Valheim dedicated server save location

Okay, fellow Vikings! Ever poured hours, maybe hundreds of hours, into crafting the perfect Valheim base, taming those grumpy Lox, or finally conquering Yagluth with your buddies on your dedicated server, only to have that cold sweat moment: “Where… where are the actual save files?”

Maybe you need to back things up (smart!), move your world to a new host, or heaven forbid, try and recover from a glitch. Knowing where your Valheim dedicated server tucks away your precious world data is crucial.

It’s not always as straightforward as finding your local single-player saves. Dedicated servers, especially on different operating systems like Windows and Linux, or when using hosting providers, can have their own quirks. Fear not, we’re going to break it down, nice and simple.

Why Bother Finding Your Server Saves Anyway?

You might think, “My server runs fine, why do I need to dig into its files?” Trust me, there are plenty of good reasons:

1. Backups! Backups! Backups! Glitches can happen. Server hardware can fail. Regular backups mean you won’t lose progress.
2. Moving Your World: Going from self-hosted to a hosting provider? You’ll need to bring your save files along.
3. Sharing Your World: Let a friend host for a bit? Zip your files and send them.
4. Troubleshooting: Sometimes saves get corrupted. Backups help restore your world.
5. Advanced Tinkering: Want to view or edit map data with tools? You’ll need the save files. Always back up first!

The Basics: How Valheim Usually Stores Worlds

Each world typically has two key files:

• YourWorldName.db – The main map and data.
• YourWorldName.fwl – Metadata like seed, version, etc.

Both are needed. You may also see .db.old and .fwl.old – those are automatic backups.

Finding Valheim Dedicated Server Saves on Windows

Default local game saves go here:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local

Or use this shortcut:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local

But that’s not where your dedicated server saves are!

Common Windows Dedicated Server Save Locations:

• Inside the server install folder, e.g. C:\ValheimServer\saves\worlds
• Defined in your start_server.bat script with -savedir
• Use File Explorer search: name:YourWorldName.db

Example batch script with -savedir:

@echo off
set SAVE_PATH="C:\ValheimSaves"
start "" valheim_server -savedir "%SAVE_PATH%"

Finding Valheim Dedicated Server Saves on Linux

Local saves on Linux:

~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local

Common Linux Server Save Locations:

• Within install directory: /home/steam/valheim_server/saves/worlds
• Defined in a startup shell script or systemd service
• Inside Docker volumes (check docker-compose.yml)

Example Linux startup script:

#!/bin/bash
SAVE_PATH="/home/steam/valheim_saves"
./valheim_server.x86_64 -savedir "$SAVE_PATH"

Got the Files? What Now?

Backups

1. Stop the server
2. Copy the worlds_local folder
3. Paste to external or cloud storage
4. Zip it if uploading
5. Restart server

Moving/Restoring

1. Stop target server
2. Paste files into the new save directory
3. Check permissions (especially on Linux)
4. Ensure server config points to your world name
5. Start server

Troubleshooting Tips

• New world generated? Check file names and -world flag
• World corrupted? Try restoring from .old backups
• -savedir not working? Check script syntax and path existence

Wrapping Up: Guard Your Saga!

• Use -savedir for predictability
• Stop server before copying files
• Copy both .db and .fwl
• Backup regularly
• Check permissions on Linux

Now go forth, Viking! Backup your legacy and keep your saga alive. Skål!