Menu
  Log out
 

Rust World Serialization Error Fix for Dedicated Server

Rust Guide โ€ข Updated Feb 21, 2026

Rust World Serialization Error Fix for Dedicated Server

The World Serialization Error is one of the most feared messages for Rust dedicated server administrators. It usually appears as Disconnected: World Serialization Mismatch when a player tries to join. This means the map data on the server doesn't match the compressed data being sent to the client. This guide covers how to repair these CRC errors without wiping your server.

๐Ÿ” The CRC Check

Rust performs a "Cyclic Redundancy Check" on the map file. If a single byte is corrupted during saving or transmission, the client will reject the connection.

๐Ÿ’พ I/O Corruption

Serialization errors are almost always caused by an ungraceful shutdown or a failing SSD during the server's periodic save cycle.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Force a Re-Serialization

Sometimes the error is just in the *compressed* version of the map. You can force the server to rebuild this by deleting the temporary .map cache:

  1. Stop your Rust dedicated server.
  2. Navigate to /server/{identity}/.
  3. Delete any file ending in .map (NOT the .sav files).
  4. Restart the server. The process may take 1-2 minutes longer as it regenerates the serialization cache from the .sav data.

2. Repair Corrupted .sav Files

If deleting the .map file doesn't help, your primary procedural_xxx.sav might be corrupted. Rust keeps backups by default. Look for procedural_xxx.sav.old or procedural_xxx.1.sav:

  • Rename the current (corrupted) .sav to .bak.
  • Rename the latest backup (e.g., .1.sav) to match the primary filename.
  • Restart the server. You may lose 10-60 minutes of progress, but the server will be joinable again.

3. Client-Side Integrity Check

If ONLY ONE player is reporting the error, the problem is on their machine. They must "Verify Integrity of Game Files" in Steam. This clears their local /maps/ cache which may have been corrupted during the download.

Prevention: To avoid these errors, always use the quit command in RCON to shut down your server. Power-killing a Rust server during a save cycle is a 90% guarantee for serialization errors.

Host Stability

Low-quality hosts with oversold SSDs often suffer from "Late Writes," where the save data is committed to the disk after the server thinks the process is finished. At Supercraft, we use Enterprise-grade NVMe drives with Power Loss Protection (PLP) to ensure your world data is safely committed even during hardware failures.

โ† Back to Rust Guides
Top