How to Backup Valheim Save Data

Valheim is an Early Access game, and world corruption can happen. It is critical to take regular backups of your world files, especially before installing mods or updating the server.

Where are the Save Files?

Valheim stores worlds and characters in different locations depending on your OS and setup.

Windows (Local / Dedicated)

Standard location:

%UserProfile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\

Inside, you will find:

• worlds_local/ (or just worlds/ in older versions)
• characters_local/

Linux (Dedicated Server)

Standard location:

~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/

Important Files

For each world, you need to back up two files:

• WorldName.fwl (World metadata)
• WorldName.db (The actual world database)

Warning: You must have BOTH files to restore a world. If you lose the .db file, you lose all progress.

How to Perform a Manual Backup

Method 1: FTP/SFTP (Dedicated Servers)

1. Stop your server. Never copy the .db file while the server is running, or you might copy a corrupted/incomplete file.
2. Connect to your server using an FTP client (FileZilla, etc.).
3. Navigate to the save folder (look for worlds_local).
4. Download the entire folder to your PC.
5. Restart the server.

Method 2: Automatic Backups (Script)

If you have SSH access to your Linux server, you can set up a simple cron job to zip the folder daily:

# Example cron job to backup daily at 4 AM
0 4 * * * /bin/tar -czf /home/user/backups/valheim_backup_$(date +\%F).tar.gz /home/user/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/

Restoring a Backup

1. Stop the server.
2. Delete or rename the existing (corrupted) .fwl and .db files.
3. Upload your backup copies.
4. Ensure the filenames match exactly what the server startup script expects (e.g., if your script loads "MyWorld", the files must be "MyWorld.fwl" and "MyWorld.db").
5. Start the server.

Valheim's Built-in Backups

Valheim now creates its own backups in the save folder, named WorldName.db.old or WorldName_backup_timestamp.db. If you have no other backups, you can try renaming these to WorldName.db to restore a previous state.

Advanced Backup Strategies

3-2-1 Backup Rule

Professional backup strategy to ensure you never lose data:

• 3 Copies: Keep three copies of your data.
• 2 Media Types: Store backups on different storage types (local hard drive, cloud, external drive).
• 1 Off-site: Always keep one backup in a different location.

Automated Backup Scheduling

High-Frequency Backups (Active Servers)

• Every 4 Hours: During heavy building or exploration phases.
• Pre-Events: Before major boss fights or risky expeditions.
• Post-Events: Immediately after significant achievements.
• Retention: Keep hourly backups for 24 hours, then prune.

Standard Backups (Normal Activity)

• Daily: Full backup every night at low-activity times (e.g., 4 AM).
• Weekly: Archive weekly backups to separate storage.
• Monthly: Create special milestone backups.
• Retention: Keep daily backups for 7 days, weekly for 4 weeks, monthly for 12 months.

Minimal Backups (Casual Servers)

• Every 2-3 Days: For lightly used servers.
• Pre-Version Updates: Always backup before game updates.
• Pre-Mod Changes: Backup before adding or removing mods.
• Retention: Keep last 5 backups with weekly archives.

Backup Rotation Strategy

Systematic approach to managing backup space:

• Grandfather-Father-Son:
  • Daily - Keep last 7 daily backups
  • Weekly - Keep last 4 weekly backups (Sundays)
  • Monthly - Keep last 12 monthly backups (1st of month)
• Tiered Storage:
  • Hot Storage: Last 24 hours, fastest access
  • Warm Storage: Last week, quick restore
  • Cold Storage: Older backups, archive quality
• Pruning: Automatically delete oldest backups when space limits reached.

Incremental vs Full Backups

Full Backups

• Description: Complete copy of entire world files.
• Pros: Complete restore point, simple process.
• Cons: Takes more time, uses more storage.
• Best For: Daily backups, milestone backups.

Incremental Backups

• Description: Only backup changes since last backup.
• Pros: Faster, uses less storage space.
• Cons: Requires previous backups to restore, more complex.
• Best For: Hourly backups, high-frequency saves.
• Valheim Note: Since world files are single large files, full backups are usually preferred.

Testing and Verification

Backups are useless if they don't work:

• Monthly Testing: Restore a backup to test server monthly.
• Verify Integrity: Check backup file sizes match expectations.
• Cross-Check: Compare backup timestamps with server events.
• Restore Practice: Practice restore procedure before you need it.
• Documentation: Keep backup and restore procedures documented.

Special Backup Scenarios

Before Major Changes

• Game Updates: Always backup before updating Valheim versions.
• Mod Installation: Backup before adding new mods.
• Mod Removal: Backup before removing mods that might have altered world.
• Server Migration: Backup completely before moving to new host.
• Structure Changes: Backup before massive terraforming or building projects.

World Corruption Recovery

• Immediate Action: Stop server immediately to prevent further corruption.
• .old Files: Check if .old backups contain good data.
• Multiple Backups: Try several backups to find latest clean version.
• Partial Recovery: If only one file is corrupted, try restoring just it.
• Professional Help: Contact support for advanced recovery if needed.

Catastrophic Recovery

• Complete Loss: If all server files are lost, use off-site backups.
• Multiple Locations: Check all backup locations for any surviving data.
• Partial Worlds: Accept losing some progress is better than losing all.
• Rebuild Strategy: Plan to rebuild from earliest available backup.
• Prevention: After recovery, implement more robust backup system.

Cloud and Off-site Backup Solutions

Cloud Storage Services

• Google Drive: 15GB free, good for occasional backups.
• Dropbox: 2GB free, excellent sync capabilities.
• OneDrive: 5GB free, integrated with Windows.
• Paid Cloud: Google Workspace, Dropbox Plus for unlimited storage.
• Automated Upload: Use scripts or tools to automatically upload backups.

FTP/SFTP to Remote Servers

• VPS / Dedicated: Use another server as backup location.
• Home Server: Backup to a home server or NAS.
• Friends' Servers: Arrange mutual backup arrangements with friends.
• Automation: Use cron jobs to schedule remote transfers.
• Compression: Compress backups before transfer to save bandwidth.

Backup Tools and Automation

Command Line Backup (Linux)

Create automated backup scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Valheim Automated Backup Script
DATE=$(date +%F)
SOURCE="/home/user/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local"
DESTINATION="/home/user/backups/valheim_$DATE.tar.gz"

# Create compressed backup
tar -czf $DESTINATION $SOURCE

# Keep only last 7 days of backups
find /home/user/backups/ -name "valheim_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete

# Optional: Upload to cloud storage
# rclone copy $DESTINATION remote:backups/

echo "Backup completed: $DESTINATION"

Windows Backup Scripts

PowerShell script for automated backups:

# Valheim Backup Script
$Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd"
$Source = "$env:USERPROFILE\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local"
$Destination = "C:\Backups\Valheim_$Date.zip"

# Create backup
Compress-Archive -Path $Source -DestinationPath $Destination

# Keep only last 7 days
Get-ChildItem "C:\Backups\" | Where-Object {$_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7)} | Remove-Item

Write-Host "Backup completed: $Destination"

Supercraft Integrated Backups

If using Supercraft hosting:

• Control Panel: Built-in backup scheduler and management.
• Off-site Storage: Automatic cloud backups included.
• One-Click Restore: Easy restore from panel interface.
• Retention Management: Automatic pruning of old backups.
• Download Option: Download backups to local storage anytime.