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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →If Valheim shows Missing World DB, it can usually still see the world’s metadata file but not the matching world-data file. For an older save, restore the same-name .db and .fwl files from one backup generation. For a newer save, restore the entire world folder and all of its chunk files. Stop the game or server first, copy the complete save elsewhere, and keep that copy until you have loaded and checked the recovered world.
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The same symptom on a dedicated server often means the server is looking in the wrong save location or using a different world name, so it creates a new world instead of loading the uploaded one.
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What the Missing World DB error means
Valheim has used two save structures. In the legacy structure, a world consists of a database file named <World>.db and a metadata file named <World>.fwl. The name before the extension must be identical. If Valheim finds <World>.fwl but cannot find <World>.db, the world list can show a Missing World DB state.
That message does not prove that the terrain has been destroyed. Common causes are a file that was moved, renamed, deleted, left behind during a migration, or separated from its matching file. A database paired with an unrelated .fwl is not a valid repair: Valheim may open it as a different, empty-looking, or partially unrelated world.
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In the newer save system described by Iron Gate, the world is stored as a folder. The database is split into multiple chunk files, and backups are kept in separate folders. In that format, restoring one file that happens to look like a database is insufficient; the complete world directory and its chunks belong together.
Protect the save before attempting a repair
Close Valheim before changing files. If the world runs on a dedicated server, stop the server and wait for its process to exit. A running game or server can write over the very files you are trying to recover.
- Locate the active Valheim save location used by your installation. Depending on your setup, the working copy may be local or in a cloud-backed location.
- Copy the entire save directory, including every world file, folder, chunk, and backup folder, to an external drive or another independent location.
- Give the copy a clear name such as
Valheim-save-before-repairand do not edit it. - Perform recovery on a duplicate whenever possible. Keep the untouched copy until the world has loaded, the map and builds have been inspected, and you have completed at least one successful save.
Iron Gate’s save-system announcement specifically advises creating backups before using a test or changed save system. Its newer format can place world data and backups in separate folders, so copying only the file that appears in the error message can leave you without the chunks needed for recovery.
Choose the correct recovery path
| What you find | Use this path | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
A same-name .db and .fwl |
Legacy-pair recovery | Mixing files from different backup generations can produce a wrong or empty world. |
| A world folder containing many chunk files and separate backup folders | Folder/chunk recovery | Copying only one chunk or database-like file leaves the world incomplete. |
A server log says missing …/<World>.db and a fresh world appears |
Dedicated-server path and name check | The server may be pointed at another directory or configured with another world name. |
| The world opens but buildings, stands, or areas are missing | Version/conversion recovery | An older intact backup may restore the lost content but also remove progress made afterward. |
Recover a legacy world with matching files
1. Find every copy of the world
In the local worlds folder, look for the exact world name with these possible extensions: .db, .fwl, .db.old, and .fwl.old. Also look for dated backup pairs created by Valheim. File extensions may be hidden by the operating system, so verify the complete filename rather than relying only on what appears in the file list.
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Write down the base name exactly, including capitalization and spaces. For example, MyWorld.db belongs with MyWorld.fwl; MyWorld.db does not belong with MyWorld-2.fwl.
2. Match one backup generation
Select a .db and .fwl that came from the same backup or timestamp. If the current database is missing but <World>.db.old and <World>.fwl.old both exist, restore both old files together. Do not use a newer metadata file with an older database merely because the names match.
Preserve the original world name when placing the restored pair in the worlds folder. If you need to test several candidates, make a separate working copy for each attempt and give the test copy a temporary name only after the original pair has been preserved.
3. Replace files conservatively
- Move the damaged or incomplete pair out of the active folder into your safety copy, rather than deleting it.
- Copy the selected matching
.dband.fwlinto the active worlds folder. - Check that both files have the same base name and that the extensions are not duplicated, such as
.db.db. - Start Valheim and open the world.
Load into a location you recognize. Check the terrain, map markers, portals, storage, and major builds before touching any backup files. If the world is still missing or appears empty, close Valheim without saving over that copy and try the next matching pair.
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4. Use Manage Saves when manual replacement is uncertain
Valheim’s Manage Saves tools are designed to restore saves affected by corruption, load errors, and missing metadata. Open the game’s save-management screen, select the world and an available backup, and use the restore command shown there. The patch notes state that backups can be restored repeatedly after the relevant fixes, so one unsuccessful attempt does not consume every recovery option.
Restore to a copy first when the interface offers that choice. After loading, inspect the world before removing any older backup. If Manage Saves lists no usable backup, manual recovery can work only when the required files are actually present; it cannot recreate a deleted database from an unrelated metadata file.
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Iron Gate’s newer save system changed the layout: instead of one .db and one .fwl, a world is stored in a folder, with world data divided into chunk files and backups stored separately. The visible error can therefore be misleading if you search for a single database file.
- Stop Valheim or the server and make the full save-directory copy described above.
- Identify the folder whose name corresponds to the affected world. Open it only to confirm that it contains the expected chunk files and related save data; do not delete individual chunks.
- Copy the complete world folder from an intact backup location to the active save location. Include every chunk and any companion files in that folder.
- Keep the conversion or dated backup folder unchanged until the restored world has been opened and checked.
- Start Valheim and verify terrain, structures, inventories, and explored areas. If chunks are absent or the world still fails, return to the preserved copy and try another complete folder backup.
Never combine chunks from different backup moments. A folder is the unit to preserve and restore; selecting files one by one can create a world whose regions come from different states.
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When a dedicated server creates a new world
A server log containing a line similar to missing …/<World>.db often means the server did not find the uploaded world under the configured name. It then starts a fresh world, which can look like data loss even though the original files are still on your computer or in another server directory.
Check the configured name and path
- Stop the dedicated server.
- Confirm the save path configured for that server instance. Multiple server installations can have different save directories, so verify the path used by the running instance rather than assuming the location of a desktop copy.
- Compare the configured world name with the uploaded save. For a legacy save, it must match the base name of both
.dband.fwl. For a folder-format save, it must match the world folder name expected by the server. - Upload the complete legacy pair or the complete newer world folder, not a single file.
- Start the server and watch the log. A successful load includes a line in the form
ZNet.LoadWorld: <World> (<World>), save number <n>. - Join and check a familiar landmark before allowing players to build or save additional progress.
If the log still reports a missing database, stop the server again. Continuing to play in the newly generated world can create another save with the same configured name and make it harder to distinguish the original from the replacement.
Local saves, cloud saves, and choosing the active copy
The same world can have more than one physical copy when local and cloud storage are both involved. Before replacing files, determine which location Valheim is currently reading. The Manage Saves screen can show available worlds and backups; use it to identify the copy that contains the latest known terrain and builds.
If the local folder contains a healthy pair or complete world directory but the game still reports Missing World DB, the game may be opening a different location. Conversely, restoring an older local copy while a cloud copy remains active can make the repair appear ineffective. Work from one clearly identified copy at a time, and preserve both locations before changing either.
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| Situation | Safer action |
|---|---|
| Only local files are available | Back up the entire local save directory, then restore the matching pair or complete folder there. |
| Only a cloud backup appears in Manage Saves | Use the in-game restore option and keep the listed backup until the world is verified. |
| Local and cloud copies disagree | Copy both to separate locations, identify which has the newest intact world, and avoid overwriting the other during testing. |
| A server and a desktop installation both use the same world name | Keep separate working copies and verify the server’s configured save path before uploading. |
If the world loads but content is missing
Item and armour stand losses during an early conversion
Iron Gate’s Patch 1.0.15 notes an early 1.0 conversion problem that could lose levels and variants on item and armour stands; the issue was fixed in Patch 1.0.12. If your converted world opens but those stands have lost content, the documented workarounds are limited:
- Revert to the conversion backup. This restores the earlier state but removes progress made after that backup.
- Copy the conversion backup as a separate world, then transfer affected items through your character inventory into the newer world. This preserves later world progress while requiring the items to be moved manually.
Make the backup copy before testing either approach. Do not overwrite the only version of the converted world.
Objects erased from parts of the world
Patch 1.0.17 fixed a rare bug in which splitting one large world-save chunk into smaller files could erase all objects in affected parts of the world. The patch prevents the bug, but its notes do not say that objects already erased can be reconstructed automatically. If the loss predates the fix, a pre-loss backup is the dependable recovery route.
Compare the damaged world with dated backups and choose the newest backup that still contains the missing structures. Restoring that point necessarily discards subsequent changes, so copy the damaged world separately if you need to retrieve newer character items or document what changed.
Troubleshooting by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Missing World DB appears immediately | The .fwl is present but its same-name .db is absent or inaccessible. |
Find a matching pair or restore a Manage Saves backup. |
| The world is listed but loads as new or empty | The .db and .fwl came from different generations, or the wrong copy is active. |
Restore both files from one backup and confirm the active save location. |
| A dedicated server repeatedly creates a fresh map | Configured world name or save path does not match the uploaded files. | Stop the server, correct the name/path, and upload the complete save unit. |
| Some regions are missing after conversion | A chunk is absent or the save suffered the object-erasure bug. | Restore the complete folder or a pre-loss backup; do not splice individual chunks. |
| Manage Saves shows no usable restore | No intact backup is available in the location Valheim is checking. | Search preserved local, cloud, and server copies for a complete pair or folder. |
| The repaired world disappears again | A running game/server or synchronization process replaced the repaired copy. | Stop all instances, make a fresh safety copy, identify one active location, and repeat the restore. |
Preventing another Missing World DB incident
- Back up the complete save directory before updates, format conversions, or public-test builds.
- For legacy worlds, always keep
.dband.fwltogether under the same base name. - For folder-format worlds, copy the entire directory and all chunks; never archive one chunk alone.
- Keep at least one dated backup from before a major conversion and another from after a verified successful load.
- For a dedicated server, record the configured world name and save path, and verify them after migrations or reinstalls.
- Do not delete old backups until you have entered the recovered world and checked several distant areas, storage containers, portals, and important builds.
Bottom line
Fixing Missing World DB is primarily a matter of restoring the correct save unit. Legacy worlds need a matching .db/.fwl pair from the same backup generation; newer worlds need the complete folder and every chunk. A dedicated server additionally needs the exact world name and save path. Preserve the original first, test the newest intact backup, and keep every fallback until the recovered world has been thoroughly verified.
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