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What a corrupted game database means
Conan Exiles stores the persistent world in a SQLite database. Buildings, player characters, inventories, map state and other world records are held in that database. The server’s gameplay configuration is separate: settings such as rates and server rules are stored in the Config folder, principally in ServerSettings.ini. Replacing the world database therefore rolls back world state without automatically replacing that configuration file.
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The dependable recovery is a file-level restore. A backup restore is safer than attempting to edit SQLite pages in place because it returns the server to a complete, previously working database. It does have a precise cost: every build, character change and other world action after the selected backup was created disappears.
Identify the correct database before you restore
Conan Exiles has two save layouts. The name used by a particular dedicated-server installation can vary, especially on Enhanced deployments, so use the file that actually exists in the server’s Saved directory rather than relying on a guide’s example.
#1 Best Overall
- EXPLORE A VAST WORLD: Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- SURVIVE: Stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- BUILD: Harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more, then deck out your creations with a wide variety of different furniture, crafting stations, and NPC guards
- DOMINATE: Wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage fury in violent and brutal combat
- BUILD AN ARMY OF THRALLS: Capture NPCs, drag them back to your base, and use the Wheel of Pain to break their will. Turn them into archers, crafters, entertainers, and more for your settlements
| Edition | Typical live database | Typical backup pattern | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy (Unreal Engine 4) | game.db |
game_backup_##.db |
Keep this file before migrating to Enhanced. |
| Enhanced (Unreal Engine 5) | Often game_0.db |
game_0_backup_*.db |
Some documentation reports different names; inspect the actual Saved folder. |
An Enhanced save cannot be opened by a Legacy server. If you upgraded, retain an untouched copy of the Legacy database; do not overwrite that copy while experimenting with Enhanced files.
Before touching the files
- Stop the server completely. Use the host panel’s Stop command or stop the dedicated-server process, then wait several seconds for shutdown to finish. Replacing a database while the process is still running can leave a partially written file.
- Record the current state. Note whether the installation is Legacy or Enhanced, the exact live filename, the time the failure began, and which mods were enabled.
- Make a safety copy. Copy the entire
ConanSandbox/Saved/folder to another location. If storage is limited, at minimum copy the damaged database and every related backup and sidecar file before changing them. - Do not delete the damaged database yet. Renaming it preserves evidence and gives you a way back if the selected backup is older than expected.
Restore the newest good backup
- Open the server’s Saved directory. Use the hosting control panel’s file manager or SFTP. A commonly used container layout is
/home/container/ConanSandbox/Saved; other hosts may expose the same folder at a different root. - Copy the folder before editing. Create an offline or separately named copy of
Saved. Include the live database, backup databases, and any-walor-shmfiles. - Rename the broken live database. For Legacy, rename
game.dbto a name such asgame.db.corrupt-2026-10-14. For Enhanced, apply the same approach to the actual live filename, for examplegame_0.db. Renaming is safer than deletion. - List the available backups. Legacy installations commonly show files such as
game_backup_01.dborgame_backup_12.db; Enhanced installations may showgame_0_backup_*.db. Select the newest file whose timestamp is clearly earlier than the first crash, failed startup or other sign of corruption. Automatic saves are reported to occur about every five minutes, but the exact retention and schedule depend on the host. - Check the world’s mods before starting. Install and enable the same mods the saved world requires, in the server’s normal load order. A valid database can still fail to load when a required mod is absent or incompatible.
- Copy the selected backup into the live slot. Make a copy of the chosen backup and rename that copy to
game.dbfor a Legacy server, or to the exact Enhanced live name found in the folder, commonlygame_0.db. Do not rename an Enhanced backup togame.dbunless that is genuinely the filename your installation uses. - Remove stale SQLite sidecars. Delete leftover
game.db-walandgame.db-shmfiles when the live database isgame.db. For an Enhanced installation, remove the corresponding sidecars for its actual database basename if present. These write-ahead-log and shared-memory files can reintroduce inconsistent state when carried over from the damaged database. Keep copies in your safety folder rather than permanently discarding them. - Start the server once. Watch the host console and wait for the world to finish loading. Do not stop it during the first startup unless it is clearly hung; the initial load can take longer after a replacement.
- Verify the rollback in game. Confirm that the expected map, buildings, characters and inventories are present. Check that server settings in
Config/ServerSettings.inistill match your intended values, because that file is separate from the world database.
Choosing the right backup
The newest file is not automatically the right file. If corruption began during a save operation, the most recent backup may already contain the problem. Use the last backup made before the first failed start, crash or visible world anomaly.
| Situation | Recommended choice | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| First startup failure with several older backups available | Newest backup created before the failure | All world changes after that backup |
| Newest backup produces the same crash | Stop the server and test the next older backup, one at a time | Additional progress since each older backup |
| No backup predates the corruption | Preserve every file and ask the host whether managed snapshots exist | A restore may not be possible without an external copy |
Never overwrite your original damaged file or your only Legacy copy while testing. Give each attempted restore a distinct name so you can identify exactly which database was used.
If the restored server still will not start
A crash 30–90 seconds after world loading
Crashes that occur after the world has loaded for roughly 30 to 90 seconds are commonly associated with a mod conflict rather than a damaged SQLite file. Confirm that every required mod is installed, that its version matches the world, and that the load order is unchanged. If the server started only after removing a mod, do not save the world until you have determined whether that mod is required; saving without required content can create a new problem.
Rank #2
- Includes a 6 inch Conan the Barbarian polyresin figurine, a custom comic book, 3 soundtracks featuring the music from Conan Exiles as well as the music from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, an artbook, a map of the world of Conan Exiles, a code to unlock 6 full-color digital comic books from Dark Horse Comics, a code to unlock the digital rule book created by Modiphius for their Conan pen and paper RPG, and a code to unlock the “Coming of Conan” eBook!
- Dominate the Exiled Lands - Carve out your piece of the Exiled Lands, taking it from other players if you must! Build siege weapons and use explosives to break down the walls of your enemy’s city.
- Survive in a Savage Land - Dress well or light a campfire to stay warm and make sure to cool yourself down in the heat. Hunt, cook, eat, and drink to stay alive. Build a shelter to weather scouring sandstorms.
- Brutal, Bloody Combat - Fight vicious monsters and other players using an action-oriented, combo-based combat system. Dodge, block, and learn to master the true art of combat to become the greatest fighter in the Exiled Lands.
- Play Together or Alone - Play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you in a world where you have full control of the rules and settings. Want to play with just handful of friends? Try co-op mode!
Crashes during heavy decay or raid activity
Failures during large decay sweeps or raid windows are reported as possible memory exhaustion. Check the host’s memory graph and console output if available, reduce peak load or move to a plan with adequate memory, and test the restored database during a quieter period. A memory failure can damage a database again if the process is repeatedly terminated while writing.
Linux or Wine-based hosting
For Linux or Wine deployments, one troubleshooting guide recommends installing these Windows compatibility dependencies with Winetricks:
winetricks dotnet48 vcrun2019Apply that only to a host where you control the Wine prefix and package installation. Managed panels may require the operator to perform it.
The newest backup also fails
Repeat the restore procedure with the next older backup. This is the logical next step when the newest snapshot was created after corruption began. Keep the failed attempt and its console output in a separate folder so the host can inspect them.
Rank #3
- Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the South to the snow-capped mountains in the North
- stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece
Database-name or path mistakes
If the server starts with a new or empty world, stop it immediately and check that the restored file was placed in the correct ConanSandbox/Saved/ directory and that its basename exactly matches the file the server expects. Enhanced installations are particularly prone to confusion because documentation differs over whether the live file is called game.db or game_0.db. The existing files in your installation are the authoritative guide.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRecovery options and their trade-offs
| Option | Chance of preserving recent progress | Risk | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restore a known-good backup | No; progress after the backup is lost | Lowest | Default response when a valid backup exists |
| Attempt SQL-level repair | Possibly, if damaged records can be recovered | Higher; procedures are not established by the available Conan Exiles guidance | Only after making multiple copies and accepting that the database may become less recoverable |
| Ask the hosting operator | Depends on managed snapshots | Usually low, but you may not have direct file access | When the panel controls files, backups or permissions |
Do not treat generic SQLite repair commands as a guaranteed Conan Exiles fix. Official, game-specific SQL repair instructions were not established in the available documentation. If you experiment with a dump, integrity check or re-import, work only on a copy and keep the original database and backups untouched. A host with managed snapshots is often better positioned to recover a file than a blind in-place edit.
What the rollback changes—and what it does not
- World state rolls back: buildings, characters, inventories and other records return to the selected backup’s point in time.
- Later activity is lost: anything done after that backup, including construction and character progress, cannot be recovered from that backup alone.
- Server configuration is separate: values in
Config/ServerSettings.iniare not the same file as the world database and normally remain in place. - Mods remain a prerequisite: restoring the file does not install missing mods. Reproduce the mod set the world expects before loading it.
- Edition direction matters: an Enhanced database cannot be moved back to a Legacy server. Preserve the Legacy file before upgrading.
Preventing another game.db failure
Keep independent copies
Do not rely on the rotating backups in the server folder as your only protection. Periodically copy the whole Saved folder to storage outside the server. Retain at least one copy from before major updates, mod changes and migrations. Include the database backups and the configuration files so you can reproduce the surrounding server state.
Use a stop-and-copy routine
For manual backups, stop the server, wait for a complete shutdown, copy the files, and then start it again. A copy taken while SQLite is writing can capture an incomplete database; the same risk applies when replacing a file while the process is running.
Rank #4
- Explore a vast world: explore a giant world, from the Burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- Survive: stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- Build: harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a Small home to entire cities. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more
- Dominate: wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage Fury in violent and brutal combat
- Play together or alone: play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you
Protect the Legacy-to-Enhanced migration point
Before installing Enhanced, archive the complete Legacy Saved directory and label it with the date and edition. Test the new installation against a copy, not the only original. Because the migration is not reversible from Enhanced back to Legacy, this archive is your recovery path if the upgrade fails.
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Keep a text record of enabled mods, versions, load order and the date of each change. When a failure follows a mod update, that record lets you distinguish a database rollback problem from a content or dependency conflict. Note the last known-good backup time as well; with auto-saves reported at about five-minute intervals, a precise timeline can limit unnecessary rollback.
When to contact the host
Contact the operator when you cannot access ConanSandbox/Saved/, the panel’s backup files are missing, the server repeatedly crashes after testing multiple pre-failure databases, or you need a managed snapshot restored. Provide the exact live filename, the backup filename you tested, the time of the first failure, the edition (Legacy or Enhanced), the mod list, and the console symptoms. Ask the operator not to overwrite the damaged file until you have copied it.
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