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To restore an ARK: Survival Ascended server, stop it completely, preserve a copy of the current save, and then either use the host’s backup tool or replace the save files manually. On Nitrado, the built-in route is Tools > Restore Backup. A manual restore uses the arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ directory and requires the map file plus the matching player and tribe files. Every restore can overwrite current progression, so keep a separate rollback copy before changing anything.
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What a restore changes
An ASA save is more than one world file. The map file contains the world state, while player and tribe files preserve the identities and ownership data that make the world usable. Restoring only the map can leave characters, inventories, tribe membership, or structures out of sync. A complete recovery therefore keeps the map .ark, the relevant .arkprofile files, and the .arktribe files together.
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Nitrado’s documented workflow is specific to its control panel and file layout. Other hosts may use different menu labels or directories, but the safety rules are the same: stop the process, copy the current data, replace or restore the intended snapshot, and test before inviting players back.
Restoring is destructive to the version currently on the server. Nitrado warns that a restore “overwrites existing progression, meaning it’ll be lost.” Treat the pre-restore copy as your undo button.
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Prepare the server before touching files
Announce maintenance
Tell players that the server is going offline and identify the cutoff point. Anyone who remains connected while files are being copied or replaced can create a new save after you think the server is stopped, making it unclear which state you preserved.
Stop the server completely
Use the host’s stop control and wait until the status shows that the server is no longer running. Do not edit, delete, download, or upload save files while the game process is writing them. Nitrado’s restore instructions begin with stopping the server, and the same order applies to manual replacement.
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Before selecting a snapshot or deleting a file, download or copy the entire current SavedArks folder to a separate location. A local computer, external SSD, or USB drive provides a copy that is independent of the hosting panel. Keep the original folder intact and label the copy with the date and the server’s map name so you can identify it later.
Make additional copies if the current state is valuable. The purpose is not to predict how much storage you will need; it is to ensure that a failed restore does not remove your only usable version.
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Decide what you are trying to recover
- Recent in-game mistake: a game-internal backup may be the narrowest rollback available.
- Wipe, corruption, or a known earlier date: a server backup is intended to roll the whole server back to a selected snapshot.
- Save from another machine or an official or single-player game: manual file replacement is normally required unless your host provides an import function.
Find the ASA save files
On Nitrado, the default directory is arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. Inside it, map-specific folders can appear, such as TheIsland_WP. The exact folder and filename must match the map configured for the server.
| File | What it represents | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
MapName.ark |
The world or map state | The file for the map you intend to load |
SteamID.arkprofile |
A player’s character and related player data | Every player profile that should return with the world |
TribeName.arktribe |
Tribe membership and tribe-owned data | The tribe files associated with the restored world |
The names shown above describe the file types; the actual player and tribe names depend on the save. Do not rename profile or tribe files casually. For the map, however, the filename is significant: the server must see the name it expects for the configured map.
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| Configured map | Expected world filename |
|---|---|
| The Island | TheIsland_WP.ark |
| The Center | TheCenter_WP.ark |
| Scorched Earth | ScorchedEarth_WP.ark |
These examples illustrate the naming requirement for official saves. Use the exact map name configured on your server rather than assuming that a file downloaded from another installation already has the correct name.
Route 1: restore a snapshot with Nitrado’s control panel
Use this route when the date you need already exists in the host’s backups. It avoids manually selecting individual files and is usually the clearest way to roll the complete server back.
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- Stop the server and wait for it to be fully offline.
- Download or copy the current
arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/folder to a separate local location. - Open the server’s Tools section in the Nitrado control panel.
- Select Restore Backup.
- Choose the snapshot dated before the unwanted change. Use a server backup when the entire server must move back; use a game-internal backup when you only need to reverse a recent in-game change and that option is available.
- Confirm the restore and allow the panel to complete the operation. Do not start the server midway through the restore.
- Start the server only after the control panel indicates that the restore has finished.
The restored snapshot replaces the current progression. The local copy you made in step two is what lets you return to the pre-restore state if the selected date is wrong or the result is incomplete.
When the built-in route is the better choice
- The required date is listed in the backup tool.
- You want the world, players, and tribes to move together as one snapshot.
- You do not need to merge files from two different saves.
- You want a date-based rollback rather than an import from another computer.
Route 2: replace save files manually
Manual replacement is appropriate for a supplied archive, a single-player save, an official save, or a snapshot that is not present in the host’s restore list. It gives you control over exactly which files are uploaded, but it also gives you more ways to create a mismatch.
- Stop the server. Confirm that it is offline before opening the file browser or FTP connection.
- Preserve the current directory. Download or copy the existing
SavedArksfolder and keep it outside the server’s live path. - Open the live save path. In the file browser or an FTP connection, navigate to
arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. - Open the map directory. Select the folder for the configured map, for example
TheIsland_WP. - Inspect the existing files. Identify the current world
.ark, player.arkprofilefiles, and tribe.arktribefiles before removing anything. - Remove or move the default world file. Do not permanently discard it; your separate backup is the recovery copy. The replacement must not compete with an old world file under a different name.
- Upload the replacement set. Add the map
.arkand the matching player and tribe files from the save you intend to use. - Correct the map filename. Rename the uploaded world file to the exact name expected by the configured map, such as
TheIsland_WP.ark,TheCenter_WP.ark, orScorchedEarth_WP.ark. - Check the destination. Make sure the files are inside the correct map folder, not one directory above it or inside an extra folder created when an archive was extracted.
- Restart the server. Start it after all uploads have completed.
Why the complete file set matters
A map-only upload can produce a world that looks correct while the expected characters or tribe ownership is absent. Include the matching profiles and tribe files whenever the source save contains them. If you intentionally want a world without those players or tribes, document that choice before replacing the files; otherwise, treat missing companion files as an incomplete restore rather than as a successful one.
Uploading an official or single-player save
An external save must be prepared before it is placed on the server. Keep the source archive unchanged so you can repeat the upload if a filename or destination is wrong. Work from a copy when renaming the map file.
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- Identify the map represented by the source save.
- Locate its world
.arkfile and the associated.arkprofileand.arktribefiles. - Confirm that the server is configured for that same map.
- Rename the world file to the server’s expected map filename if necessary.
- Stop the server and back up the live
SavedArksfolder. - Upload the files into the matching map directory using the host’s file browser or FTP.
- Restart and perform the validation checks below before declaring the import complete.
Do not assume that a correctly named map file alone transfers a character or tribe. Those records are separate files and must be uploaded with the world when they are part of the intended save.
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File browser or FTP: choosing the transfer method
| Method | Best use | Checks to make |
|---|---|---|
| Host file browser | Small, occasional replacements when the panel exposes the complete path | Verify the map folder, filename, and that every upload finished |
| FTP | Larger transfers or repeated work when the host supplies FTP access | Verify the remote directory and transfer status before disconnecting |
The recovery result does not depend on which transfer method you choose. It depends on stopping the server, preserving the old files, placing the replacement set in the correct map directory, and using the expected map filename.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Validate the restore after restart
Do not judge a restore solely by whether the server appears online. Join it with a test account or a trusted administrator account and check the data that matters to your community.
- World: Confirm that the terrain, bases, creatures, and recent changes correspond to the intended date.
- Character: Verify that the expected character can log in and that its level, inventory, and position are correct.
- Tribe: Check tribe membership, ownership of structures, and access to tribe inventories.
- Persistence: Make a harmless change, leave the server, reconnect, and confirm that the change saves normally.
- Scope: Ensure that the server loaded the intended map rather than an older map file left in another directory.
If any critical check fails, stop the server before making more changes. Restore the preserved pre-change copy or return to the known-good snapshot rather than layering another unverified upload on top.
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Troubleshoot the common failure patterns
The server starts, but the old world appears
Check that the replacement file is in the configured map directory and that its name matches the map’s expected filename. An uploaded file in the parent SavedArks directory, an extra extraction folder, or a differently named .ark can leave the server loading another world. Stop the server, correct the location or name, and start it again.
The world is correct, but a character is missing
The map file does not contain every player profile. Confirm that the intended SteamID.arkprofile file was included in the replacement set and placed in the same map directory used by the server. If you removed it, use the preserved copy rather than guessing at a filename.
Structures exist but tribe ownership is wrong
Tribe data is stored separately in .arktribe files. Recheck that the matching tribe file from the source save was uploaded. A world and player profile from different points in time can produce ownership that does not match the structures.
The server will not load after an upload
Stop it again and compare the destination with the documented path: arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/, followed by the appropriate map folder. Confirm that the world file has the expected map name and that the upload completed. If the result remains unusable, restore the pre-change copy you downloaded before attempting the manual replacement.
The selected backup is too old or otherwise wrong
Stop the server and use the separate pre-restore copy to recover the previous state. A backup restore is not a preview; selecting another date changes the live progression again, so preserve the current failed result before trying a different snapshot if you may need to inspect it later.
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Choose the right recovery route
| Situation | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The needed date is listed in Nitrado backups | Tools > Restore Backup | Applies a date-based snapshot without hand-selecting files |
| A recent in-game action must be reversed | Game-internal backup, when available | Designed for a narrower rollback |
| The entire server must return to an earlier date | Server backup | Rolls the complete server state back together |
| A single-player or official save must be imported | Manual replacement | Requires uploading the supplied map, player, and tribe files |
| You need an undo option during either route | Separate local copy first | Provides a rollback path if the result is wrong |
Keep future restores safe
- Stop the server before every save-file operation, even if the change appears minor.
- Keep the current live folder until the replacement has passed login, tribe, ownership, and persistence checks.
- Store at least one copy outside the hosting account so a mistaken restore does not remove every version.
- Label copies with the map and date; an unlabeled archive is difficult to select confidently during an emergency.
- When importing a save, keep the original archive unchanged and perform renaming on a working copy.
- Restore the world, player profiles, and tribe files as a coherent set whenever the source save includes all three.
The reliable sequence is simple: stop, copy, select or upload, verify the map filename and destination, restart, test, and only then return the server to normal play.
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