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Back up a Core Keeper dedicated server by stopping it cleanly, locating its active DedicatedServer data root, and archiving that entire directory—not just the worlds folder. On Windows the usual path is %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer; on Linux it is ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer. A launch option such as -datapath overrides those defaults. Name each archive with the server and UTC date, verify that it contains the world and configuration files, and keep at least one copy away from the live disk.
What a reliable backup contains
A dedicated-server backup should be a consistent snapshot of the complete active save and configuration root. Stop the server before copying so no file is changing while it is being archived. Include the worlds directory, metadata directories such as worldinfos and servermaps when they exist, ServerConfig.json, and any deployment-specific mods or configuration stored under the same root.
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Core Keeper’s save guidance advises archiving the entire save-game root rather than editing or moving individual files. For a dedicated server, that means preserving the complete DedicatedServer directory (or the complete Docker data volume) with its original layout. A world-only copy can omit indexes, maps, settings, or mod data needed for a clean restore.
Find the server’s active data path
Back up the path the running process actually uses. Defaults are useful starting points, but a custom -datapath argument, a service wrapper, or a container mount can point somewhere else.
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| Deployment | Typical active root | World directory | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer |
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServerworlds |
The worlds folder may not appear until the server has saved after a player joins. |
| Linux dedicated server | ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer |
~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer/worlds |
The path is relative to the account that launches the service; a system account has a different home directory. |
| Custom launch path | The directory supplied to -datapath |
<datapath>/worlds |
The custom path is authoritative and replaces the default location. |
| Docker | The persistent volume or host-mounted data directory | Usually inside that persistent Core Keeper save location | Back up the volume or mounted server-data directory, not a disposable container layer. |
Check a Windows installation
Open File Explorer and paste %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer into the address bar. If the folder is absent, inspect the server shortcut, batch file, or service definition for -datapath. Do not create a new empty directory and assume it is the live location; first confirm that it contains recently modified server files.
Check a Linux installation
Use the account that runs the server and inspect ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer. For a systemd service, read its ExecStart line and working-directory or environment settings. If the service runs as a dedicated user, run file checks as that user or use the path under that user’s home directory.
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Find the exact command used to start the server and copy the directory value following -datapath. Quoted paths can contain spaces. Back up that directory itself, including its child folders, rather than also copying the default path as a precaution; doing both can produce an apparently valid but stale archive.
Check a Docker deployment
Identify the persistent mount before stopping anything. The host-side directory may be named server-data, while another setup exposes a named Docker volume. The persistent location is the one that survives container replacement and contains the world saves, GameInfo.txt, and server configuration. A container’s writable layer is not a dependable backup destination.
Stop the server before taking the snapshot
Use the normal shutdown command or service control and wait for the process to exit. A clean stop lets Core Keeper finish writing its save files and companion backups. Do not copy a live world directory while players are connected or while the process is flushing data.
- For a Windows service or scheduled process, use its configured stop action and confirm the executable is no longer running in Task Manager.
- For Linux, stop the systemd unit or foreground process, then verify with the service status or process list.
- For Docker, run
docker stop <container-name>and wait for the container to report that it has stopped before reading the mounted directory or volume.
If the server will be unavailable for more than a moment, notify players first. A forced kill can leave the newest changes incomplete and should be reserved for a process that will not shut down normally.
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Create a dated archive
Use UTC in the filename so archives sort consistently across hosts and time zones. A name such as corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz identifies both the service and the snapshot time. Store the archive outside the live save directory; an archive placed inside that directory can be overwritten, included recursively, or lost with the same disk.
Windows PowerShell or built-in tar
After stopping the server, run the following in PowerShell. Modern Windows installations include tar; the command keeps the DedicatedServer folder as the archive’s top-level directory.
$root = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE 'AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer'
$stamp = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString('yyyy-MM-ddTHHmmZ')
$parent = Split-Path $root -Parent
$leaf = Split-Path $root -Leaf
tar -a -c -f "corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.zip" -C $parent $leafRun the command from a backup destination such as an external drive or a separate backup folder. If the tar implementation on the host cannot create ZIP archives, create a ZIP with File Explorer or PowerShell’s Compress-Archive, then verify that the resulting archive contains the DedicatedServer root and not an unintended extra parent path.
Linux TAR.GZ
Run this as the account that can read the server files, from a directory outside the save root:
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stamp=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H%MZ)
tar -C "$(dirname "$root")" -czf "corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.tar.gz" "$(basename "$root")"
sha256sum "corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.tar.gz"The final command prints a SHA-256 checksum. Save that line beside the archive or in your backup log; it lets you detect accidental changes or a damaged transfer later.
Docker volume or mounted directory
Stop the container first. For a bind mount, archive the host-side directory that is mapped to the container’s persistent data path. For a named volume, either use a temporary helper container to create an archive or copy the volume contents to a host directory, then archive that copy. Preserve the directory structure and record the container image, mount name, and any environment variables that determine the world or server configuration.
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Do not archive only a running container’s writable layer. Recreating the container can discard that layer even though the persistent volume remains intact.
Keep a second physical or off-host copy
Use an external hard drive as a simple physical destination for dated archives, and disconnect or protect it when it is not being used. A second copy on another machine or a cloud-backup service provides protection against failure of the server’s disk, but it should be made only after the local archive has been verified. Never treat two folders on the same disk as independent copies.
Verify that the backup is usable
Creation success is not the same as recovery readiness. Perform these checks while the archive is still available:
- List the archive contents without extracting them. Confirm the expected
DedicatedServerroot, the relevant world files underworlds, and configuration such asServerConfig.json. Look forworldinfos,servermaps, and mod directories when the live installation uses them. - Check the archive timestamp and size against the server’s recent activity. An unexpectedly tiny archive often means the wrong path was selected or the world had not yet been created.
- Record a checksum, such as SHA-256, and retain it with the filename, host, and UTC creation time.
- Periodically extract a copy into a temporary directory or test host. Confirm that the expected files can be read and that the archive preserves the required top-level layout. A restore test should not overwrite the production save.
For a Windows ZIP, open it with File Explorer or an archive utility and inspect the folder tree. On Linux, use tar -tzf corekeeper-dedicated-YYYY-MM-DDTHHMMZ.tar.gz to list a TAR.GZ without extracting it. For a ZIP created on Linux or Windows, use the corresponding ZIP listing command or archive utility.
Understand which data is—and is not—server data
World and server state
The worlds directory holds the playable world data. Metadata such as worldinfos, maps or server maps, and .pugbackup companions may sit alongside it. Configuration files and deployment-specific mods can affect how the server opens the world, so keep them in the same archive rather than rebuilding them from memory.
Player characters
Characters are client-side. A complete dedicated-server archive protects the shared world and server settings, but it does not replace each player’s personal character backup. Players who need protection for inventories, skills, or character progress must back up their own client-side data separately.
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Choose a retention policy
No universal interval or number of generations is prescribed for Core Keeper servers. Set a policy based on how often the world changes, how much storage is available, and how quickly you need to recover. A practical policy is to keep scheduled dated archives plus an extra snapshot immediately before a game or server update, world transfer, mod change, or configuration edit.
- Consistency: prefer a stopped-server filesystem archive over a live copy.
- Scope: use the whole save/configuration root when you need a straightforward restore; a world-only copy is smaller but may omit required metadata.
- Location: combine a local copy for fast recovery with an external or off-site copy for disk-loss protection.
- Retention: keep multiple generations so corruption discovered today does not erase the only older, good state.
- Restore time: measure how long it takes to copy and extract an archive, especially for a large or remote Docker volume.
- Portability: document whether the backup came from a native host directory or a Docker volume and record the mount or path details needed to put it back.
Delete old generations only after confirming that the remaining set meets your chosen recovery window. Keep the pre-change archive until players have tested the updated or restored world.
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Restoration replaces the active save with a selected snapshot. Work slowly and keep the current data until the recovered world has been confirmed.
- Stop the server or Docker container and make sure no process is writing to the data path.
- Rename the current
DedicatedServerdirectory, bind-mounted data directory, or volume export to a rollback name such asDedicatedServer-before-restore-2026-10-15. Do not delete it yet. - Extract the selected ZIP or TAR.GZ into the parent of the active data path so the expected layout is preserved. If the archive contains a top-level
DedicatedServerfolder, the result should be.../DedicatedServer/worlds, not.../DedicatedServer/DedicatedServer/worlds. - On Linux, restore ownership and permissions for the account that runs the service. For a Docker bind mount, apply the UID/GID expected by the container image. A correct archive can still fail to load when the process cannot read or write it.
- Check the intended world index and
ServerConfig.jsonbefore starting. If several worlds exist, verify that the configured index or selection points to the world you mean to recover. - Start the service or container and inspect its logs. Connect with a test account, confirm the world generation and recent builds are present, and check that the server can save normally.
- Keep the pre-restore rollback copy until players confirm that the shared world, settings, and mods are correct. Remove it only after the recovery is accepted and a fresh post-restore backup exists.
Windows restore layout
Extract the archive beneath %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore Keeper unless the server uses a custom -datapath. Check that the restored worlds directory is directly inside DedicatedServer.
Linux restore layout
Extract beneath ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper for the normal path, then use chown or equivalent permission tools to return ownership to the service account. A systemd unit running as another user will not necessarily be able to use files restored by root.
Docker restore layout
Restore into the persistent volume or host-mounted server-data location, not into a newly created container layer. Recreate or start the container only after the data is in place and permissions match the image’s runtime user.
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Automatic .pugbackup files: useful but insufficient
Core Keeper creates .pugbackup companion files for save data and updates them as the game closes. They can provide a convenient local recovery point, but they remain beside the live data. A failed disk, deleted volume, or damaged host can destroy both the primary files and their companions. Include them in the full archive, but do not use them as the only backup or as a substitute for an off-host copy.
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The archive has no world files
Recheck the active path and the launch command. A newly created server may not have a worlds directory until a player joins and the server saves. Start it long enough to create the world, stop it cleanly, and then archive the confirmed path.
The restored server starts a different world
Several world directories or indexes may be present. Compare the archive’s metadata and world list with the intended world, then inspect the configured world index in the restored server configuration. Keep the rollback copy while testing so you can select another snapshot without data loss.
The server cannot read the restored files
On Linux or Docker, inspect ownership, group membership, and mode bits. Restore access for the actual service user or container UID/GID. Also check that the extraction did not create an extra nested DedicatedServer directory.
Docker appears to have lost the save
Confirm that the container is using the same named volume or host mount as before. A replacement container with a different volume name can look empty even when the original data still exists. Stop it, identify the correct persistent mount, and restore there.
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Players lost character progress
A server restore recovers shared world data, not client-side character files. Ask affected players to use their own character backups; do not overwrite the restored world while attempting to solve a client-side problem.
The archive extracts but the world is damaged
Try an older generation and compare checksums. If every recent archive has the same problem, use the last known-good snapshot and retain the damaged copies for diagnosis rather than replacing them silently.
Operational checklist
- Identify the live path or persistent Docker volume.
- Stop the process or container cleanly.
- Archive the complete
DedicatedServerroot and its configuration. - Use a UTC timestamp and store the archive outside the live directory.
- List contents, confirm world and configuration files, and record a checksum.
- Copy the verified archive to an external or off-site destination.
- Keep multiple generations and create an extra snapshot before updates, transfers, mod changes, or configuration edits.
- Test extraction periodically in a non-production location.
- For restoration, preserve the current directory, extract into the expected layout, fix permissions, verify the world selection, inspect logs, and wait for player confirmation before deleting the rollback copy.
With this process, a Core Keeper server backup is a portable, dated copy of the data the server actually uses—not merely a duplicate of one world folder or a local .pugbackup file.
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