Files and backups

How do I bring my 7 Days to Die world over to my HavoNode server?

Updated 23 October 20263 min read7 Days to Die server hosting

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A 7 Days to Die world is two folders: the save, at Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>/, and for a random-generated world the map as well, at GeneratedWorlds/<GameWorld>/. Upload both, then set GameWorld and GameName in serverconfig.xml to those folder names, spelt exactly the same.

What to copy

On Windows, the game keeps your worlds in %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie. On another host’s server, look for the folder that has Saves in it. Take:

  • The save: Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>/, for example Saves/Navezgane/My Game/. This is your game: bases, players and progress.
  • The map, for a random world: GeneratedWorlds/<GameWorld>/. Navezgane comes with the game, so it only needs the save. Leave the map out of a random world and the server can’t load it.
  • Admins and bans, if you want them: Saves/serveradmin.xml. One file covers every world on a server.
  • Your mods, if the world ran with any.

Move it

  1. Stop the old server properly. On another host, type saveworld in its console, then shutdown. For a world on your own PC, quit the game first.
  2. Download those folders from the old server or your PC.
  3. Download a backup from your Game Panel first.
  4. Stop your HavoNode server from the Game Panel.
  5. In your Game Panel’s file manager, open your server’s data folder: the one holding Saves. If UserDataFolder is set in serverconfig.xml, that’s where it is.
  6. Upload the save into Saves/<GameWorld>/, and a random world’s map into GeneratedWorlds/. Keep every folder name exactly as it was.
  7. Open serverconfig.xml and set the two names to match the folders:
<property name="GameWorld" value="My World Name"/>
<property name="GameName" value="My Game"/>
  1. Copy your old game settings across one at a time, including the old SandboxCode line. Don’t paste the old file over yours: its ports and folder paths were set for the old host.
  2. If you’re bringing admins and bans, upload serveradmin.xml into Saves. It replaces the one there, so anyone you’ve already added on HavoNode needs adding again.
  3. Add the same mods, at the same versions, that the world ran with. See How do I add mods?
  4. Start your server and watch the live console.

Warning

GameWorld and GameName must match the folder names exactly, spaces and capitals included. Some servers treat My Game and my game as two different folders. If a name is wrong, the server starts a fresh game, or begins generating a brand new world, which takes a long while. Your upload is still there, so stop the server, fix the name and start it again.

Saves only move forwards

Move a world to the same game version or a newer one, never an older one. If the old server ran the experimental branch, check which build it was on before you move.

A V2 save can carry on in V3, with a few things to know:

  • The game warns you when you load a save from an older major version.
  • V3.0 added an option to opt into a full reset of all unprotected chunks when you continue the game, and a server command that does the same. Type help in the live console to see every command your server has.
  • Your V2 settings don’t come with it. Set them again as a sandbox code: see Where did the difficulty and blood moon settings go?

Warning

Never copy from a server that’s still running, or you can end up with a half-saved world. And keep your original copy of a V2 save until you’re happy with it in V3. V3.1 fixed a bug that corrupted copies of saves being converted to V3.0, so the original is your way back.

Support

Still stuck?

Ask the assistant in your Game Panel. It can read your server's console, logs and config to find what's wrong, and changes nothing until you approve it. For anything that needs a person, email us.

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