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7 Days to Die Dedicated Server Save Location (V1.0+/V2.x, 2026)

Updated May 2026 for V1.0+/V2.x: The 7 Days to Die dedicated server save location depends on your platform and which game version your server is running. This page lists the exact paths for V1.0+ (current era), legacy A21, and the older A19/A20 paths, plus what to back up, how to migrate between machines, and where mod-specific save data lives.

Where the Save Files Live (V1.0+ / V2.x)

Platform	Path
Linux dedicated server (default user)	`/home/sdtdserver/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/<world>/<name>/`
Linux dedicated (custom user)	`/home/$USER/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/<world>/<name>/`
Windows dedicated server	`%APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves\<world>\<name>\`
Steam-installed local host	`%APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves\` (Windows) or `~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/` (Linux)
Microsoft Store / Xbox PC version	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\<package_id>\LocalCache\Local\7DaysToDie\Saves\`

Replace <world> with the actual world name (Navezgane, your RWG world’s seed name, or a custom map name) and <name> with the save profile name configured in serverconfig.xml.

What’s in the Save Folder

File / dir	What it contains	Backup priority
`main.ttp`	The actual world state — map, POI states, blocks, vehicles	Critical
`player/<steamid>.ttp`	Per-player character data (inventory, perks, location)	Critical
`backups/`	In-game auto-snapshots (default 5-rotation)	Recommended (rolling 5 backups)
`region/*.7rg`	Loaded region data (chunks, dynamic blocks)	Critical
`map/*.png`	Discovered-map images per player	Optional (regen on play)
`serverconfig.xml`	Server settings — usually one level up in the install dir, not in Saves	Critical

Legacy / Pre-1.0 Paths

If you’re running an older Alpha (rare in 2026 except for legacy mod servers), the paths haven’t shifted dramatically:

A21 + A20: same as V1.0+ paths above
A19 and earlier: some configs used /var/lib/sdtdserver/ on Linux for system-installed instances
Telltale-era legacy console (now-dead): Save files were on PSN/Xbox cloud and platform-locked; not retrievable to PC

How to Back Up

Linux (recommended)

# One-shot backup
tar -czf 7dtd-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/

# Cron’d nightly with rotation
0 4 * * * cd /home/sdtdserver && tar -czf backups/$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz .local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/ && find backups/ -mtime +30 -delete

Windows

Right-click %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves → Send to → Compressed folder. For automation, use Windows Task Scheduler with PowerShell’s Compress-Archive.

Migrating to a New Machine

Stop the server cleanly (don’t hard-kill).
Copy the entire Saves directory to the new machine.
Place it at the matching path on the new machine.
Copy serverconfig.xml too (or update it for the new machine’s ports).
Match the game version: a V2.6 save won’t load on a V1.x or V2.4 server.
Start the new server, verify the world loads, have one player connect to confirm.

Mod-Specific Save Data

Most mods (Darkness Falls, Undead Legacy, Sorcery) store data inside the same main.ttp; their changes ride along when you back up Saves. Some advanced mods write extra files to /Mods/<modname>/State/ — back up your /Mods/ directory too if you’re running heavy modded content.

Common Mistakes

Backing up Saves but not serverconfig.xml. Half a restore.
Hard-killing the server before backup. Half-written .ttp files are unrecoverable. Always shutdown via console first.
Restoring a save into a different game version. 1.0+ saves break in older builds and vice versa.
Forgetting Mods directory. A modded save without the matching mods is a corrupted boot.

If You’re Hosted With Us

Managed hosting (us included) handles the backup/restore flow via the panel: rolling daily snapshots, on-demand backups, one-click restores, and snapshot-before-mod-update. See 7 Days to Die hosting plans — backups + crossplay + mods, 5 datacenter regions, 2-day refund.

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