not assume a LoadWorld key exists: no reliable documentation in the reviewed material establishes that key in the configuration or as a launch argument.

The server ignores the last automatic save

The launch argument -ignorelastsession is reported as a way to ignore the last automatic save and use configuration values instead. Its behavior and syntax can vary with the current game version, so use it only when you understand the server’s launch settings and have a rollback copy.

A forced stop lost recent progress

A forced /f stop does not perform the normal save. Restore the newest backup that predates the forced stop, then repeat the operation with a clean shutdown. If no backup contains the missing changes, those changes may not be recoverable from the server files.

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The restore produced errors or a partially loaded world

Stop immediately and preserve the current files, logs, and the backup you selected. Reapply the backup to a clean copy of the live folder rather than repeatedly mixing files. If the clean restore still fails, return to the pre-restore folder and verify that the backup was complete and came from the same world and game installation.

Choose a backup routine that is easy to audit

For a small private server, make a manual backup before updates, configuration changes, major building sessions, and every planned restore. For a busy server, schedule a recurring stop-and-copy window and keep several dated generations rather than one file that is continually overwritten.

• Keep a change log: record the world name, save root, configuration path, backup timestamp, and reason for the backup.
• Separate live and backup storage: a second disk or managed storage location protects against accidental deletion on the server volume.
• Test periodically: start a restored copy in an isolated environment and verify a few known grids and inventories. A file that copied successfully is not proven restorable until it loads.
• Retain a pre-restore snapshot: every restore is also a new backup event. Preserve the state you are replacing until the recovered world has been accepted.
• Protect access: restrict the backup directory to administrators because world files and configuration may contain server details and player data.

Quick checklist

• Server announced and stopped normally.
• No dedicated-server process still running.
• AppData, ProgramData, and applicable SteamCMD locations checked.
• Complete world folder copied.
• SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg copied and its source path recorded.
• Dated backup stored separately, with a second copy.
• Current live files preserved before any restore.
• Backup contents copied into the correct live world folder.
• Server restarted and the restored world verified in game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are Space Engineers dedicated-server saves stored?

Common locations include %AppData%RoamingSpaceEngineersDedicatedSaves, ProgramDataSpaceEngineersDedicated, and the TempContent folder beneath a SteamCMD installation. Check all applicable locations because duplicate saves can exist.

Should I back up the SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg file?

Yes. Copy it together with the complete world folder, and record whether your installation keeps the active copy in AppData or inside the world save folder.

Can I restore while the server is running?

No. Stop the server first, preserve the current files, replace the world contents, and restart. Copying during a live session can capture an inconsistent state.

What should I do if the restored world does not appear?

Check for a duplicate save under ProgramData or another installation root, and confirm that you copied the world folder itself rather than an enclosing numbered Steam-ID folder.

Does the /f stop option save the world?

The documented behavior summarized for dedicated servers is that /f forces a kill without saving. Use the normal shutdown path except when the server is hung.

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