How to Move an Astroneer Save to a Dedicated Server

To move an Astroneer save to a dedicated server, copy the .savegame file from %LocalAppData%\Astro\Saved\SaveGames\ on your PC into the server's Astro/Saved/SaveGames/ folder, after removing the server's own saves. Then set ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName in Astro/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/AstroServerSettings.ini to the part of the file name before the $, with the server stopped. It works for Steam saves on the same game version as the server.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

%LocalAppData% is C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local. Paste the path into the Windows Run box (Win + R). Each save is one file, with a name like SAVE_1$2026.09.30-21.14.07.savegame. If you have several, the newest date after the $ is your latest save of that world.

Before you start

• Quit the save in game so the latest progress is written.
• Back up the whole SaveGames folder.
• Match the version. Update Astroneer on your PC and make sure the server has updated.
• Stop the server before you touch any files.

Step 1: Clear the server's saves

Open Astro/Saved/SaveGames/ on the server. A server that has run already has its own saves there. Download them if you might want them, then delete them, so only your save will be in the folder.

Step 2: Upload your save

Upload your .savegame file into Astro/Saved/SaveGames/. Do not change the part after the $: it must stay a valid date and time in the same format. The file manager is fine for most saves; long played worlds upload more reliably over SFTP.

Step 3: Tell the server which save to load

Open Astro/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/AstroServerSettings.ini with the server stopped. Set ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName to the part of the file name before the $. For SAVE_1$2026.09.30-21.14.07.savegame:

ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName=SAVE_1

This follows the Astroneer dedicated server instructions from the developer.

Step 4: Set the owner and start

Set OwnerName to your exact Steam name so you get owner controls (kick, ban, whitelist, save) when you join. Start the server, then add it in game with Add Dedicated Server and the address and port, and join.

The gotcha: the name before the $ and the date after it

The server does not load a file, it loads a save name. It looks in SaveGames for files whose name before the $ matches ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName, and uses the one with the newest date after the $. That causes three common failures:

1. You rename the file to something tidy like ourbase.savegame. Without the $ and a valid date, the server does not see it as a save, makes a new one, and your file sits there unused.
2. The setting does not match. ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName=Our Base will not find SAVE_1$.... Copy the name exactly, capitals included.
3. The server's own save wins. Your save is called SAVE_1 and so is the server's starter save, which has a newer date. The server keeps loading its own. That is why Step 1 clears the folder.

You can rename the part before the $ if you want, for example to OURBASE$2026.09.30-21.14.07.savegame, as long as the setting matches it and the date part stays intact.

Joining after the move: the encryption setting

Astroneer only ships a Windows server, so Linux hosts run it through a compatibility layer, and many turn network encryption off on the server (net.AllowEncryption=False in its Engine.ini). GamezServers does this. When the server has encryption off, every player's game must have it off too, or joining fails. Each player adds this to %LocalAppData%\Astro\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\Engine.ini on their own PC, with the game closed:

[SystemSettings]
net.AllowEncryption=False

This has nothing to do with the save, but it is the most common reason a moved world "will not let anyone in".

Will everyone keep their progress?

The save holds the world itself: terrain, bases, vehicles, research and what is stored in it. Players who played in the co-op world join with their Steam account and pick up in that world, while the owner role on the server comes from OwnerName, not from whoever hosted before.

Common problems

• Server starts a fresh world: the file was renamed without a valid $ date, ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName does not match, or an older server save with the same name has a newer date.
• Players cannot connect at all: the encryption setting differs between server and players. Add the Engine.ini lines above on each PC.
• Server not in the list: dedicated servers are added by address with Add Dedicated Server. If it still does not appear, start and leave a single player game once, then check again.
• No owner controls: OwnerName does not match your current Steam name exactly.
• Your ini edits vanished: you edited while the server was running. Stop, edit, start.

Moving it to GamezServers

On an Astroneer server from GamezServers, upload the save in the file manager or over SFTP (login in Settings); the file manager also handles zips, extracting and downloading a file from a link straight to the server. Put your Steam name in Your Steam name for owner rights, we fill in the public IP the server needs, and you click Backup before replacing anything. The base keeps its place without anyone hosting. Xbox consoles only join Astroneer's own partner servers, so plan ours around PC players. For setup details, see how to host an Astroneer dedicated server.

FAQ

Where are Astroneer saves stored?

On Steam for Windows, in %LocalAppData%\Astro\Saved\SaveGames\, as .savegame files named like SAVE_1$2026.09.30-21.14.07.savegame.

What do I put in ActiveSaveFileDescriptiveName?

The part of the file name before the $. For SAVE_1$2026.09.30-21.14.07.savegame, that is SAVE_1.

Can I move a Game Pass Astroneer save to a server?

Not directly. Microsoft Store and Game Pass saves use a different format and must be converted to a Steam style .savegame first.

Why can nobody join my Astroneer server after the move?

Usually encryption. If the server has net.AllowEncryption=False, every player needs the same line in their own Engine.ini.