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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallStop the Palworld server, preserve the save it is using now, copy the selected backup into the live save location, verify the world-folder name and game version, then start the server and test the restored progress. Never swap save files while the server is running: Palworld may still be writing them, and the result can be a partial or inconsistent restore.
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What a Palworld restore actually changes
A restore replaces the server’s current world state with an earlier copy. That includes construction, inventory, captured Pals, player progress and other changes recorded in the save. Any progress made after the backup date disappears from the restored world, which is why the current save should be moved aside rather than deleted.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe server does not discover a world by looking through every file on disk. It loads a save folder beneath Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. That folder normally has a generated world identifier (often called a GUID) and contains the world data plus a Players/ subfolder. Restoring the files to a different folder name can make the server start an empty world even though the old data is still present.
Before touching the files
Stop the server cleanly
Use your host’s stop control or the normal shutdown procedure for a self-hosted instance. Wait until the control panel reports that the process has stopped and no save operation is still running. Do not copy, rename or delete save files while the process is active.
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Make a safety copy of the current world
In Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, identify the folder the server currently loads and move it to a safe location or rename it. A suffix such as -broken is useful because it keeps the folder visible and reversible. Do not delete this folder until the restored world has been checked by the server owner and players.
Confirm what kind of backup you have
- Built-in rolling backup: a backup generated by Palworld inside the existing world folder.
- Manual full copy: an archive or copied world folder you created or received separately.
The two types are restored differently. A rolling backup usually supplies files to copy over the live files. A full copy supplies an entire world folder that must be placed under the server’s save directory.
Record the version
Write down the game/server build associated with the backup and the build currently installed. A save from an older build should be restored with a matching game version. If the server and client are on incompatible versions, update or roll back before judging whether the restore worked.
Where Palworld stores the world
The common dedicated-server layout is:
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/{WorldGUID}/Inside {WorldGUID} are the world files and a Players/ directory. The braces indicate the generated folder name, not literal characters. Your installation may use a different absolute path, especially on a rented host, but the Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ portion is the location to look for.
| Item | What it is used for | Restore implication |
|---|---|---|
SaveGames/0 |
Container for the server’s worlds | The restored world must be beneath this directory |
{WorldGUID} |
The folder name the server associates with a world | Keep the expected name or update the setting that selects it |
Players/ |
Player-specific data inside the world | Copy it with the rest of the world; omitting it can lead to missing characters |
backup/world |
Location given for Palworld’s built-in rolling backup inside a world folder | Copy the chosen backup contents over the live world files |
Exact filenames can vary by Palworld build. If a directory or file in your installation has a slightly different name, do not rename unrelated files merely to match an example; first confirm that you are in the correct world folder.
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Restore a built-in rolling backup
Use this method when Palworld itself created the backup inside the world directory. One documented layout places it at Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<ID>/backup/world, where <ID> is the existing world folder name.
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- Stop the server. Confirm that the process is no longer running.
- Preserve the live world. Rename or move the current
{WorldGUID}folder, for example to{WorldGUID}-before-restore. Keep it outside the path Palworld scans if your host’s file manager makes that necessary. - Re-create the live folder location. Leave the original world-folder name available under
SaveGames/0/, or place the restored files in the folder name selected by the server configuration. - Open the rolling-backup directory. Browse to the relevant backup beneath
backup/world. Choose the backup timestamp or slot that contains the progress you want. - Copy the backup’s contents. Copy all files and subfolders from the selected backup into the live world folder. Include the
Players/directory if it is present. Do not copy only a single world file while leaving newer player data in place. - Check the folder level. The files must be directly inside the live world folder, not inside an accidental extra directory such as
{WorldGUID}/world/{files}. An extra nesting level can make the server treat the folder as empty. - Start the server. Allow it to finish loading before connecting a player.
- Verify the result. Join with a test account, check the world’s structures and map state, and confirm that an affected player sees the expected character and inventory.
If the selected rolling backup is not usable, stop the server again and restore the preserved pre-restore folder. That gives you a known starting point for trying another backup.
Restore a manually copied full world
A full backup normally contains the complete world folder rather than a subdirectory of rolling snapshots. Use the following process when moving a save from another disk, machine or host.
- Stop the destination server and preserve its current save. Move the destination world folder aside before introducing the archive.
- Extract or copy the backup. Place the complete world folder beneath
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. Keep its internal structure intact, includingPlayers/. - Resolve the world identifier. If the backup’s folder name differs from the name the destination server expects, either rename the backup folder to the expected name or place it under the directory in a way that the server can select. Do not keep two indistinguishable candidate worlds and hope the server chooses the right one.
- Move the server settings with the world. When transferring to another host, retain
PalWorldSettings.iniwith the world archive or copy the appropriate settings file to the destination configuration directory. That file stores server settings, and losing it can change the destination’s behavior even when the world data is correct. - Check permissions and ownership. On a self-hosted machine, the account running the dedicated server must be able to read and write the restored files. A host file manager usually handles this automatically, but a read-only upload can prevent Palworld from saving after the first restart.
- Start and test once. Join with the server owner account first, inspect the expected progress, then ask other players to connect. Keep the old folder until this test is complete.
Make sure the server loads the restored folder
A common failed restore is not data loss but selection of the wrong directory. The server starts successfully, yet players see a new map or are asked to create characters. Check the folder name and the setting that identifies the dedicated-server save.
One source identifies DedicatedServerName as the selector and places the relevant configuration in Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini. Other guides attribute folder selection to different settings, so treat the exact key as build-dependent. If your installation exposes DedicatedServerName, compare its value with the restored world-folder name, correct the mismatch, save the file and restart.
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Do not edit configuration while the server is running. Make a copy of the configuration file first, change only the value needed to select the restored world, and keep the original so you can undo the change.
When players are asked to create a new character
This prompt usually indicates that the server loaded an empty or different world folder. It does not by itself prove that the original character data has been erased.
- Stop the server again.
- Inspect
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/and identify the folder containing the restored world and itsPlayers/subfolder. - Compare that folder name with the value used by the server’s save-selection setting, including
DedicatedServerNamewhen your build uses it. - Check for accidental nesting, such as a copied world folder one level deeper than
SaveGames/0/. - Confirm that the
Players/directory came from the same backup as the world files. - Restart and test with one account before inviting everyone back.
If the prompt remains, stop and compare the restored folder with the preserved pre-restore folder. Because guides disagree about the controlling configuration key, avoid deleting data or repeatedly changing unrelated settings. The evidence supports checking the selected folder first; it does not establish one universal key for every Palworld build.
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Handle a game-version mismatch
Palworld saves are tied to the game version that wrote them. A backup made before a patch may fail to load correctly, appear empty or behave unpredictably when opened by a different build. Match the server and clients to the save’s game version before troubleshooting file placement.
Same-build restore
The safest path is to run the same server build that created the backup, restore the files, verify the world, and then update in a controlled maintenance window. Keep a copy of the original backup so a failed update can be reversed.
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Steam rollback
On Steam, the dedicated server’s Properties dialog may offer beta branches that correspond to older builds. Open the server entry’s properties and inspect the Betas section; available branch names depend on what Steam currently publishes. Select a branch only when it matches the save’s required version, let Steam finish installing it, and then retry the restore. Because branch availability can change, do not assume a particular branch name will exist.
Client and server alignment
A restored server can still reject a player whose client is on another build. Have the test player update or roll back to the same version as the server before interpreting connection errors as save corruption.
Self-hosted versus rented servers
| Task | Self-hosted server | Rented host |
|---|---|---|
| Stop before editing | Use the service/process controls on the machine | Use the provider’s stop button and wait for a confirmed shutdown |
| Find the save | Browse the installation’s Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ directory directly |
Use the host’s file manager, SFTP or documented file-access method |
| Change configuration | Edit the local GameUserSettings.ini or equivalent carefully |
Use the host’s configuration editor or download, edit and re-upload the file |
| Change versions | Install the required server build yourself | Use the host’s version selector; some hosts may not expose older builds |
| Recover a mistake | Restore the folder you renamed before the operation | Upload the preserved folder or ask the host to restore it |
Rented hosts often hide absolute paths and may restart a stopped instance automatically. Confirm that the control panel really reports the server as offline before editing files, and check whether it creates a new save directory when the selected folder is missing.
Validation after the restart
Do not declare success merely because the process starts. Use a short, repeatable test that checks both world and player data.
- Connect with the server owner account and verify the expected map, structures and recent world changes.
- Check at least one affected player’s character, inventory and location.
- Confirm that the server continues saving by making a harmless change, stopping cleanly, restarting and checking that the change persists.
- Review the server log or panel status for repeated save, permission or version errors.
- Keep the pre-restore folder and the original backup until players have accepted the result.
If the test fails, stop the server before changing anything else. Restore the preserved folder to return to the pre-restore state, or repeat the operation with a different rolling-backup slot. Repeated starts against the wrong folder can create additional empty saves and make identification harder.
Common mistakes and their fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Server starts in a fresh world | Wrong folder name, wrong directory level or missing save-selection value | Check SaveGames/0/, compare the world-folder name with the configuration and remove accidental nesting |
| Players must create characters | Server loaded a different world or the backup omitted Players/ |
Use the matching player directory and verify the selected folder before restarting |
| World is from the wrong date | Incorrect rolling-backup slot was copied | Stop, restore the preserved folder and choose another backup |
| Restore works but settings changed | PalWorldSettings.ini was not transferred |
Copy the intended settings file to the destination configuration location while the server is stopped |
| Save will not load after a patch | Server or client version differs from the backup’s build | Align versions or use an available Steam beta branch that matches the save |
| Server cannot save after restore | Files are read-only or owned by another account | Fix permissions for the account running the server, then restart and test persistence |
A repeatable maintenance procedure
For important worlds, document the folder name, backup date, game version and settings file together. At each scheduled backup, record whether the copy is a full world or only a rolling snapshot. Periodically test a restore on a separate copy rather than waiting for an emergency; this exposes missing permissions, inaccessible host controls and version assumptions while the live world is still safe.
- Stop the test instance.
- Restore into a disposable save location.
- Start with the recorded game version and settings.
- Connect with a test account and verify both world and player data.
- Record any changed path or configuration label for the next restore.
Keep at least one untouched backup and one known-good pre-restore save. This two-copy approach protects against selecting the wrong snapshot and against discovering that a backup was incomplete only after the live save has been overwritten.
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