Your Project Zomboid world is backed up automatically on Wilderack: every time the server sleeps, and every 10 minutes while it runs. You can also make, restore and download backups in Backups, and bring in a world you played in single player, hosted from the game, or ran on another host.
How backups work on Wilderack
| Backup | When | Kept |
|---|---|---|
| Latest safe copy | Every time the server sleeps, and every 10 minutes while it runs | Always the newest one |
| Your own backups | When you make one in Backups, with a label | Until you delete them |
| Scheduled backups | When a schedule in Schedules runs | Oldest replaced when your slots are full |
| Safety backups | Before risky steps: switching games, restoring, updating, installing mods | 7 days |
Before each backup we ask the game to save, so the copy matches what players see. Backups hold your world, player accounts, settings and mod lists. They never hold game files, which always install fresh from Steam. Workshop mods download again from Steam when the server starts.
Make, restore or download a backup
Make one: open Backups and make a backup. Give it a name you’ll remember, like “before the helicopter event”.
Restore one: pick a backup in Backups and restore it. We make a safety backup of the current world first, so you can change your mind.
Download one: choose download on any backup. You get a zip of your world, settings and accounts, with a link that works for 24 hours.
To get a single file back, like yesterday’s wilderack.ini, open it in Files and pick an earlier version by date.
Where the world lives on your server
| Folder or file | What’s in it |
|---|---|
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/wilderack/ |
The world: map pieces, characters, vehicles and more |
Zomboid/db/wilderack.db |
Player accounts, access levels and the whitelist |
Zomboid/Server/ |
Your settings files. See the config reference |
While the server runs, the world files are in use. Files marks them and asks you to stop the server before you change them.
Bring a world you hosted from the game
If you played with friends using the game’s Host button, your world is already a multiplayer world. It moves over cleanly, characters included.
On your PC, find these in your Zomboid folder. The name is the server name you hosted with, often servertest:
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/servertest/(the world)Zomboid/db/servertest.db(accounts)Zomboid/Server/servertest.ini,servertest_SandboxVars.luaandservertest_spawnregions.lua(settings)
Then:
- Check the build. A Build 41 world needs a Build 41 server, and a Build 42 world needs Build 42.
- Zip the world folder and upload it in Games > Bring your world. Or stop the server and upload the folder’s contents into
Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/wilderack/with Files or SFTP. - Upload the settings files to
Zomboid/Server/and the database toZomboid/db/. Rename each one fromservertesttowilderack, likewilderack.iniandwilderack.db. - Start the server. Players log in with the same usernames and passwords as before.
Stop the server before you replace world files. A running server overwrites them with its own copy when it saves.
Bring a single-player world
Single-player saves live in your user folder:
| System | Folder |
|---|---|
| Windows | C:\Users\YourName\Zomboid\Saves\ |
| macOS | /Users/YourName/Zomboid/Saves/ |
| Linux and Steam Deck | ~/Zomboid/Saves/ |
Inside, each game mode has a folder, like Sandbox, and each save has its own folder inside that. Project Zomboid is a PC game only, so there are no console saves to move.
What comes along and what doesn’t:
- The world comes along: the map, your base, what you’ve looted and the vehicles.
- Your character usually doesn’t. Single player stores characters differently from a server. Plan to start fresh characters in your old world.
- Sandbox settings come from the server file. Set
wilderack_SandboxVars.luato match your old game, or pick the same preset in Settings.
To move it, zip the save folder and upload it in Games > Bring your world. Or stop the server, back it up, and upload the save folder’s contents into Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/wilderack/. Keep a copy of the original save on your PC.
Move a world from another host
Download these from your old host: the world folder in Zomboid/Saves/Multiplayer/, the account database in Zomboid/db/, and the three settings files in Zomboid/Server/. Then follow the same steps as for a hosted world, renaming each file to wilderack. Copy the Mods= and WorkshopItems= lines too, so the same mods load.
Keep several worlds
The Games tab can hold several saves, for example a Build 41 world and a Build 42 world. Switch between them any time, with a backup taken first. Your address stays the same.
Questions
Where are Project Zomboid saves on Windows?
In C:\Users\YourName\Zomboid\Saves. Single-player games sit in a folder per game mode, such as Sandbox. Games you hosted with the Host button sit in Saves\Multiplayer, in a folder named after the server.
Can I move my single-player Project Zomboid world to a server?
The world can come along, with its map, buildings and loot. Your single-player character usually can't, because single player stores characters differently. Plan to make a new character on the server.
Can I put a Build 41 world on a Build 42 server?
No. The Indie Stone says Build 41 saves don't work in Build 42. Keep the world on a Build 41 server instead. You can keep both worlds on one Wilderack server and switch between them in Games.
Does a Project Zomboid server backup include player characters?
Yes. On a server, characters, accounts and the world are all stored on the server, so a backup holds everything except the game files.
Sources we checked
- Build 42 stable plans (save compatibility)The Indie Stone
- Dedicated serverPZwiki (official Project Zomboid wiki)
- Server settingsPZwiki (official Project Zomboid wiki)
