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A restorable Arma 3 server backup is a copy of the server environment, not merely the executable. Stop the server cleanly, save the exact launch definition, then copy the installation, active profile, configuration files, missions, persistence data, mods, keys, startup scripts, and useful logs. The launch parameters -name, -profiles, -config, and -cfg determine where many of those live files are located, so record them before you copy anything.
This guide shows how to find the active files on Windows and Linux, make consistent backup generations, choose a destination, and restore the server without losing mission progress or discovering that an important file was outside the game directory.
What an Arma 3 server backup must contain
Think of the backup as a reproducible server definition plus its changing state. The executable alone can be reinstalled, but it does not contain your launch parameters, profile, server rules, mission rotation, workshop content, signing keys, or persistent mission data.
- Server installation: the dedicated-server files and any files installed alongside them.
- Active profile directory: profile settings, server logs, RPT files, and state written under the profile selected at launch.
- Server configuration: the file selected by
-config, commonly aserver.cfg, plus the basic configuration selected by-cfg. - Missions: the
mpmissionsdirectory, mission rotation, and any mission-specific save or state files. - Mods and keys: client/server mod directories, downloaded Workshop content required by the server, and the
keysdirectory used to validate signed addons. - Launch definition: the Windows batch file, Linux shell command, service unit, container definition, or hosting-panel export that starts the process.
- Operational records: the Arma 3 build, enabled mod and server-mod lists, Workshop collection or equivalent manifest, active mission, and any intentional exclusions.
Copying these items together gives you a recovery point that can be mapped back to the same paths and versions. If a directory is generated automatically and you omit it, write down exactly how to regenerate it and which package or command is required.
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Find the files the running server actually uses
Do not assume every live file is below the directory containing the executable. Absolute paths in the launch command can place profiles and configuration elsewhere. Open the service file, batch file, shell script, container definition, or control-panel export and record the complete command before taking the backup.
Windows profile locations
With the default profile, the official profile documentation places the profile named after the Windows account at C:Users%UserName%DocumentsArma 3. User-created profiles are under C:Users%UserName%DocumentsArma 3 - Other Profiles. A different profile can be selected with -name; a custom profile root can be supplied with -profiles.
For example, a launch command that includes -name=server may use a profile named server rather than the account’s default profile. The authoritative location is the combination of the command-line values and the directories that exist on the host, not a generic path copied from another installation.
Linux profile locations
On Linux, the profile location depends on -name and the profile behavior of the executable. The official Linux example places server.Arma3Profile in a server subfolder of the server directory. A custom -profiles value can move that root. Check the actual service definition and inspect the resulting profile directory rather than assuming a Windows-style Documents path.
Configuration and basic configuration files
-config selects the server configuration file, while -cfg selects the basic server configuration. Either can use an absolute path outside the installation directory. Back up the exact files referenced by those arguments, including any file extension and capitalization used on a case-sensitive Linux filesystem.
Logs and profile output
By default, server logs are written to the server profile folder. Include the RPT and other logs that can explain a failed startup or an incomplete restore. Logs are not a substitute for configuration or save data, but retaining the last known-good set makes troubleshooting version, permission, and missing-file errors much easier.
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Record the launch definition before stopping the server
The launch definition is the map for your restore. Save a copy of the complete command and the file that owns it. Record these values in a text file stored with every backup generation:
- Arma 3 dedicated-server build or update identifier.
- Values passed to
-name,-profiles,-config, and-cfg. - All enabled client mods and server-only mods, in load order where order matters.
- Steam Workshop collection, mod list, or other source used to obtain those files.
- Required signing keys and the location of the server’s
keysdirectory. - The active mission, mission rotation, and any scheduler or restart settings.
- The operating-system account that runs the service and the service, batch, shell, or container name.
Do not rely on memory or on a hosting panel retaining an old command. A panel export, systemd unit, Docker or container definition, or batch file is itself part of the backup.
Step-by-step: create a consistent backup
1. Choose a maintenance window
Tell players when the server will be unavailable. A clean stop is safest. If you cannot stop immediately, schedule a period in which no mission or player state changes while files are being copied. Persistent state can be written as players disconnect or the mission transitions; copying during a write can leave a damaged or internally inconsistent file.
2. Stop the process cleanly
Use the normal service stop, hosting-panel stop action, or controlled shutdown method for your installation. Confirm that the Arma 3 process has exited before copying. Preserve the previous live directory if you are investigating a crash; do not overwrite it with a restored copy before you have collected evidence.
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3. Assemble the file set
Copy the installation and every active path identified in the launch definition. A practical manifest looks like this:
| Item | What to include | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Dedicated-server executable and installed server files | Provides the exact local environment and any non-default files. |
| Profile | The directory selected by -name and -profiles |
Contains profile settings, logs, RPT output, and profile-scoped state. |
| Configuration | Files selected by -config and -cfg |
Defines server behavior, network settings, mission rotation, and persistence options. |
| Missions | mpmissions, custom mission files, and mission-specific saves or state |
Without these, the server may start but cannot load the expected content or progress. |
| Mods and keys | Enabled mod directories, server mods, Workshop manifest, and keys |
Prevents missing-addon and signature-validation failures. |
| Startup files | Batch, shell, service, container, or panel export | Recreates path mapping and launch options. |
| Logs | Recent RPT and server logs | Provides a baseline for diagnosing a failed restore. |
When -profiles, -config, or -cfg points outside the installation, copy those external directories or files into the backup as well. Preserve relative paths where practical, or document the new layout in the restore notes.
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4. Capture a manifest and checksums
Keep a plain-text file listing the copied paths, file sizes, timestamps, Arma 3 build, active mission, and mod list. If your operating system or backup tool supports checksums, generate them for the archive or file set. A manifest helps reveal a truncated copy and tells you which directories were intentionally excluded.
5. Label the recovery point
Use a consistent label containing the UTC date and time, server build, and active mission, such as 2026-10-15T22-00Z_build-xxxx_mission-name. Store the launch definition and manifest beside the files rather than in a separate system that may not be available during an outage.
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Retain multiple recovery points. If the newest copy was made after corruption began, replacing every older backup with it removes your only usable state. There is no universal interval or retention schedule published in the official Arma 3 documentation; set yours according to how much mission progress the community can afford to lose and how frequently the server state changes.
Choose a backup destination
| Destination | Advantages | Risks and controls |
|---|---|---|
| Local external USB hard drive | Fast copying and fast restoration; a one-time hardware cost. | If it remains beside the server, theft, fire, power events, or host damage can destroy both copies. Disconnect it or store it separately after the backup. |
| Off-site cloud or object storage | Protects against loss of the host and provides geographic separation. | Requires recurring storage or transfer cost, credentials, upload time, and a tested download path. Encrypt sensitive archives and protect the storage account with strong access controls. |
| Second server or NAS | Convenient for frequent copies and local restores. | It is another system to secure and maintain. A network failure, ransomware event, or shared location can affect both hosts, so keep an additional isolated generation. |
At least one copy should be separate from the live host. Test that you can read the destination and retrieve a complete generation; a backup that cannot be downloaded or mounted is not a recovery plan.
How persistence and mission state affect the backup
The server configuration controls mission rotation and includes a persistent setting. The Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki explains: “Enabling the persistence option will make missions that have either base or instant respawn keep on running after all players have disconnected.” Persistence therefore depends on both the configuration and the mission’s respawn design. Copying only server.cfg without the mission-specific state does not guarantee that progress can be resumed.
Include the files written by the mission or mod for saves, databases, profiles, or other persistent state. Their names and locations vary by mission and mod, so inspect the active mission’s documentation and the profile directory after a controlled save. Record which files change when progress changes; those are the files that must be captured during each maintenance window.
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Restore an Arma 3 server from a backup
1. Preserve the failed installation
Stop the server and copy or rename the failed state before restoring. Keep its logs and configuration so you can compare the failure with the known-good generation. Restoring over the only copy can destroy evidence and make it impossible to identify the original problem.
2. Match the build and content
Install or verify the same dedicated-server build recorded in the manifest. Restore the required client mods, server mods, signing keys, and mission files. A different build or mod revision can change configuration behavior or make saved state unreadable; do not treat a restore as an opportunity to update everything at once.
3. Recreate the path mapping
Use the saved launch definition to place each component where the process expects it:
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-profiles, with the profile name selected by-name. On Linux, verify ownership and case-sensitive names; on Windows, verify the account’s Documents or custom profile path. - Place the server configuration at the path selected by
-config. - Place the basic configuration at the path selected by
-cfg. - Restore the installation,
mpmissions, mod directories, keys, and mission-specific state at the paths referenced by the launch files.
If you intentionally changed the directory layout, edit the launch definition to match and update the manifest. Do not leave an old absolute path pointing at an empty or obsolete directory.
4. Set ownership and permissions
Ensure that the operating-system account running the service can read the executable, configurations, mods, keys, and missions, and can write the profile, logs, and persistent state. On Linux, check directory execute permission as well as file read permission. On Windows, verify the service account has access to custom paths outside its profile.
5. Start and inspect logs
Start the server using the restored launch definition. Inspect the RPT and server logs in the profile folder for missing files, version mismatches, rejected signatures, invalid configuration entries, and permission errors. The startup documentation identifies the profile folder as the default log location, unless your setup redirects output.
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6. Perform an administrator validation
Join with an administrator account before reopening the server to the community. Confirm that the expected mission loads, the rotation is correct, required mods initialize, and the saved mission state or player progression is present. Exercise a harmless state change, stop the server cleanly, and verify that the state is written to the restored location before declaring the recovery successful.
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The server starts with default settings
This usually means the process is reading a different profile or configuration than the one you restored. Recheck -name, -profiles, -config, and -cfg, including absolute paths and spelling. Confirm in the startup log which profile and configuration were opened.
The mission or rotation is missing
Restore mpmissions and the configuration file that defines the rotation. If the files are outside the installation, copy them from the external paths recorded in the launch definition rather than from an empty directory created during reinstall.
Players lose progress after a restore
Check that the mission’s save or persistence files were included and that the restored account can write them. Verify the configuration’s persistent setting and the mission’s respawn design; persistence is not guaranteed for every mission simply because the server starts.
Mods fail or signatures are rejected
Compare the restored mod list and revisions with the manifest. Restore server-only mods and the matching keys directory. A Workshop collection name without the downloaded content is not sufficient for an offline recovery.
The service cannot write logs or state
Correct ownership and permissions on the profile and state directories. Also check that a restored absolute path is mounted, exists, and has enough free space. The process may read the executable successfully while failing later when it tries to create an RPT or save file.
The newest backup is corrupt
Use an older labeled generation instead of repeatedly copying the same damaged files. Compare checksums or the manifest, and investigate the live host before producing another recovery point.
A practical maintenance policy
Choose the interval from the server’s state-change rate. A community running a persistent campaign may need copies around major mission milestones, while a lightly used test server can accept longer gaps. Whatever interval you choose, apply the same sequence: quiesce the server, copy the complete file set, create a manifest, label the generation, and move a copy away from the host.
Periodically perform a restore test on an isolated machine or directory. A test should use the recorded launch definition, verify the build and mods, start the server, load the expected mission, and confirm that persistence data is readable. Record the result and any path or permission changes so the procedure remains usable when the live host is unavailable.
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Quick Recap
Backup checklist
- Launch command and startup/service files saved.
-name,-profiles,-config, and-cfgvalues recorded.- Arma 3 dedicated-server build documented.
- Active profile directory copied.
- Configuration and basic configuration files copied.
mpmissions, mission rotation, and mission-specific save/state files copied.- Enabled mods, server mods, Workshop manifest, and
keyscopied. - Recent logs and RPT files retained.
- Manifest, checksums where available, UTC label, and intentional exclusions recorded.
- At least one generation stored separately from the live host.
- A restore test has confirmed mission loading, permissions, and persistent progress.
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