Project Zomboid: Back Up and Restore Server Save & Player Data

Project Zomboid: Back Up and Restore Server Save & Player Data

Where the save data lives

Project Zomboid keeps all server data under a Zomboid folder in the home directory of the user that runs the server. The exact location depends on the operating system:

• Linux: ~/Zomboid/ (for example /home/youruser/Zomboid/)
• Windows: C:\Users\<YourUser>\Zomboid\

You can move this location by passing -Duser.home=<path> in the server's Java arguments, so some managed hosts mount it elsewhere in their file manager (for example under a config or server-data folder). The structure underneath is always the same.

What a complete backup contains

The character and world data lives in two places. Back up both.

1. The world folder

Path: Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/ (replace servertest with your server name). Key files:

• players.db — SQLite database holding every character on the server. In Build 41 and later, character data was moved out of the map files into this database. For multiplayer it uses the networkPlayers table.
• vehicles.db — SQLite database for vehicles.
• map_*.bin — the world chunk files (one per region of the map), holding everything that has been altered: loot, built structures, dead zombies, and so on.
• map_t.bin — world time and metadata such as the in-game date.
• map_sand.bin — the active sandbox settings for the world.

SQLite may briefly create sidecar files such as players.db-wal or players.db-journal while the server is writing. They are transient. As long as you back up from a stopped server, copying players.db alone is sufficient; if any sidecar files are present, copy them too.

2. The accounts / whitelist database

Path: Zomboid/db/servertest.db. This separate SQLite database stores user accounts and the whitelist (usernames, password hashes, and access levels). It is not inside the world folder. If you only restore the world folder, the world returns but player accounts may not, so include this file in a full backup.

Backing up

The reliable approach is to stop the server first, then copy the folder. A live copy can capture a half-written database.

Manual copy

1. Stop the Project Zomboid server.
2. Copy the world folder Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/ and the accounts database Zomboid/db/servertest.db to your backup location. On a hosting control panel, use the file manager or an FTP client such as FileZilla.
3. Restart the server.

Command-line backup script (Linux)

#!/bin/bash
# Project Zomboid save backup
# Run with the server stopped for a clean copy.

ZOMBOID="$HOME/Zomboid"
SERVER="servertest"          # your server name
BACKUP_PATH="$HOME/pz-backups"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_PATH"

tar -czf "$BACKUP_PATH/pz_${SERVER}_$DATE.tar.gz" \
  -C "$ZOMBOID" \
  "Saves/Multiplayer/$SERVER" \
  "db/$SERVER.db"

echo "Backup written: $BACKUP_PATH/pz_${SERVER}_$DATE.tar.gz"

Scheduling automatic backups

On Linux, add the script to cron:

# Edit your crontab
crontab -e

# Daily backup at 04:00
0 4 * * * /home/youruser/scripts/backup_pz.sh >> /home/youruser/pz_backup.log 2>&1

On Windows, register the equivalent batch script with Task Scheduler:

schtasks /create /tn "PZ Daily Backup" /tr "C:\Scripts\backup_pz.bat" /sc daily /st 04:00 /f

Restoring

1. Stop the server completely.
2. Back up the current data (run the backup above) so you can roll back if needed.
3. Extract the backup archive to a temporary folder if it is compressed.
4. Replace the files in Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/ and Zomboid/db/servertest.db with the backed-up versions. Keep the server name identical.
5. Check permissions so the server user owns the files (typically 644 for files, 755 for folders on Linux).
6. Start the server and have a player log in to confirm their character loads.

Partial restores

Because characters and the map are in different files, you can mix and match:

• Recover characters, keep the current world: restore only players.db.
• Reset the world, keep characters: restore the map_*.bin chunk files and keep the current players.db. (Players may then be standing in a reset area, so use with care.)

Troubleshooting

Corrupted player database

Symptoms: players cannot connect, the server errors when a player joins, or database errors appear in the log.

Fix: restore players.db from the most recent clean backup. This is why frequent backups matter; a corrupted database usually cannot be repaired in place.

Restored save loads as an empty world

Cause: almost always a server-name mismatch. The .ini, _SandboxVars.lua, and the world folder name must all match the name the server is started with.

Backups are large

The map_*.bin chunk files grow with how much of the map has been explored. Compress backups (the tar -czf above already does), prune old archives on a retention schedule, and store an off-site copy.

Good practice

• Back up from a stopped server for a consistent copy of the SQLite databases.
• Keep multiple dated copies rather than overwriting one backup, so you can roll back past a corruption you did not notice immediately.
• Back up before updates and before any wipe, and keep at least one off-site copy.
• Test a restore occasionally so you know the procedure works before you actually need it.

Looking for managed Project Zomboid server hosting? Supercraft runs Project Zomboid dedicated servers with daily backups, instant setup, and 5 region options. Plans from $5.99/mo.