How to Back Up and Restore Saves on Your Vintage Story Server

Whether you are preparing for a major game update, moving an existing local world to a dedicated server, or just want to keep your hard-earned progress safe, managing your save files is a crucial part of server ownership. In Vintage Story, each save file represents a complete world, and conveniently, character data is stored right alongside the world data!

By default, world saves are stored in the Server/Saves directory under the name defaultsave. This guide will walk you through exactly how to back up your current worlds and how to upload or restore a different one on your server.

How to Back Up Your World

There are two easy methods to create a backup of your Vintage Story world: manually downloading the files, or using a quick console command.

Method A: Manual Backup (Recommended for full downloads) This method is great if you want to keep a copy of your world securely on your own personal computer.

1. Log into your server panel and navigate to the File Manager.

   

    

2. Open the Server/ folder, and then open the Saves/ folder.

   

    

3. Select your world files (you can select all files here to back up every save stored on the server).
4. Click Download to save these files directly to your computer. 

You can choose the Saves and then download it and just rename it on your local pc.

Method B: Console Backup. This method generates a quick backup that stays directly on your server.

1. Log in to your server panel and navigate to the Console tab.

   

    

2. Type /genbackup into the command line and press Enter.

   

    

3. The server will automatically generate a backup. You can find this newly created backup inside your File Manager at Server/Backups/, neatly organized by the save name and the exact date it was created.

   

How to Restore, Migrate, or Load a Different World

If you want to upload a world from your PC (or restore a backup you made earlier), the process is quite straightforward. A single Vintage Story world usually consists of 3 to 4 separate files that all share the exact same prefix name (for example: defaultsave.vcdbs, defaultsave.vcdbs-wal, and defaultsave.vcdbs-shm).

1. Log into your server panel and go to Actions > Shutdown to make sure the server is completely offline before making file changes.

   

    

2. Navigate to your File Manager and open the Server/Saves/ directory.

   

    

3. Upload your 3 to 4 save files directly into this folder by dropping them on the upload bubble above the File Manager path.

1. Navigate to your Basic Settings tab on the server panel.

   

    

2. Locate the Save File Name field. You must type the exact name of your uploaded world files, excluding the file extensions. (For example, if your uploaded files are named myworld.vcdbs, you will only type myworld into this box).

   

   

    

3. Optional but Recommended: If you are migrating a world from another server or local game, upload your original serverconfig.json to the root directory to replace the existing one, which preserves your original world settings.

4. Go to Actions > Restart to boot up the server and load directly into your restored world!

   

Troubleshooting & Tips

• Creating a Brand New World: If you ever want to start completely fresh, you do not need to delete your old files. Simply go to Basic Settings, change the Save File Name to something completely new (like newworld2), and restart the server. The game will automatically generate a fresh world under that new name!

  

   

• Server Fails to Load Save: Double-check your Save File Name in the basic settings. Ensure you did not accidentally type the .vcdbs extension into the text box. The server only needs the prefix name to locate all the associated files.

Conclusion

Managing your Vintage Story worlds is incredibly simple once you know where the files are located. Getting into a routine of backing up your Server/Saves folder is the absolute best way to manage a stress-free environment for you and your players.

If you encounter any issues or have further questions, feel free to contact our support team for assistance!

Happy gaming!