For a dependable Conan Exiles backup, stop the server cleanly, copy the complete ConanSandbox/Saved data—including game.db and any game_backup_##.db files—then preserve the server’s configuration and Mods data in a dated archive stored away from the live machine. That gives you both a rollback point and the files needed to rebuild or move the world.
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What a Conan Exiles server backup must contain
A world-only copy is useful for a quick rollback, but it is not a reproducible server backup. Treat the backup as three layers: world databases, server configuration, and the exact mod files and load order used by the world.
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The world database is in the server’s ConanSandbox/Saved directory. The principal file is game.db. Many installations also contain numbered files such as game_backup_00.db, game_backup_01.db, and other game_backup_##.db files. Keep those files rather than copying only the current database: a numbered file may be the cleanest recovery point if the newest save is damaged.
The exact parent directory depends on how the dedicated server was installed. On a self-hosted machine, search the server installation for the ConanSandbox directory, then verify that its Saved child contains the database files. Do not assume that a client installation’s save location is the same as a dedicated server’s location.
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Configuration used to run the server
Save the configuration files used by your launch script, service manager, control panel, and Conan Exiles server. This includes settings such as the selected map, server name, gameplay rules, administrator configuration, and any startup arguments. A database restored without its matching settings can appear to be a different server even when the world itself is intact.
Mods and their order
Include the server’s Mods data and record the enabled mod list in load order. A world that was saved with one set of mods can fail to load, lose content, or behave differently when those files are absent or loaded in a different order. Keep the mod files with the archive when licensing and distribution terms permit; otherwise, at minimum record exact mod identifiers, versions, and order so they can be reacquired.
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For a Legacy or UE4 installation, Funcom’s migration guidance specifically names game.db for Exiled Lands and dlc_siptah.db for Isle of Siptah. Back up both before an Enhanced migration if the server has used those worlds. Do not treat dlc_siptah.db as an optional duplicate of game.db; it represents a separate world database.
Before copying anything: make the save consistent
- Announce maintenance. Tell players when the server will be unavailable and allow active sessions to end normally.
- Stop the Conan Exiles server cleanly. A running process can write to the database while it is being copied. If a full stop is impossible, use the host’s documented quiesce or backup operation, but a stopped process is the safer file-level method.
- Confirm the process has exited. Check the service manager, control panel, or task list before opening the files. A panel showing “stopping” is not the same as a process that has released the database.
- Check free space. The archive needs room for the Saved and Mods directories as well as the destination copy.
- Write down the state. Record the server version, map, Legacy or Enhanced branch, mod list and order, and the configuration version before making the archive.
GPORTAL’s documented backup operation stops the server during the backup and starts it again afterward. That behavior is a useful safety model, but it is not a guarantee that every host or control panel handles file copies the same way.
Self-hosted backup on Windows
Find and verify the server directory
Open the directory where the dedicated server is installed and locate ConanSandboxSaved. Verify that you can see game.db and, if present, the numbered game_backup_##.db files. Also locate the Mods directory and the configuration files used by the server service or launch script.
Create a dated archive
After stopping the server, create a backup directory on a different disk when possible. The following PowerShell example archives the two core directories and uses UTC in the filename:
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$stamp = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString("yyyyMMddTHHmmssZ")
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force .backups | Out-Null
Compress-Archive -Path .ConanSandboxSaved, .ConanSandboxMods -DestinationPath ".backupsconan-$stamp.zip"Run the command from the server root, or replace the relative paths with the actual installation paths. Copy the configuration files used by the service into the same backup set; if they are outside the two directories, add them separately rather than assuming the archive contains them.
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Verify the result
Open the ZIP and confirm that it contains Saved, game.db, any numbered database backups, the Mods data, and the separately copied configuration. Check the archive size and timestamp, then copy it to another disk or machine. A backup left only beside the live server will be lost with that server’s storage.
Self-hosted backup on Linux
Archive Saved and Mods
From the dedicated server’s root directory, stop the service and run an archive command similar to this one:
stamp=$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ)
mkdir -p backups
tar -czf "backups/conan-${stamp}.tar.gz" ConanSandbox/Saved ConanSandbox/ModsThe command follows the common Linux layout in which both directories sit below the server root. If your installation uses a different root, run the command there or provide absolute paths. Copy the configuration files used by systemd, a shell launcher, or your hosting wrapper into the same dated backup set.
Automate recurring archives
A cron job can call a backup script after the server has been stopped or placed into the host’s supported backup state. A typical schedule entry might run the script once per day:
0 3 * * * /usr/local/sbin/conan-backup.shThe script should create a UTC-stamped archive, check that the archive command succeeded, and copy the result to storage that is not the live server disk. Test the script manually before enabling cron. Keep multiple dated points rather than replacing one file forever; the useful retention period depends on how often the world changes and how far back you may need to recover.
Make the archive reproducible
Store a small text manifest beside each archive containing the server build or version, map, branch, active mods in order, and a note identifying any configuration files copied outside Saved. This prevents a technically valid database from becoming unusable because nobody remembers which mod order or branch it requires.
Where to keep the backup
Use a dated filename that identifies the server, map or branch, and UTC time, for example conan-exiles-siptah-enhanced-20261015T030000Z.tar.gz. Keep at least one copy on a different disk or machine. An external hard drive or SSD is a practical destination for a local copy; disconnect it or otherwise protect it from accidental deletion after the copy completes.
Do not rely on a provider’s internal snapshot as your only copy. A control-panel backup may disappear with an account, expire under an undisclosed retention policy, or be unavailable during an outage. A local archive also gives you a way to inspect, verify, and move the world to another host.
How to roll back to an older database
File-level rollback on a self-hosted server
- Stop the Conan Exiles server and verify that its process has ended.
- Rename the current
game.dbto a dated safety copy such asgame-before-rollback-20261015.db. Do not delete it. - Choose the numbered
game_backup_##.dbfile you want to test and copy it, rather than moving the only copy. - Rename the copy to exactly
game.dbin the sameConanSandbox/Saveddirectory. - Start the server and check the world, player progress, structures, and mod-dependent content before allowing players back in.
- If the result is wrong, stop the server, preserve the attempted
game.db, and restore the safety copy or test another numbered backup.
Renaming a backup to game.db can overwrite the existing file. Preserving the current database first is therefore a necessary safety step, not an optional precaution.
Understanding numbered backups on GPORTAL
GPORTAL’s older-save guide describes numbered saves made at five-minute intervals and says the smallest number is the newest. That numbering rule belongs to the provider’s documented workflow; it should not be assumed to apply to every self-hosted installation or another host. Stop the server, open the savegame setting, select the desired prior save, save the choice, and start the server as described by the panel.
Check the rollback before declaring success
- Join with an administrator account and inspect a known location.
- Confirm that recent player actions have moved back to the expected point in time.
- Check the map and DLC world separately if both are in use.
- Look at the server log for database, permission, or missing-mod errors.
- Keep the pre-rollback database until the restored world has been verified during normal play.
Managed-host workflows: GPORTAL and Nitrado
GPORTAL: create a manual backup
GPORTAL’s documented path is My Servers → select the server → Administration → Backup → Create Backup. The service stops for the operation and restarts automatically. GPORTAL also states that backups are not created automatically, so a server owner must create them on the required schedule or maintain an independent download.
For an older save, stop the server, open the savegame setting, select the prior save, save the selection, and start the server. The guide’s five-minute interval and numbering convention are provider-specific workflow details, not universal Conan Exiles guarantees.
Nitrado: restore a scheduled server backup
Nitrado’s FAQ states that server backups are created by its system every 24 hours and are available through Tools → Restore backup. The 24-hour cadence is a provider statement from its 2022 documentation; it does not promise a snapshot at the exact moment of a crash or establish a retention period. Check the current panel for the available dates before relying on a particular recovery point.
Nitrado also distinguishes its separately backed-up MySQL database from the Conan Exiles world. That MySQL backup does not contain Conan Exiles game progress, so restoring it will not restore the map, characters, buildings, or other game state.
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Download your own copy
A host backup is useful for an in-panel restore, but a downloaded archive is what lets you change providers or recover when the panel is unavailable. Use the host’s file manager or FTP/SFTP access if offered, stop the server before downloading live database files, and retain the same Saved, Mods, configuration, and manifest set described for a self-hosted backup.
Legacy and Enhanced migration
Back up before changing branches
Before moving from the UE4/Legacy server to Conan Exiles Enhanced, make a separate, clearly named copy of the Legacy data. Funcom’s migration notice specifically recommends backing up the Exiled Lands game.db and the Isle of Siptah dlc_siptah.db. Keep the original archive untouched so you can return to the Legacy state if a conversion or mod change fails.
What happens to UE4 saves
Funcom’s Help Center says that UE4 save files should remain in place during the update and will be converted into separate Conan Exiles Enhanced save files when the updated server is run. Do not interpret that conversion as a reason to skip the pre-update copy: the conversion changes what the Enhanced server uses, while the Legacy archive remains your recovery point.
Enhanced local-world filename and path
Nitrado’s import guidance identifies an Enhanced local-world file as game_0.db under Steam/steamapps/common/Conan Exiles/ConanSandbox/Saved. That filename and path are branch-sensitive. Confirm whether the destination is Legacy or Enhanced and verify the exact path shown by the current host before uploading, renaming, or replacing any file.
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- Stop the old server and create a final archive of Saved, Mods, configuration, and the manifest.
- Record whether each world is Exiled Lands or Isle of Siptah, and whether the source is Legacy or Enhanced.
- Ask the destination host which branch, map, and file path it expects before uploading anything.
- Upload the matching database files and Mods data while the destination server is stopped.
- Apply the recorded configuration and mod order, then start the server privately for a verification test.
- Only after the world loads correctly should you open the destination to players.
Never upload a Legacy game.db over an Enhanced installation, or an Enhanced game_0.db into a Legacy path, without confirming the host’s import procedure. Similar-looking filenames do not make the branches interchangeable.
Backup features to compare when choosing a host
| Capability | GPORTAL documentation | Nitrado documentation | What to verify yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creation cadence | Manual creation; the provider says backups are not automatic. | System-created every 24 hours, according to its 2022 FAQ. | Exact schedule, time zone, and whether an on-demand snapshot is available. |
| Retention | Not stated in the cited provider guide. | Not stated in the cited FAQ. | How many restore points remain and when they expire. |
| Restore control | Administration → Backup, with an older-save selection workflow. | Tools → Restore backup. | Whether restoring stops and restarts the server and whether player access is blocked. |
| Off-server copy | Not stated in the cited guide. | The local-backup workflow extracts world data to a personal machine. | File-manager or FTP/SFTP access, download limits, and whether Mods and configuration can be retrieved. |
| Legacy/Enhanced handling | Not stated in the cited guide. | Documentation distinguishes Legacy and Enhanced and identifies an Enhanced local-world file. | Supported import paths, branch selection, and conversion procedure. |
| Mods and configuration portability | Not stated as part of the backup feature. | Not stated as part of the scheduled-backup FAQ. | Whether you can download and restore the complete Mods and configuration set yourself. |
Provider panels change. Treat these documented paths as a starting point, then confirm the labels and available restore points in the current account before stopping a live server.
Common backup and restore failures
The server starts a fresh world
- Check that the file was placed in the destination server’s actual
ConanSandbox/Saveddirectory, not a client save directory or an unused installation. - Verify the filename expected by the branch: Legacy commonly uses
game.db, while Nitrado’s Enhanced local-world guidance identifiesgame_0.db. - Confirm that the map and branch match the database and that the service account can read the file.
- Stop the server before replacing the file; a running process may recreate a new database after you copy the old one.
The rollback has no recent progress
You may have selected an older numbered file. On GPORTAL, the documented numbering says the smallest number is newest, but other installations may use a different convention. Inspect file timestamps and keep the original game.db so you can test another point.
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Players report missing items or structures
Check that the restored database came from the same map and that the required Mods files and load order were restored. A database-only rollback combined with a changed mod set can produce missing or altered content even when the file copy itself succeeded.
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Check the archive command’s exit status, compare its size with the source data, and test extraction on another machine. Recreate the archive with the server stopped if the first copy was made while files were changing. Keep failed archives separate from verified backups rather than replacing the only known-good copy.
A provider restore point is missing
GPORTAL’s documented workflow is manual, so no snapshot exists unless one was created. Nitrado’s documented interval is 24 hours, so a very recent change may not appear in the restore list. This is why a scheduled local archive and an off-server copy remain important even when the host offers backups.
Restoring a MySQL backup changes nothing in the game
The Nitrado FAQ explicitly says its separately backed-up MySQL database does not contain Conan Exiles game progress. Use the ConanSandbox world files for map and player recovery; use a MySQL restore only for applications that actually store their data there.
Enhanced import fails
Stop and identify the branch before trying again. Confirm the exact destination path, the expected filename, and whether the host requires a conversion rather than a direct file replacement. Keep the Legacy archive intact while testing the Enhanced copy.
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Final pre-maintenance checklist
- The server is stopped and no Conan Exiles process is still writing.
ConanSandbox/Savedis archived, includinggame.dband every numbered backup you may need.dlc_siptah.dbis included when Isle of Siptah data is present.- Mods, mod order, configuration, server version, map, and branch are recorded.
- The archive has a UTC timestamp and has been tested or inspected.
- At least one copy is on another disk or machine, not only beside the live server.
- A restore plan preserves the current
game.dbbefore replacing it.
This process gives you two kinds of protection: a fast file-level rollback when a recent save is bad, and a complete, portable server package for rebuilding or changing hosts. Host-provided snapshots can supplement that package, but they should not replace it.
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