How to Move a 7 Days to Die Save to a Dedicated Server

To move a 7 Days to Die save to a dedicated server, copy two things from your PC: the save folder %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves\<World>\<GameName> and, for a random generated map, the map folder %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\GeneratedWorlds\<World>. Upload them to the same Saves and GeneratedWorlds folders in the server's user data folder, then set GameWorld to the world's exact name and GameName to the save's folder name. Client and server must be on the same game version.

What you can and cannot move

Before you start

• Quit the game from the menu so the save is written. Never move a save while it is loaded.
• Back up the whole %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie folder.
• Match the version. Check your version on the main menu and run the server on the same release or branch. See the version mismatch fix.
• Match the mods. Every modlet or overhaul in the save goes on the server, same versions.

Step 1: Find the files on your PC

GameWorld is the map. GameName is what you typed as the game name when you started the save. On the Windows client:

Inside the save folder you find Region/ (every block you placed), Player/ (one file per character), main.ttp (day, time and blood moon counter) and the map exploration files. Copy the whole folder, never parts.

RWG world names are generated, like Hupavi Valley, and include spaces. Write the name down exactly as the folder shows it.

Step 2: Stop the server and back it up

On the server, stop it with shutdown or the stop button so it saves cleanly. If it already generated a world on first start, back up or delete that save, since you are replacing it.

Step 3: Upload to the matching folders

The dedicated server keeps saves in its user data folder, which on Linux is ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/ unless UserDataFolder or SaveGameFolder in serverconfig.xml point somewhere else. On GamezServers that is .local/share/7DaysToDie/ in the server's files.

Keep the same structure: the world name folder, then the game name folder inside it. Zip big saves and extract them on the server, or use SFTP.

Step 4: Point the server at the save

Set two values to match the folder names exactly, capitals and spaces included:

<property name="GameWorld" value="Hupavi Valley" />
<property name="GameName"  value="MyCoopGame" />

Leave WorldGenSeed and WorldGenSize alone. They only matter when the server has to generate a new map, and it will not when a map with the GameWorld name already exists in GeneratedWorlds. The 7 Days to Die wiki's migration guide lists the same steps.

Start the server and watch the log for the world and save loading, then join.

The gotcha: the command line beats serverconfig.xml

Many server setups, GamezServers included, start the server with -GameWorld= and -GameName= on the command line, filled in from the control panel. Command line values override serverconfig.xml. So you can edit serverconfig.xml perfectly, restart, and still get a fresh world, because the panel's values won.

On GamezServers, set World to the map name (Hupavi Valley, or Navezgane) and Save name to your game name in Settings, not only in the file. The other half of the same trap is forgetting GeneratedWorlds: without the map folder, the server either errors that the world is missing or generates a brand new map with that name, and your bases end up floating over the wrong terrain.

What happens to characters

Every character, including the host's, is saved in the Player folder as a file named after the player's platform ID (EOS ID on current versions, Steam ID on older saves). When players join the server with the same account, they get their level, skills and backpack back.

If someone shows up at level 1, the game is looking up a different ID from the one their file is named after, usually because they joined with another account or platform. Their old file is still in Player, so stop the server and restore it from your backup rather than letting them play on.

Game rules are another matter: blood moon frequency, loot and XP come from the server's settings, not the save. Paste your sandbox code in the panel to match the rules you played with. Our 7 Days to Die server settings guide explains each.

Common problems

• Server makes a brand new world: GameWorld or GameName does not match the folders, or the panel values override your config.
• Bases floating or missing on an RWG map: the GeneratedWorlds folder did not upload, so the server made a new map.
• "World not found" in the log: the map folder name differs from GameWorld, often a missing space.
• Players at level 1: missing Player files or a different account. Restore from backup.
• Crash on load: a mod differs, or the save is from another version.

On GamezServers

On a 7 Days to Die server from GamezServers, you upload through the SFTP login in Settings or the file manager, which handles zips, extracts them and can download a file from a link straight to the server. Click Backup before replacing the save, set World and Save name in Settings, and horde night keeps its schedule without anyone's PC on. Setting up from scratch? See how to host a 7 Days to Die server.

FAQ

Where are 7 Days to Die saves stored?

In %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves\<World>\<GameName> on Windows. Random generated maps are in %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\GeneratedWorlds.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Yes, if the whole save folder moves and they join with the same account. Characters are files in the save's Player folder.

Do I need the GeneratedWorlds folder?

Yes, for any random generated map. Navezgane and pregenerated worlds ship with the server and only need the save.

Can I move a console save to a PC server?

No. PlayStation and Xbox saves cannot be copied as files, so console players start a new world on the server.