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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo wipe every player’s learned blueprints while keeping the Rust world intact, stop the server, back up the entire server.identity directory, then remove the current player.blueprints database and its matching -wal journal file if one exists. Restart the server and verify the reset with an account that previously had researched recipes. Do not delete the *.sav file: that is the map and world-state save.
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What a blueprint wipe changes
Rust stores learned recipes separately from the world save. The persistent blueprint database is named player.blueprints; depending on the server build, it may include a protocol-version suffix. SQLite-style journaling can also create a companion file ending in -wal. Removing the database targets players’ learned recipes.
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The map save uses the *.sav pattern. Facepunch’s server documentation identifies that save as the location for map data, entities, player buildings and deployables. Deleting it is a world or map wipe, not a blueprint-only reset. If your goal is to make everyone research recipes again while preserving bases, monuments, deployables and the current map, leave every *.sav file untouched.
Choose the right reset scope
| Goal | Recommended method | What remains unchanged |
|---|---|---|
| Reset learned blueprints for every player once | Stop the server and delete the blueprint database, including its matching WAL journal when present | The *.sav world save and its map state |
| Reset one player’s blueprints | Use the uMod Blueprint Manager bpreset command with the player’s name or ID |
Other players’ blueprints and the world |
| Remove only selected recipes | Use Blueprint Manager’s bpremove command |
Recipes not named in the command |
| Grant recipes after a reset | Use Blueprint Manager’s bpunlock or bpunlockall |
The map and any recipes not changed by the command |
A normal map wipe does not inherently mean a blueprint wipe in this file model. The two states are stored separately, so an operator must deliberately remove the blueprint store or configure a plugin to do so.
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Before touching the files
Announce the maintenance window
Tell players when the reset will happen and whether it affects everyone or only selected accounts. A blueprint reset changes progression immediately after the next successful login, so announcing it prevents players from mistaking the change for data loss or a server fault.
Stop the Rust process cleanly
Do not delete a live database. Stop the server through the control panel, service manager or console command used by your installation, and wait until the process has exited. A running process can keep the database or journal open and may write old state back after you remove a file.
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Copy the whole server.identity directory to a separate location before deleting anything. Preserve the directory structure and use a date-and-time name so you can identify the backup later. A complete copy gives you a rollback path for an accidental deletion, a mistaken identity directory or an unexpected migration error.
Backing up only the blueprint file is less reliable than copying the identity directory. The directory may contain the map save, configuration-related state and journal files that help establish which server instance you changed. Keep the original backup read-only or otherwise protected from an automatic cleanup job.
Vanilla file procedure: wipe everyone and keep the map
- Schedule and announce the reset. State that learned recipes will be cleared and that the map will remain. If the server has several identities or instances, record which one is being maintained.
- Stop the server cleanly. Confirm that the Rust process has ended before opening the identity directory.
- Back up
server.identity. Copy the complete directory to dated storage outside the live location. Verify that the copy contains the files you expect before proceeding. - Open the live identity directory. Locate the current blueprint database. Its base name is
player.blueprints, but a protocol-version suffix may be present, so match the complete filename used by your installation rather than assuming an exact extension or suffix. - Check for journaling files. Look for a file with the same database name followed by
-wal. The WAL is a write-ahead journal associated with the database. Treat it as part of the same reset operation. - Delete only the blueprint store and its journal. Remove the live
player.blueprintsdatabase and the matching-walfile when present. Do not remove any*.savfile unless you intentionally want a map wipe as well. - Start the server. Watch the startup console for database-open, migration or permission errors. Let initialization finish before allowing players to connect.
- Verify with a known account. Join with an account that had previously researched an item, or have an administrator observe the account’s recipe state. Confirm that the previously learned blueprint is no longer learned, then test a normal research or unlock action if appropriate for your server rules.
- Record the change. Note the date, identity directory, files removed and backup location. This makes a later rollback or audit much easier.
Facepunch’s server guidance summarizes the key requirement: “If you wanted to force a blueprint wipe you would need to delete the blueprints file at the same time.” In practice, that means removing the current blueprint database rather than a similarly named configuration file, and accounting for the journal companion.
How to identify the correct database
Rust installations can expose a protocol-version suffix in the blueprint filename. The suffix is a version detail, not a different kind of player progression. Use the file that begins with player.blueprints in the identity directory currently used by the server process.
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If more than one identity directory exists, do not guess. Check the startup configuration, service definition or control-panel instance mapping that determines the active server.identity location. A perfectly executed deletion in an inactive directory has no effect on players and can create a misleading impression that the wipe failed.
Keep the database and WAL pairing together. Deleting only the main database while leaving a journal can leave recoverable changes available to the next startup. Deleting a journal that belongs to a different database is also unsafe, so compare the complete base name before removing it.
Verification after the restart
Check a previously researched recipe
Use a test account with a documented, previously learned item. Inspect the crafting or blueprint interface after the account joins. The relevant result is that the recipe is no longer marked as learned, not merely that the player has disconnected or that the interface has refreshed.
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Check more than one account when practical
A single account confirms that one record changed. If the reset was intended for every player, have an administrator observe a second account or ask a trusted player to confirm independently. This can reveal an identity mismatch or a plugin rule that affects only certain accounts.
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Read the startup console
Look for database-open failures, migration messages, permission errors or a plugin exception. A clean restart followed by a successful account check is stronger evidence than either step alone. Keep the backup until verification is complete and players have had a normal login cycle.
uMod Blueprint Manager: controlled alternatives
If the server runs uMod and has the Blueprint Manager plugin installed, you can perform targeted or repeatable operations without manually deleting the database. Use the command syntax documented for the version installed on your server; community examples may differ from a current release.
| Command | Effect | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
bpwipeall |
Wipes blueprints for every player | A full progression reset while leaving the map files in place |
bpreset "player name or id" |
Resets one player’s blueprints | Correcting or restarting an individual account |
bpremove "player name or id" "item shortname" ... |
Removes selected blueprints from one player | Taking back a particular recipe without clearing all progress |
bpunlock |
Grants selected blueprints | Restoring an approved recipe after a reset |
bpunlockall |
Grants all blueprints | Administrative or event servers that should start fully unlocked |
Plugin configuration that affects wipes
The documented configuration includes Wipe BPs with Map Wipe. The example configuration shows this setting as false, which means a map-wipe workflow does not automatically clear blueprints under that example. Review the actual value in your installed configuration before relying on it.
Blueprint Manager also exposes default-blueprint and timed-unlock controls. Those settings can change what players receive after a reset or when recipes become available, so record them before a major progression event and test the resulting behavior with an administrator account.
Community API syntax
A uMod community discussion demonstrates a targeted reset through a BasePlayer object and basePlayer.blueprints.Reset(). Treat that syntax as supplementary rather than authoritative: verify the method and permissions against the plugin and server build you actually run. Direct file deletion remains the all-player route when you are not using a plugin.
File deletion versus a plugin
| Decision factor | Direct database removal | Blueprint Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All players in the active identity | All players, one player or selected recipes |
| Repeatability | Best suited to an occasional maintenance operation | Commands can be reused for recurring events |
| Dependency | Uses the vanilla server files | Requires uMod and a compatible plugin installation |
| Rollback | Depends on the pre-wipe identity backup | Still requires backups for dependable recovery |
| Automation | External scripts or scheduled maintenance are required | Configuration can integrate blueprint behavior with map wipes and timed unlocks |
Choose direct deletion when you need a one-time, all-player reset and can schedule downtime. Choose the plugin when operators need account-level controls, selective removal or repeatable commands. Neither method removes the need to stop and back up before a broad change.
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The safe boundary is simple: the blueprint database changes; the *.sav map save does not. Buildings, deployables, entities and the current terrain remain tied to the save file. If you remove or replace that save, you have crossed into a world wipe regardless of whether the blueprint database was also deleted.
When using a hosting control panel, identify the file-management area for the specific server identity rather than a global data directory. Panels may display multiple instances or backups, so verify the instance name and last-modified time before removing a file. If the panel offers a built-in restart, use it only after the file operation has completed.
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Troubleshooting: old blueprints still appear
The server was still running
Stop the process again and confirm that no Rust server process remains. Restore the backup if necessary, repeat the deletion while offline, then restart and verify. A live process can preserve open database state or write it back during shutdown.
The WAL file remained
Return to the active identity directory and look for the matching -wal file. Remove the journal together with the database during a stopped-server window. Do not remove unrelated journals whose base names do not match the blueprint database.
The wrong identity directory was edited
Compare the directory you changed with the identity path used by the running instance. Multiple servers on one machine commonly have separate identities. If the startup configuration points elsewhere, repeat the backup and deletion in that active directory.
A plugin restored or granted progress
Review Blueprint Manager and other progression-related plugins for default-blueprint, timed-unlock or restoration behavior. Temporarily disable or adjust the relevant rule during verification, then test again. Plugin behavior depends on the installed configuration and version, so do not assume that a file wipe overrides a plugin that deliberately grants recipes.
The account check was misleading
Use an account with a known previous recipe state and inspect the actual learned marker after a fresh login. A cached interface, an account that never learned the item or an administrator permission can produce a false conclusion. Test a second account when the reset is meant to be global.
The server reports a database or migration error
Stop the server, preserve the error log and restore the dated identity backup. Confirm filesystem permissions and available disk space, then determine whether the server build expects a particular database suffix. Do not delete additional world files while diagnosing a blueprint database problem.
Rollback and operational records
If the wipe was accidental, stop the server before restoring anything. Keep the current post-wipe identity directory separate, then restore the pre-wipe backup over the active identity directory and restart. This returns the server to the state captured by that backup; changes made after the backup may not be recoverable from it.
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Practical checklist
- Confirm that the objective is a blueprint reset, not a world wipe.
- Announce the timing and affected players.
- Stop the Rust server cleanly.
- Back up the complete active
server.identitydirectory. - Identify the current
player.blueprintsfilename, including any protocol suffix. - Remove the matching database and
-waljournal when present. - Leave every
*.savmap save untouched. - Restart and inspect the console for errors.
- Verify with an account that had a known learned recipe.
- Keep the backup until the reset is confirmed and documented.
The Bottom Line
A blueprint-only wipe means deleting the active player.blueprints database, handling its matching -wal file, and leaving the *.sav map save alone. Stop and back up first; use Blueprint Manager when you need targeted or repeatable resets.
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