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To restore a Sons of the Forest dedicated server safely, stop it, back up the entire server data directory, then regenerate or reinstall the default configuration. On a self-managed Windows server, rename or remove the customized dedicatedserver.cfg after making the backup. On rented hosting, use the provider’s reset or reinstall action and choose its default-values option. Reapply only essential settings, verify the save slot and game mode, and test a connection before players return.
Choose the reset method before touching any files
The correct procedure depends on who controls the server’s filesystem. A self-managed installation gives you direct access to the configuration and world files. A rented server normally exposes the same operations through a hosting panel, where a reinstall may remove more than just settings.
| Reset method | Data preservation | Access required | Repeatability | Downtime | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rename or remove dedicatedserver.cfg on a self-managed server |
Best control: the original file can be kept as a backup, and the rest of the data directory remains in place | Filesystem and permission access to the server machine | Manual, but easy to repeat with an external backup | Usually limited to stopping and starting the server | Deleting the wrong file or editing files while the server is running |
| Provider-panel reinstall with default values | Provider-dependent; custom files, mods, and world data may be removed | Hosting-panel administrator access | Simple one-click workflow, subject to the provider’s backup retention | Host Havoc says its reinstall can take up to 20 minutes and keeps the server offline during the operation | Accidentally choosing a destructive reinstall without an independent world backup |
If preserving an existing world is your priority, use the self-managed file reset where possible, or make and download an independent backup before using a hosting-panel reinstall. A provider’s “backup” label does not necessarily mean that every save, mod, and configuration file will be retained indefinitely.
Back up the complete server data directory
Do this before renaming a configuration file, reinstalling the server, or changing a save setting. The directory contains more than server preferences: it holds configuration, saves, and logs. A settings reset that leaves you without the world data is not a successful reset.
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Default Windows location
For a self-managed Windows server, the documented default location is:
C:Users<user>AppDataLocalLowEndnightSonsOfTheForestDSReplace <user> with the Windows account that runs the dedicated server. If the launch command includes -userdatapath, that switch overrides the default location; back up the directory supplied by the switch instead of assuming the path above is current.
Make the backup independent of the live installation
- Stop the server cleanly and wait for the process to exit.
- Copy the entire
SonsOfTheForestDSdata directory, including its subfolders, to a different disk or storage location. - Give the backup a date and identify the server or save slot it contains.
- Open the copy only to confirm that the configuration, save data, and logs are present; do not treat the live folder as the backup.
Keep the copy outside the live directory. A reinstall can remove custom configuration, mods, and world data. Host Havoc’s technical guidance states: “Before you start: Reinstalling will delete all server files except backups and re-downloads a fresh default installation.” That warning is provider-specific wording, but it illustrates why a separate copy is necessary.
Restore defaults on a self-managed Windows server
The safest self-managed reset changes only the configuration file. It does not require deleting the entire data directory or the world you intend to keep.
1. Stop the server before editing
Use the method you normally use to stop the dedicated-server process or service, then confirm that it is no longer running. Do not edit a live JSON file: the server may be writing it at the same time, leaving a partially written or conflicting configuration.
2. Locate the active data directory
Check the Windows default path shown above and then check the launch command for -userdatapath. The active directory is the one that contains the server’s current dedicatedserver.cfg, saves, and logs. Back up that directory before proceeding.
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3. Preserve the customized configuration
Inside the active data directory, find dedicatedserver.cfg. Rename it to a clearly identifiable name such as:
dedicatedserver.cfg.backupRenaming is preferable to immediate deletion because it preserves your old values for reference. You may remove the file instead, but only after confirming that the complete data-directory backup is stored elsewhere.
4. Start the server once to regenerate defaults
Start the dedicated server with the same launch method you normally use. The server should create or use a fresh default JSON configuration. A Steam Community configuration guide notes that these files are not present immediately after installation; the game must be started once for the default files to be created. If the old file was merely renamed, leave it outside the active filename so the server does not continue loading the customized version.
5. Stop again if you need to edit the regenerated file
After confirming that the server has started and created its configuration, stop it cleanly before making any manual changes. Open the newly active dedicatedserver.cfg in a JSON-aware editor. Keep commas, quotation marks, braces, and value types valid. An invalid JSON file can prevent the server from starting or cause settings to be ignored.
6. Reapply only the settings you actually need
Do not paste the entire old file back into the new one; that would restore the custom configuration you were trying to remove. Re-enter only required values, such as:
ServerNamefor the name players see.MaxPlayersfor the intended player limit.Passwordif the server is private.SaveSlotto select the existing world you intend to load.SaveModeandGameModefor the desired save and gameplay behavior.SaveIntervalif you have a specific save cadence.GameSettingsandCustomGameModeSettingswhen your world depends on those options.
Leave values you do not understand at their defaults. The configuration’s empty or null values are designed to use defaults, so filling every field is unnecessary and increases the chance of carrying an unwanted customization forward.
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Understand what dedicatedserver.cfg controls
dedicatedserver.cfg is a JSON file. It is not the older ServerSettings.ini format used by unrelated games. A typical example begins with network and identity fields such as IpAddress, GamePort, QueryPort, BlobSyncPort, ServerName, MaxPlayers, Password, and LanOnly. It then includes SaveSlot, SaveMode, GameMode, save and logging options, and game-setting objects.
The reset affects the values represented in this file. It does not automatically decide which world should be loaded. That is why checking SaveSlot after the reset is essential: a server can start successfully while pointing at a different slot than the one players expect.
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Restore defaults on a rented server
Hosting panels use different labels and file layouts, so follow the provider’s own reset control rather than deleting files through an unfamiliar file manager.
1. Stop the instance from the panel
Use the panel’s Stop control and wait until the status shows the instance is offline. Starting a reinstall while the server is still active can interrupt file writes and make recovery harder.
2. Select the provider’s reset or reinstall action
Host Havoc documents a More > Reinstall flow. In that flow, leave the option set to Default values unless you have a documented reason to choose another option. The default-values choice is the panel equivalent of regenerating an uncustomized configuration.
3. Wait for completion
The reinstall process can take up to 20 minutes on Host Havoc and the server remains offline while it runs. That duration is not a universal limit for every provider. Do not repeatedly click reinstall or start the server manually while the panel reports that the operation is in progress.
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4. Reconfigure identity and access
After the fresh installation starts, set the server name, password, and administrator accounts again. A reinstall may return these to their defaults along with gameplay and network settings.
5. Confirm the fresh server before restoring a world
First verify that the default installation starts and is reachable. Only then copy back a saved world or other necessary data, following the provider’s documented directory layout. Restoring files before confirming the clean installation makes it difficult to tell whether a failure comes from the reset or from the restored data.
Provider-specific file locations
Some hosts expose a configuration path rather than a reinstall button. Sparked Host identifies /home/container/serverconfig/dedicatedserver.cfg as the file used to activate default settings. On a different host, the path and control may be different; use the path shown by that provider and keep an external backup before changing it.
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A server that appears online is not necessarily loading the right world or settings. Perform these checks in order:
- Confirm that the server appears in the expected list or can be reached at its normal address.
- Connect with a test account rather than asking the whole group to join immediately.
- Check the displayed server name, password behavior, and player limit.
- Confirm the intended
SaveSlotand inspect the world for the expected progress. - Check that the selected
GameMode, save mode, and any required game settings are correct. - Inspect the server logs for configuration, JSON, or save-loading errors.
- Stop and correct the configuration if a check fails; do not overwrite the backup while troubleshooting.
If the server starts with a new world, stop it before making further changes. A wrong save slot or an incorrectly restored world can make the server look empty even though the original save is still safely stored in the backup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will reinstalling delete your world?
It can. A hosting-panel reinstall is a destructive operation from the perspective of the live installation: custom configuration, mods, and world data may be removed. The provider may retain files labeled as backups, but retention rules and exclusions differ. Treat the world as at risk until you have a separate copy of the complete data directory or a provider backup that you have confirmed can be restored.
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Renaming dedicatedserver.cfg on a self-managed server is less destructive because it leaves the save files in place. It still requires a full backup: an incorrect path, accidental deletion, or later reinstall can affect the same world files.
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The old settings keep returning
The server may be reading a different data directory than the one you edited. Check for -userdatapath in the launch command and locate the dedicatedserver.cfg beside the active saves and logs. Rename the file in that directory, not merely the copy under the default Windows path.
The server will not start after the reset
Stop the process, inspect the newly edited JSON for missing commas or quotation marks, and restore the last known-good configuration from the backup if necessary. Recreate the default file again, then add one required setting at a time. Keeping the backup untouched gives you a known recovery point.
The server starts but loads the wrong world
Check SaveSlot before changing gameplay settings. The reset may have restored a default slot or your reconfiguration may have selected a different one. Stop the server before correcting the value and verify the result with a test connection.
The rented server is still offline after reinstalling
Allow the provider’s operation to finish; Host Havoc warns that its process can take up to 20 minutes. If the panel reports completion but the instance remains offline, review the panel log and the newly generated configuration before restoring any world files. Contact the provider with the operation time and server identifier if the panel shows an installation error.
A restored world has missing changes
Use the dated data-directory backup to identify which save copy was restored. Do not continue playing on a server with uncertain save provenance, because new writes can overwrite the only recoverable copy. Stop the server, preserve the current files separately, and restore the intended save according to the host’s file layout.
Quick Recap
When to reset only settings and when to reinstall
- Use the configuration-file reset when the world, mods, and server installation are healthy and you only want to remove accumulated setting changes.
- Use a provider reinstall when the host’s panel is the only practical way to regenerate the installation, or when the installation itself is damaged and you have an independent backup.
- Do not reinstall merely to change one value such as the server name or player limit; edit the relevant JSON value while the server is stopped and preserve the rest of the configuration.
- Delay any destructive reset if you cannot identify the active save directory or verify that your backup contains the world data.
A repeatable reset checklist
- Identify whether the server is self-managed or panel-managed.
- Stop the server cleanly and confirm it is offline.
- Back up the complete active data directory outside the live installation.
- Record the intended save slot, game mode, server name, and access settings.
- Rename or remove the customized
dedicatedserver.cfg, or choose the provider’s default-values reinstall option. - Start the clean server once so default configuration files are created.
- Reapply only essential settings.
- Check the save slot, connectivity, game mode, and logs with a test account.
- Invite players only after the expected world and settings are confirmed.
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