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Back up a Core Keeper dedicated server by stopping it cleanly, archiving the entire active DedicatedServer data root, and storing dated copies outside the live save location. On Windows the default root is %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer; on Linux it is ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer. If the server starts with -datapath, that custom directory overrides both defaults. A complete archive preserves worlds, metadata, server settings and deployment-specific configuration so you can roll back after corruption, an update or a failed migration.
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What a reliable Core Keeper server backup contains
The safest unit to back up is the complete active save root, not just one world file. Core Keeper’s save guidance recommends archiving the entire root before moving, editing or renaming save files manually. A full archive also avoids losing metadata that determines how worlds and maps are presented to the server.
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- World data: the
worldsdirectory and every world it contains. - World metadata: directories such as
worldinfosandservermapswhen they exist in your installation. - Server configuration:
ServerConfig.jsonand any other configuration files used by your deployment. - Deployment changes: server-side mods, mod configuration, launch scripts or other files kept inside the data root.
- Companion recovery files:
.pugbackupfiles, if present. They are useful for local recovery but are not a substitute for an independent archive.
Player characters are different: character data is client-side. A dedicated-server archive protects the world and server state, but it does not replace each player’s own character backup.
Find the active save path before copying anything
Do not assume the default path until you have checked the launch command, service definition or container mount. The path the process actually uses is authoritative.
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| Deployment | Default active root | World directory |
|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer |
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServerworlds |
| Linux dedicated server | ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer |
~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer/worlds |
| Custom launch path | The directory supplied to -datapath |
<datapath>/worlds |
| Docker | The persistent volume or host directory mounted for Core Keeper data | The mounted data location’s worlds directory |
Windows checks
Expand %USERPROFILE% in File Explorer or a terminal, then open AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer. If you run the server through a script or service, inspect its arguments for -datapath before using the default. The worlds folder may not appear until the server has saved after a player joins, so an absent folder on a newly installed, never-used server is not automatically an error.
Linux checks
For a normal user installation, inspect ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer. A systemd unit, wrapper script or hosting panel can run under a different account; in that case, ~ refers to the service account’s home directory, not necessarily your personal login. Check the unit’s ExecStart line and its -datapath argument, then back up the path visible to that process.
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Back up the persistent volume or host-mounted server-data directory, not a disposable container layer. A documented container layout places world saves, GameInfo.txt and server configuration in persistent server data. Use your compose file, container inspection output or hosting-panel mount list to identify the host path or volume name. The container must be stopped before you copy it.
Stop the server cleanly
A filesystem copy taken while the process is writing can contain a mixture of old and new files. That can make a backup impossible to restore even when every file appears to have copied successfully.
- Tell players to leave and wait for the server’s normal save activity to finish.
- Stop the dedicated-server process through the method that launched it: its console command, service manager, control panel or host script.
- For Docker, run
docker stop <container_name>and wait for the container to report that it has stopped. Do not copy a live mounted volume while the container is still running. - Confirm that no Core Keeper server process still has the save directory open or is recreating files.
- Only then create the archive or copy the persistent volume.
If your environment supports a graceful shutdown command, use it rather than killing the process. A forced termination is a recovery measure, not a normal backup procedure.
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Create a dated archive of the whole root
Keep the archive outside the live DedicatedServer directory. Include the server or world name and a UTC timestamp in the filename so an older generation cannot be confused with a newer one. For example:
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutecorekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gzUse ZIP or TAR.GZ according to the tools available on the host. The important properties are a stopped server, the complete root and a name that identifies when the snapshot was made.
Windows with File Explorer
- Stop the server and open the active root identified above.
- Select the entire
DedicatedServerfolder, not onlyworlds. - Choose Compress to ZIP file (or the equivalent archive command in your Windows version).
- Move the resulting ZIP to a separate backup directory, external drive or other storage location. Do not leave the only copy beside the live save.
- Rename it with the server name and UTC date, such as
corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.zip.
Windows PowerShell
After replacing the paths with your actual locations, this creates a ZIP one directory above the live root:
$root = "$env:USERPROFILEAppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer"
$stamp = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString("yyyy-MM-ddTHHmmZ")
$archive = "D:ServerBackupscorekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.zip"
Compress-Archive -Path $root -DestinationPath $archive -CompressionLevel OptimalCompress-Archive includes the selected directory recursively. If your server uses -datapath, assign that directory to $root instead of the default.
Linux with TAR.GZ
Stop the service first, then archive the directory from its parent. Archiving from the parent preserves the expected DedicatedServer directory when you extract it later:
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root="$HOME/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer"
stamp=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H%MZ)
archive="/srv/corekeeper-backups/corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.tar.gz"
mkdir -p /srv/corekeeper-backups
tar -czf "$archive" -C "$(dirname "$root")" "$(basename "$root")"For a custom -datapath, set root to that directory. Ensure the account creating the archive can read every file, including files created by a separate service account.
Docker volume or bind mount
First stop the container. For a bind mount, archive the host’s mounted server-data directory using the host’s normal ZIP or TAR tools. For a named volume, identify its mountpoint and archive the volume’s contents, or use a temporary helper container to create an archive while the Core Keeper container remains stopped. Preserve the directory structure and any configuration files; copying only a discovered world subfolder makes later restoration harder and can omit required metadata.
Verify that the archive is usable
A successful copy operation proves only that bytes were written. Verification checks that the archive can be read and contains the files you will need during a restore.
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tar -tzf corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz. For ZIP, runtar -tf archive.zipwhere supported, or use your archive utility’s list command. - Check the expected structure. Confirm the listing includes
DedicatedServer/worlds(when worlds have been created),ServerConfig.json, and anyworldinfos,servermaps, mod or deployment files present in the source root. - Record a checksum. On Linux use
sha256sum corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz; in PowerShell useGet-FileHash .corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.zip -Algorithm SHA256. Store the output with the archive or in your backup log. - Test extraction. Extract to a temporary directory, not over the live server, and confirm the expected root and files appear. A periodic test extraction catches damaged media and incorrect paths before an emergency.
If the archive is unexpectedly tiny, empty or missing the world directory, stop and investigate the active path, service account and shutdown state before deleting any older backup.
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Choose a backup design that fits your server
| Decision | Safer choice | What it protects or costs |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Stopped-server archive | All files represent a quiescent save state; a live copy can capture writes halfway through. |
| Scope | Entire save/config root | Preserves worlds, metadata, settings and deployment changes; a world-only copy may require manual reconstruction. |
| Location | Separate disk plus an off-host copy | Reduces the chance that one disk, host or incident destroys every generation. |
| Retention | Several dated generations | Lets you return to a point before corruption, an update, a mod change or an accidental edit. |
| Restore time | Archives on readily accessible storage | Shortens downtime, while very remote or slow storage may take longer to retrieve. |
| Portability | Archive of the native root or a documented Docker volume | Makes the layout understandable when moving between hosts; container-specific paths still need correct mounts and permissions. |
No universal backup interval, restore-test interval or retention count is published for Core Keeper dedicated servers. Set a policy based on how often your players build, how much downtime you can tolerate and how much storage you have. A practical policy is scheduled archives, an extra snapshot immediately before every game or server update, and another before transferring worlds, changing mods or editing configuration. Keep enough older generations to cover the period in which corruption might go unnoticed, and remove them only after confirming newer archives extract correctly.
Understand automatic .pugbackup files
Core Keeper can create .pugbackup companion files beside live save data and update them as the game closes. They can help recover from a recent local problem, but they remain on the same disk or persistent volume as the live data. A failed disk, deleted volume or destructive deployment can remove both the primary save and its companion.
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Leave these files available for local recovery, but treat a dated archive on separate storage as the actual backup. Do not move, rename or delete companion files while the server is running unless you have a tested recovery reason and a separate copy of the complete root.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restore a dedicated server from an archive
Restoration is a controlled rollback. Preserve the current state first so you can undo the restore if the wrong world, configuration or archive was selected.
- Stop the server or container. Do not extract over files that the process can modify.
- Preserve the current root. Rename the active
DedicatedServerdirectory to a rollback name such asDedicatedServer-before-restore-2026-10-16. For Docker, stop the container and rename or snapshot the current persistent volume or mountedserver-datadirectory. - Check the archive. Confirm its timestamp, checksum (if recorded), world listing and configuration files before extracting.
- Extract into the active parent directory. Preserve the expected layout, so the server sees
DedicatedServer/worlds, not an accidental extra level such asDedicatedServer/DedicatedServer/worlds. - Repair ownership and permissions. On Linux, assign the extracted files to the account that runs the service and ensure it can read and write them. Apply the equivalent permissions required by your Docker host and container user for a mounted volume.
- Review world and configuration selection. Confirm that the intended world index,
ServerConfig.json, maps and server settings came from the selected generation. If you changed the launch command, verify its-datapathstill points at this restored root. - Start and observe. Start the service or container, read its logs for load errors, and connect with a test player. Check that the expected world, builds, inventories and configured server behavior are present.
- Keep the rollback copy. Do not delete the pre-restore directory until players have confirmed that the restored world is correct and stable.
Windows restore layout
With the server stopped, place the extracted DedicatedServer directory under %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore Keeper, unless the launch command specifies another -datapath. Avoid extracting only the contents of worlds when the archive also contains metadata and configuration required by the server.
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Linux restore layout
Extract under the parent of ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer, or under the custom datapath used by the service. Then set ownership to the service account before starting it. A permission error in the log immediately after restore usually indicates that the extracted files belong to the administrator account rather than the account that runs Core Keeper.
Docker restore layout
Restore into the persistent volume or host-mounted server-data location that the container expects. Do not put the files into a temporary container layer: they will disappear when the container is replaced. Verify the mount, container user permissions and the resulting in-container path before starting.
Common backup and restore failures
The archive has no worlds folder
The server may never have saved after a player joined, or you may have archived the wrong path. Check the launch command for -datapath, confirm the service account’s home directory, start the server long enough to create a save, stop it cleanly and archive again.
The restored server starts a new world
Usually the archive was extracted one directory too deep, the wrong datapath is configured, or the intended world index and metadata were not restored. Stop the server, inspect the active path for DedicatedServer/worlds, compare it with the archive listing and verify the configuration before retrying.
Players cannot connect after restore
Read the server log first. A path or permission failure can prevent the world from loading even though the process remains running. On Linux and Docker, correct ownership and write permissions for the service account or container user. Also confirm that the restored configuration matches the address, port and other settings your players use.
The archive is readable but the world is still corrupt
Select an older generation. If corruption was already present when the snapshot was made, restoring that same generation cannot repair it. This is why retaining multiple dated archives matters.
A Docker restore disappears after a restart
The files were likely written into the container’s ephemeral layer instead of its persistent volume or host mount. Stop the container, identify the configured persistent mount, restore there and verify the files from inside the container before starting it again.
Keep player character backups separate
The dedicated server stores the shared world and server state, while characters are maintained on clients. Tell players to protect their own character data separately if they need a complete recovery plan. Restoring the server archive alone cannot recreate a player’s local character files or undo client-side loss.
Quick Recap
A practical operating checklist
- Identify the actual datapath, service account and Docker mount.
- Stop the server or container cleanly before every archive.
- Archive the complete
DedicatedServerroot, including worlds, metadata, configuration and deployment files. - Use a UTC timestamp and keep the archive outside the live save directory.
- Maintain a second copy on separate storage and, when the server matters, an off-host copy.
- List archive contents, record a SHA-256 checksum and test extraction periodically.
- Create extra generations before updates, world transfers, mod changes and configuration edits.
- During restore, preserve the current root, extract at the correct directory level and fix ownership before starting.
- Keep the pre-restore rollback copy until players have verified the world.
- Ask each player to maintain a separate backup of client-side character data.
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