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The safest Vintage Story server backup is a copy made after the world has been saved and the server has stopped writing: first use /genbackup <filename> when your version supports it, then copy the active .vcdbs world file, serverconfig.json, mods and required custom data to storage outside the server host.
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To restore, place the backup world file in the server’s Saves folder, set SaveFileLocation in serverconfig.json to that filename, restart the server, and verify the world before reconnecting players.
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The short procedure
A Vintage Story dedicated server stores its world as a .vcdbs file. The server identifies the active world through the SaveFileLocation entry in serverconfig.json. A dependable backup routine has two layers:
- Schedule the work for a quiet period, save the world, and stop the server so no process is changing the file.
- Run
/genbackup <filename>if the command is available on your installed release. The command reference describes it as creating a full copy of the current save game in the backups folder. - Read
SaveFileLocationand copy the named.vcdbsfile from the configured data directory to a separate backup location. - Copy
serverconfig.json, the installed mods and any custom scripts or configuration required by your server. - Keep at least one copy away from the server host, such as on an external USB hard drive or SSD.
The built-in command protects the world save, but it is not a complete image of the server installation. A manual archive is what lets you reproduce the same server settings and add-ons after a disk failure or migration.
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Find the authoritative data folder and active world
Do not rely on a guessed operating-system path. The dedicated-server documentation describes a common layout containing data/Saves, but administrators can change the data location. A hosted panel, container, startup option or custom installation may point somewhere else. Treat the data path used by the running server as authoritative.
Read serverconfig.json
Open the serverconfig.json file in the server’s data directory and find the SaveFileLocation value. Its value is the filename the server loads, normally ending in .vcdbs. For example, if the setting names MyWorld.vcdbs, that is the file you must locate in the server’s Saves directory. Backing up a different file in the same folder can produce a perfectly valid backup of the wrong world.
Preserve the spelling, capitalization and extension exactly. When you later restore, the setting must point to the restored filename, not merely to the folder containing it.
Know the related folders
Saves: the normal location for world save files loaded by the server.Backups: the folder used by/genbackupfor its generated copies.BackupSaves: a folder associated with backups made through the single-player Modify World dialog. It is distinct from the dedicated-server backup output.
The data-folder reference says backup files use the same format as files in Saves. That is why a generated backup can be restored by placing its .vcdbs file in Saves.
Platform and hosting differences
Windows installations commonly use an AppData-based data directory. macOS data paths changed in newer releases, so an older path found in a forum post may no longer apply. Linux servers, containers and hosting panels can place the data directory wherever the deployment is configured. Look at the path used by the service or panel and confirm that it contains the server’s current serverconfig.json, Saves and, where present, Backups folders.
Make a clean backup before copying anything
A save file can change while the server is running. The documented procedure supports copying the save while the server is offline; it does not publish a guarantee that a live copy is atomic or internally consistent. For that reason, do not copy a busy world file as your normal backup method.
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- Announce a maintenance window so players are not changing the world during the operation.
- Use the server’s normal save or shutdown control, then stop the server through its console, service manager or hosting panel.
- Wait until the process has exited and the host shows that the service is stopped. Do not assume that closing a terminal window has finished all writes.
- Only then run a manual file copy or inspect the generated backup.
If you use an automated job, have it run only after the server is stopped or during a maintenance workflow that stops the service first. Do not describe a copy as safe merely because the file transfer completed; consistency depends on when the source was read.
Use the built-in /genbackup command
Run the command and check its result
From the in-game or server console with the required administrative permission, run:
/genbackup <filename>
Replace <filename> with a descriptive name for this point-in-time copy. The Vintage Story command reference describes the result as “Creates a full copy of the current save game and stores it in the backups folder.” After the command completes, confirm that a new file appears in the server’s Backups folder and that its name identifies the world and backup moment clearly enough for you to recognize later.
The command-reference page is marked outdated and says it was last verified for version 1.15. Do not assume that an old syntax example is valid for every current release. On the installed server, run /help genbackup and follow the syntax and permission information displayed there. If the command is unavailable or behaves differently, use the offline manual-copy procedure instead of experimenting on a live world.
Understand what this command does not cover
“Full copy of the current save game” refers to the world save. A forum discussion about backup scripts warns that the built-in command backs up the world file but not extra data. It does not, by itself, create a restorable copy of your server’s configuration, mods or custom scripts.
Therefore, treat /genbackup as the fast world-backup layer, not as a complete disaster-recovery archive. Copy the additional files separately while the server is stopped.
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Create a complete manual backup
1. Copy the active .vcdbs file
Use the SaveFileLocation value to select the exact world file in Saves. Copy it without changing its contents. Keep the original filename and extension in the backup set so it can be selected directly during restoration.
You can also retain a copy generated in Backups by /genbackup. If you are copying that generated file rather than the file in Saves, make sure you know which backup moment it represents. A backup filename that is ambiguous months later is a recovery hazard.
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2. Copy serverconfig.json
This file contains server settings and is specifically recommended in forum guidance for a backup. Store it beside the world file, rather than leaving it only on the host that could fail. It lets you restore the intended configuration and provides the SaveFileLocation value needed to select the world.
When making a backup for another machine, review the configuration for paths or settings that are specific to the old host. Preserve the original file first; make any migration edits on a working copy after the archive is safe.
3. Include mods and custom server data
List the mods installed on the server and copy the mod files that are required to load the world. Also include custom scripts, configuration files and other server data that your deployment needs. The exact set varies by installation, so compare the server directory with a clean installation and identify everything your world depends on.
Do not assume that a world file contains mod binaries or server-side scripts. If the world was created or operated with custom content, a world-only backup may restore the terrain while still failing to reproduce the running server.
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4. Put a copy outside the host
A backup on the same disk or virtual machine as the live server can disappear with that host. Copy the backup set—world file, configuration, mods and custom data—to separate storage. An external USB hard drive or SSD is a straightforward physical option. Disconnect or otherwise protect that device after the copy so a host failure cannot affect both copies.
Keep the archive’s original filenames and record which server version and backup moment they belong to. No published figure establishes a required retention period, file size or recovery-time target, so choose a retention policy that matches how much world progress your community can afford to lose.
Built-in command versus scheduled file copy
These approaches solve different parts of the problem. The command is convenient for capturing a world save; a scheduled file-copy workflow is what can include the rest of the server and place a copy off-host.
| Approach | Automation | Scope | Recovery path | Off-host copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
/genbackup <filename> |
Run manually, or invoke through an administrator-controlled maintenance routine | World save copy in the Backups folder |
Copy the resulting .vcdbs file into Saves, set SaveFileLocation, then restart |
Not unless you copy the generated file elsewhere |
| Scheduled offline file copy | Can be scheduled around a stop-and-copy maintenance window | World plus serverconfig.json, mods and custom data when those are included in the job |
Restore the selected files, configure the save filename and restart | Yes, when the destination is separate storage |
A practical routine uses both: generate a named world backup when supported, then archive the active save and the files needed to recreate the server.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restore a Vintage Story world backup
Restore deliberately and keep players out until the result has been checked. A restore replaces the world the server loads; doing it while the service is running risks overwriting a file that is still open.
- Stop the server completely and confirm that no process is writing to the data directory.
- Make a safety copy of the current
.vcdbsfile andserverconfig.jsonbefore changing anything. This gives you a way back if you select the wrong backup. - Locate the backup
.vcdbsfile. Generated files normally come fromBackups; an external archive may contain the same file alongside configuration and mods. - Copy the chosen backup file into the server’s
Savesfolder. The data-folder reference states that backup files have the same format as files inSavesand are restored by copying the file there. - Open
serverconfig.jsonand setSaveFileLocationto the restored filename, including its.vcdbsextension. - Restore the matching mods, custom scripts and other required server data from the same backup set.
- Start the server and watch the console for errors before allowing players to join.
- Connect as an administrator and verify the spawn area, recent builds, inventories and any mod-dependent content that matters to your community.
- Only after the checks succeed should you reopen the server to players.
Restoring on a different host
Copy the world, configuration and required add-ons into the equivalent data structure on the new host. The path itself may differ; what matters is that the service is using the data directory containing the restored serverconfig.json and Saves folder. Update host-specific paths or settings on a working copy, then confirm that SaveFileLocation still names the file you placed in Saves.
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If the new host uses a container or control panel, verify its mounted data path rather than copying files into an unused directory. Starting the server successfully is not enough: confirm in the console or panel that it opened the intended world.
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The command is unknown or rejected
Run /help genbackup on the installed release and confirm that your account has the required permission. The published command page is marked outdated and was last verified for version 1.15, so current syntax may differ. If no working command is available, stop the server and make the offline file copy instead.
The backup folder is empty
Check that you are looking in the data directory used by the running server, not a client installation or an old path. Confirm that the command completed without an error and that the service account can write to the directory. A custom deployment may place the data folder somewhere other than the common layout.
The server starts a different world
Read SaveFileLocation again. The setting may still point to the previous filename, or the restored file may have been copied into the wrong Saves folder. Correct the filename, check its extension, stop the service, and restart.
The world loads but mods or features are missing
A world-only backup does not include extra server data. Restore the mod files and custom configuration from the same archive, and use versions compatible with the server installation. Do not delete the current files until you have preserved them as a separate safety copy.
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Compare the backup filename and the archive notes with the intended recovery point. The newest file in Backups is not automatically the correct one if several worlds or maintenance sessions share the directory. Adopt descriptive names that identify the world and backup moment.
The server fails during startup after a restore
Stop it and read the startup log before making more changes. Check the save filename, data path, configuration syntax, mod set and file permissions. If the failure began after replacing files, restore the safety copies you made before the attempt, then test one change at a time.
Operational checklist
- Identify the active data directory used by the dedicated server.
- Read
SaveFileLocationand confirm the matching.vcdbsfile. - Schedule backups when no writes are occurring.
- Stop the server before copying files manually.
- Run
/help genbackupand confirm the installed command syntax. - Use
/genbackup <filename>when supported, then verify the output inBackups. - Archive the active world,
serverconfig.json, mods and required custom data. - Copy the archive to storage outside the server host.
- During recovery, place the selected world in
Savesand setSaveFileLocationto its filename. - Start privately, inspect the world and logs, and invite players only after verification.
What a good backup protects—and what it cannot promise
The world .vcdbs preserves the save represented by that file. Adding serverconfig.json, mods and custom data protects the surrounding server setup as well. Keeping a copy away from the host protects against loss of the machine or its primary storage.
Neither /genbackup nor a file copy can recover changes that had not been saved before the backup point. Because the published material does not define a guaranteed atomic live-copy method, the dependable practice is still to save, stop, copy, and verify. A restore is complete only when the server loads the intended filename and the checked world is available to players.
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