The Tool Desk
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Where solo save files are on Windows
The save-location guide most often cited for this question is an unofficial fan resource, and it gives the same Windows path as the community technical documentation on the save format. Both point to the Zomboid folder inside your user profile.
- Press Windows key + R, type
%UserProfile%, and press Enter. This opens your user profile folder. - Open the Zomboid folder, then open Saves.
- Open the folder for the game mode you played. The sources describe mode folders such as Sandbox or Apocalypse.
- Open the folder named after your save. Each world has its own folder.
The save-name folder holds several pieces of world data rather than one file. If you need to move or back up a world, copy the whole folder. Copying only one file can leave the world incomplete.
Why the Steam install folder is the wrong place to look
Many players search inside steamapps/common/ProjectZomboid first, because that is where Steam installs the game. That folder contains the game’s program files and assets. Your worlds, settings and other user data are kept in the Zomboid folder under your user profile. Deleting or verifying game files through Steam does not touch that folder, so a reinstall does not by itself remove a save, but you should still back up before making major changes.
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Linux and macOS paths
Two different sets of paths appear in the sources, and neither set has been confirmed by the developer in official documentation. Check them in the order shown below.
| Platform | Candidate path | Where it is described | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | ~/.local/share/Zomboid |
A fan save-location guide | Check this first |
| Linux | ~/Zomboid |
Community technical documentation on the save format | Check this if the first path does not exist |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Zomboid |
A recent unofficial guide, which specifically says not to look inside the .app bundle |
Check this first |
| macOS | ~/Zomboid |
Community technical documentation on the save format | Check this if the Application Support path is empty or missing |
The ~ symbol stands for your home folder. In Finder, use Go > Go to Folder and paste the path; in a Linux file manager, press Ctrl+L to type it in. Because the two sources contradict each other, treat each path as a candidate, and confirm that the folder you open contains a Saves subfolder before you rely on it.
Multiplayer and dedicated server saves
A server-manager README gives the Windows layout for server worlds: %USERPROFILE%ZomboidSavesMultiplayer[ServerName]. The folder name is the server’s name as configured, and the world files are on the machine that hosts the server, not on the computers of players who connect to it.
- Server world data:
%USERPROFILE%ZomboidSavesMultiplayer[ServerName] - Server configuration:
%USERPROFILE%ZomboidServer - Players’ local files and screenshots: these are not the server world and should not be used as a backup of it.
If you do not know which machine hosts a server you joined, the host or server administrator is the only person who can point you to the correct copy. The sources do not describe a way for a connected player to download the host’s world.
Backing up saves safely
Before copying any save, fully quit the game so it is not writing to the world files. Then copy the entire Saves folder. If you host a server, copy the Server folder as well. A second internal drive or a USB drive gives you a copy that survives a problem with the original machine.
Cloud copies are a separate question. Steam states that games may use Steam Cloud for saves, and that games which do not have Cloud functionality enabled keep progress only on the local machine. The sources do not establish whether Project Zomboid uses Steam Cloud on every platform, so check the game’s properties in the Steam library before assuming your saves are synced. Do not rely on the game’s cloud behaviour as your only backup.
Quick Recap
If the folder is not where this guide says
- Confirm that you are signed in to Windows with the account you played under.
%UserProfile%points to a different folder for each Windows account. - Check the other operating-system paths in the table above if you moved between systems or use a Linux or macOS machine.
- Look for a
Savesfolder inside theZomboidfolder. If it is empty, check each mode folder for a save-name folder. - For multiplayer, look under
SavesMultiplayeron the host machine, not on your own computer. - If a save seems to have disappeared, check your Steam Cloud setting and any backup drive before making further changes.
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