For a dedicated V Rising server, back up the complete world folder under save-dataSavesv4<save-name> after a clean shutdown, and copy the persistent Settings folder at the same time. To restore, stop the target server, place that world folder in its Savesv4 directory, match the folder name to -saveName, reconcile any save-local settings, and verify the world before deleting your safety copy. Client-hosted worlds are found in either CloudSaves<SteamID>v4 or local Savesv4; the Load Game menu’s Go to Directory command identifies the exact session folder.
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Where V Rising stores server and client saves
The location depends on how the world is hosted. A dedicated server writes persistent data wherever its launch command points with -persistentDataPath. A common launcher uses -persistentDataPath .save-data. With that setting, the important folders are:
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save-dataSavesv4<save-name>for world/session data.save-dataSettingsfor persistent server configuration.
The v4 folder is the versioned save location used by the current references. Because the folder version can change with a future server build, confirm the current build’s layout before reusing an old path or script.
A client-hosted world is stored in one of two Windows locations:
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- Cloud Saves enabled:
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingCloudSaves<SteamID>v4 - Cloud Saves disabled:
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingSavesv4
Session folders use generated identifiers, so guessing a folder from File Explorer is error-prone. In V Rising, open Load Game, select the world, and choose Go to Directory. That opens the exact session directory to copy.
What a safe backup must contain
A usable backup is a recovery copy, not a single file. Include the complete world or session folder and its autosave files. Copying only one autosave removes other rollback points and can leave you with no usable state if that file is damaged.
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ServerHostSettings.json, which includes host-level choices such as the server name and selected save.ServerGameSettings.json, which contains gameplay rules.- Any server administration files used by your deployment.
Keeping custom settings in persistent data protects them from installation updates that may overwrite defaults in the installation directory. Settings embedded inside a save can override the persistent files, so a backup should preserve the save folder exactly and document any local JSON files it contains.
Back up a dedicated server step by step
- Announce a maintenance window. Tell players to log out and stop making changes. A clean shutdown is essential because it lets the server flush the latest state before files are copied.
- Stop the server cleanly. Use the normal stop control for the service, host panel, or launcher. Do not copy a live world while the process is writing it unless you have a separate, tested snapshot mechanism.
- Identify the persistent-data path. Read the launch parameters and find
-persistentDataPath. For the common example-persistentDataPath .save-data, the live worlds are belowsave-dataSavesand the persistent configuration is belowsave-dataSettings. - Select the world directory. Open
<persistent-data-path>Savesv4and select the folder whose name is the server’s save name. Copy the entire folder, including every autosave and JSON file it contains. - Copy persistent settings. Copy the complete
Settingsfolder, includingServerHostSettings.json,ServerGameSettings.json, and deployment-specific administration files. - Store the copy outside the live server directory. An external disk, separate host path, or other independent location prevents an installation failure from destroying both the live files and the backup. Do not leave the only backup inside the directory an update or reinstall might replace.
- Label the recovery point. Include the world name and the UTC date in the backup folder or archive name. Keep at least one older recovery point when disk space permits, so a newly corrupted copy does not become your only option.
- Restart and check the server. Start it normally and confirm that the expected world loads. A quick connection test catches a bad copy path before you need the backup.
Stunlock Studios’ operational guidance is explicit: “It is highly recommended to backup the save files often and before patching or before starting the server after having patched.” Treat a patch as a backup trigger even when the server appeared healthy beforehand.
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Which files should be copied together?
| Item | Why it matters | Where it normally lives with -persistentDataPath .save-data |
|---|---|---|
| Complete world/session folder | Contains progression and the save’s autosave files | save-dataSavesv4<save-name> |
ServerHostSettings.json |
Preserves host settings such as server name and save selection | save-dataSettings |
ServerGameSettings.json |
Preserves gameplay rules | save-dataSettings |
| Server administration files | Retains administrative configuration used by the deployment | Persistent Settings area used by the deployment |
The table describes the normal layout, not a reason to omit files. Copy the whole selected save directory and the whole persistent Settings directory; the named files are the ones you should verify explicitly after the copy.
Restore a dedicated-server save
Restore onto a stopped server and retain the pre-restore files until players have tested the result. That safety copy is your fastest rollback if the selected backup is incomplete or from the wrong world.
- Stop the target server. A running process can rewrite the files you are replacing.
- Make a safety copy of the target. Copy its current
SavesandSettingsfolders to a separate, dated location. Do this even when you are confident in the backup you plan to use. - Open the target persistent path. Follow the target launcher’s
-persistentDataPathvalue, then open itsSavesv4directory. - Place the backed-up world folder there. Copy the complete folder, not an individual autosave. If the launcher specifies a named save, the folder name must match the value supplied to
-saveName; for example, a launcher using-saveName world1expects a folder namedworld1. - Restore the matching settings. Put the backed-up persistent
Settingsfiles in the target’s persistent Settings directory. CheckServerHostSettings.jsonfor the intended server name and save selection, and checkServerGameSettings.jsonfor the desired rules. - Inspect the restored save for JSON overrides. A save can contain its own settings files. Those save-local values can take precedence over the base persistent Settings directory. Remove or reconcile an override when it would defeat the configuration you intend to restore.
- Start the server and validate it. Confirm the expected world, player progression, server name, and gameplay rules. Have the intended players connect and check their characters and recent activity.
- Keep the pre-restore copy. Do not delete the safety copy until the restored state has been tested in actual play.
Why a restore can appear to ignore your settings
V Rising can read defaults from the installation’s settings and local overrides from the persistent-data Settings directory. The -persistentDataPath argument changes where those persistent Settings and Saves folders are found. A restore can therefore look wrong for three different reasons:
- The launcher points to a different persistent-data path than the one you edited.
-saveNamedoes not match the restored folder name, so the server opens another world or creates a new one.- A JSON file inside the save overrides
ServerHostSettings.jsonorServerGameSettings.json.
Check the launch parameters first, then compare the save folder name with -saveName, and finally inspect save-local JSON files. Installation-folder defaults are less reliable for custom configuration because updates can overwrite them; persistent copies are the safer place for settings you want to keep.
Move a client-hosted world to a dedicated server
A private world can be transferred, but the generated client session name must be located before it can be copied. Use this sequence:
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- Open the world in the client. In Load Game, select the session and choose Go to Directory.
- Back up the complete session folder first. Stunlock Studios recommends keeping the original so a failed first transfer does not destroy the source.
- Identify the storage mode. With Cloud Saves enabled, the session is normally under
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingCloudSaves<SteamID>v4. Without Cloud Saves, look under%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingSavesv4. - Stop the dedicated server. Never replace its files while it is running.
- Copy the full session folder. Place it under the dedicated server’s persistent-data
Savesv4directory. - Rename the copied folder. Use a simple name, such as
world1, and set the server launch parameter to-saveName world1. - Reconcile per-save settings. If the copied session contains
ServerHostSettings.jsonor other settings that conflict with the dedicated server, remove or adjust those overrides so the dedicated configuration wins where intended. - Start and test. Verify world progression, player characters, server identity, and gameplay rules before treating the migration as complete.
Do not assume that copying only the visible world name is enough. The session directory opened by Go to Directory is the unit to preserve, including its autosaves and any local configuration files.
Cloud Save synchronization hazards
Cloud Saves can resynchronize files changed outside the game. If you delete or replace a cloud-backed session in Explorer while the game is closed, the next launch can restore the cloud copy and undo your manual change.
- Keep an external copy before deleting, renaming, or replacing a cloud-backed session.
- Use V Rising’s own save-management interface when removing or replacing cloud-backed sessions.
- After a transfer, open the game and verify that the intended session is present before making further edits.
This synchronization risk is specific to cloud-backed client saves; it is separate from the dedicated server’s persistent-data path. For a dedicated deployment, the operational safeguard remains a clean shutdown followed by an independent folder copy.
Autosaves, retention, and update risk
The AutoSaveCount setting controls how many autosave files are retained. Increasing it creates more rollback points but consumes more disk space. It does not replace an external backup: autosaves remain inside the live save directory and can be lost with that directory.
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- Keep the server’s normal autosaves enabled.
- Make a complete folder backup after a clean shutdown at an interval appropriate to how often the world changes.
- Make an additional backup before every patch and before the first server start after patching.
- Retain an older recovery point when storage allows, rather than overwriting the only copy with the newest one.
A patch can expose corruption or change the persistence format. If a post-update start produces an unexpected world or broken progression, stop the server, preserve the current files for diagnosis, and restore the pre-patch copy instead of repeatedly starting the damaged state.
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Manual copies, autosaves, and managed hosting compared
| Approach | Recovery-point depth | Shutdown discipline | Configuration fidelity | Portability | Cloud synchronization exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual folder backup | Depends on how many dated copies you retain; an older recovery point can be kept separately | Copy after a clean shutdown so the latest state is flushed | High when the complete world folder and persistent Settings folder are copied |
High; the folder can be placed under another compatible persistent-data path and selected with -saveName |
Low for dedicated persistent data; client Cloud Saves still require synchronization care |
| Rolling autosaves | Controlled by AutoSaveCount; more retained files provide more rollback points and use more disk space |
Autosaves are generated by the server, but an external copy should still be made after a clean shutdown | Primarily protects world state; persistent settings still need their own backup | Autosave files remain tied to the live save directory until copied elsewhere | Cloud behavior depends on whether the source is a client Cloud Save session |
| Managed hosting | Depends on the provider’s backup and retention policy | The provider may simplify uptime and file access, but confirm how it stops and snapshots the server | Depends on whether the service includes both save data and configuration | Ask how to download the complete save and settings folders | Retain an independent copy so provider or synchronization issues do not become your only recovery path |
Managed hosting can reduce the work of keeping a process online and accessing files, but it does not remove your responsibility to retain a downloadable copy of the world and its settings. A provider’s internal backup is not a substitute for a recovery copy you control.
Recovery playbook for common failures
The server starts a new world
Stop it immediately so the new state does not overwrite useful files. Check that the restored folder is directly under Savesv4, that its name exactly matches -saveName, and that the launcher is using the persistent-data path where you placed it.
The world loads but rules or the server name are wrong
Verify ServerHostSettings.json and ServerGameSettings.json in the persistent Settings folder. Then inspect the restored save for JSON files that override those values. Reconcile or remove the conflicting save-local override, restart, and test again.
Recent progress is missing
Compare the dated backup with the autosave files retained in the source. A copy made before the latest clean shutdown cannot contain changes that had not been flushed. If several recovery points exist, test the newest one first while keeping the others untouched.
A client transfer keeps reverting
If the source uses Cloud Saves, stop editing files in Explorer. Preserve an external copy and use the in-game save-management interface, because Cloud Sync can restore the cloud version on the next launch.
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An update breaks the server
Keep the post-update files as a separate diagnostic copy, stop further starts, and restore the pre-patch world and settings. Check the v4 path and the current server build before attempting another migration; versioned save folders are not guaranteed to remain unchanged across builds.
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Use a name that answers three questions without opening the folder: which world, when it was captured, and whether it was taken before a patch. For example, include the world name and a UTC timestamp, then add a marker such as pre-patch when appropriate. Keep the world folder and matching Settings copy together so they cannot be restored from different points in time by accident.
After copying, verify the backup contains the complete session directory, multiple autosave files when the server retains them, ServerHostSettings.json, and ServerGameSettings.json. A periodic test restore to a separate target is the strongest confirmation that the files are usable; never test by overwriting the only live world.
Final pre-restore checklist
- The target server is stopped.
- The current target
SavesandSettingsfolders have a safety copy. - The backup came from a clean shutdown.
- The complete world/session folder, not just one autosave, is being restored.
- The folder is under the target persistent path’s
Savesv4directory. - The folder name matches
-saveName. - Persistent host and game settings are restored.
- Save-local JSON overrides have been checked.
- The expected world, progression, server name, and rules have been tested before old copies are deleted.
The Bottom Line
Back up V Rising as a complete, dated recovery point: cleanly stop the server, copy the entire Savesv4<save-name> folder and persistent Settings, and keep the copy outside the live directory. Restore with the server stopped, match -saveName to the folder, resolve save-local overrides, and validate the world before removing any safety copy.
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