Valheim: Restoring a Backup
Valheim worlds can become corrupted due to crashes, bad mods, or version mismatches. Fortunately, the server keeps automatic backups.
1. The Save Format
Before 1.0, a save is the pair WorldName.db and WorldName.fwl. Valheim 1.0 uses a WorldName/ directory containing the matching _main.<n> files. Restore either format as one unit; never mix files from different saves.
2. Legacy .old Files
Valheim automatically creates .old copies of legacy files after successful saves. These are your first line of defense for pre-1.0 worlds; a 1.0 backup is a directory instead.
3. The Auto-Backups
Supercraft takes daily off-site backups found in the "Backups" tab. These are safer than local rollback files and preserve either the legacy pair or the complete 1.0 world directory.
Method 1: Legacy ".old" Files (Immediate Rollback)
If your pre-1.0 server just crashed and the world won't load:
- Stop the Server.
- Open **File Manager** and go to
/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/. - Locate your broken save files (e.g., `Dedicated.db` and `Dedicated.fwl`).
- **Delete** or Rename them (e.g., `Dedicated_broken.db`).
- Locate the backup files: `Dedicated.db.old` and `Dedicated.fwl.old`.
- **Rename** them to remove the `.old` extension.
- `Dedicated.db.old` -> `Dedicated.db`
- `Dedicated.fwl.old` -> `Dedicated.fwl`
- Start the Server. You will lose about 20-30 minutes of progress.
Method 1b: Modern 1.0 Backup Directory
For a 1.0 world, do not rename individual files. Stop the server, rename the current WorldName/ directory to a safety copy such as WorldName_broken/, then rename the matching WorldName_backup_.../ directory to WorldName/. Restore the complete directory, including its matching _main.<n>.fwl2, .db2, .chunks and .ok files.
Method 2: Restoring from Panel Backup
If the local rollback files or backup directory are also corrupted:
- Go to the **Backups** tab in your Supercraft Panel.
- Find a backup from a date/time when the server was working.
- Click **Restore**.
- Confirm the action. This will overwrite the current `worlds_local` folder.
- Restart.
Warning: Never restore a legacy database (.db) without its matching metadata (.fwl), and never restore only part of a 1.0 world directory. Mixing files from different dates can cause permanent terrain glitches or reset your seed.
For legacy saves, the free Valheim World Recovery tool pairs every .db/.fwl copy by variant (current, .old, dated auto-backups), checks each file for truncation, flags an orphaned or damaged half, and rebuilds the newest intact pair into a ready-to-upload zip. For 1.0 saves, keep the complete world directory together. Nothing is uploaded and your originals are untouched.
Safety first. Host your Valheim server with Supercraft and rest easy knowing our enterprise backup system protects your Viking saga from digital Ragnarok.