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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To back up a dedicated game server safely, identify the active save location, stop the server cleanly unless the game documents a safe live-backup method, and copy the complete game-specific save set plus the configuration needed to recreate the server. Keep a dated copy somewhere separate from the live server. To restore, stop the server, preserve its current data, put the intended backup in the correct active save path, then start the server and verify the world before players reconnect.
How do I back up a dedicated game server?
- Identify the active server and save location. Record the game and server version, operating system, service account, world name, startup command, and any custom save-directory option. Check the service definition, container mounts, or hosting panel: the installation folder may not be where the world is stored.
- Check how the game saves. Use its documented save or shutdown method for a manual backup. Do not assume a file copy made while the server is writing data is consistent unless the game or platform documents that guarantee.
- Copy the complete required set. Include the game’s world files and any companion data, plus relevant configuration, access-control lists, and mod or plugin files needed to re-create the intended server. Exact contents vary by game.
- Keep an independent, dated copy. Store it on another device, volume, or remote destination—not only beside the live files. Set a retention window that covers the period from which you might need to recover, and consider testing a restore in a separate instance.
A backup schedule and the game’s save schedule are separate. A periodic copy does not guarantee that the newest changes are included; choose an interval based on how much progress you can afford to lose and the game’s documented behavior.
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Where are my server world saves stored?
There is no universal save path. A custom launch argument, service account, Docker volume, or hosting control panel can move or expose the active data somewhere other than the default installation directory. Verify the path used by the running server before copying or restoring.
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Valheim
Iron Gate Studio’s dedicated-server guide, published April 11, 2024, lists the Windows default as ../%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim and the Linux default as ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim. The -savedir [PATH] argument overrides those defaults. For Docker, the guide identifies valheim_server_data as the default data volume; it contains worlds and the adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, and permittedlist.txt files. Operators can configure a user filesystem path instead. See Iron Gate’s Valheim dedicated-server guide.
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Use the game’s own dedicated-server documentation or the hosting provider’s file browser to find the active save path. Do not transfer a path or filename from a different game—or even a different edition—without checking its documentation.
What files should I copy?
Copy the full game-specific save set, not just a file that appears to contain the world. The needed set may include player or tribe data, world state, server configuration, access-control files, and cluster or mod data. Record the startup command and settings so the restored files are used by the intended world and server setup.
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Valheim files and backup settings
For Valheim in Docker, Iron Gate’s guide says the default valheim_server_data volume includes worlds and the three access-control lists named above. For a manual backup, first shut the server down cleanly, then copy the relevant data from its active save location. The guide documents a default -saveinterval 1800 (a save every 30 minutes) and -backups 4 (one short backup and three long backups). Its default short-backup interval is two hours, with twelve hours between later backups; -backupshort and -backuplong control those intervals. These are Valheim configuration defaults, not universal recommendations.
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ARK: Survival Evolved files
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s dedicated-server setup page says to copy ShooterGame/Saved to the desired backup location. It describes that directory as containing tribe, player, and world data, configuration files, logs, and cluster data, and recommends backing up before updating. Check the instructions for the specific game version: this example is for ARK: Survival Evolved and should not be assumed to apply unchanged to ARK: Survival Ascended. See the ARK Official Community Wiki’s dedicated-server setup guide.
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Should I copy the server while it is running?
For a manual backup, stop the server using the game’s documented procedure unless it explicitly supports a safe live copy. Files can change during a transfer, leaving a backup with a mixture of old and new data. A host snapshot or container backup is not automatically consistent just because it is automated; check what the platform guarantees.
For Valheim, Iron Gate’s guide gives this shutdown instruction: “When you wish to stop running the server, it is important that you close it by pressing CTRL+C in the Command-window.” It cautions that clicking the window’s X may leave the server running. Follow the guide’s shutdown method before taking a manual copy.
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A third-party example illustrates why container instructions need their own qualifications: PlugFox’s Valheim server container documentation describes periodic copies of worlds_local/, a default hourly schedule, a separate /config/backups/ directory, and three-day default retention. It also warns that files may be open during a backup while the server is running and that a backup directory nested under the source directory can cause older backups to be included in later ones. These are that container’s defaults and warnings, not Iron Gate defaults or instructions for all Valheim setups. See PlugFox’s valheim-server documentation.
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How do I restore a backup, including on a new host?
A backup can be used on a different host if you can access the complete required files and configure the new server to use them. Migration details—including paths, versions, mods, and account permissions—depend on the game and hosting setup. Use this order to avoid overwriting the only recoverable copy:
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- Stop the server cleanly. Prevent it from writing to the data while you replace files.
- Preserve the current live data elsewhere. Copy it to a separate location before changing anything, so you can undo the restore if the backup is incomplete or incorrect.
- Confirm the destination. Check the target game’s server version, active save path, world name, service account, and any custom path or container volume. On a new host, configure the service or container mount to point to the intended data.
- Copy the full backup set. Restore the intended world and required companion files to the active save location, preserving the names and directory structure expected by the game.
- Restore relevant settings and access controls. Check the launch command, world selection, configuration, and any needed lists or mod data so the server loads the intended world.
- Start and inspect before reopening access. Check server logs and the world state, then test that you can connect. Keep the previous live data until the restored world is confirmed.
How can I choose a backup approach?
| Approach | Consistency | Recovery point and retention | Failure separation | Operational trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual copy after a documented clean shutdown | Server is stopped before copying; appropriate for a manual copy when the game’s shutdown procedure is followed. | Depends on when you copy and how many dated versions you retain. | Separate only if you place the copy on another device, volume, or remote destination. | Requires an operator to stop, copy, and verify the data. |
| Game-supported backup settings | Depends on the game’s documented backup behavior. | Use the game’s configured intervals and retention; confirm what each setting means. | Depends on where the game stores its backups. | Can automate backups, but defaults may not match your recovery needs. |
| Host or container backup | Depends on documented snapshot or backup guarantees; a running-server file copy may include open or changing files. | Depends on the host or container schedule and retention settings. | Check whether backups are stored independently of the server’s live storage. | Can reduce manual work, but paths, mounts, exclusions, and destination nesting need checking. |
Whichever method you choose, test that you can restore the files into the path the server actually uses. A backup that exists but cannot be located, opened, or loaded is not a dependable recovery plan.
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