A Zomboid world is months of group history in a save folder — and Build 42 worlds accumulate even more state than B41 ones did. Here's how saving works on your server, what the Backups tab protects, and the three moments a manual backup is non-negotiable.
How your world saves
The server keeps the world in memory and writes it to disk:
- Periodically, per the
SaveWorldEveryMinutessetting. - On clean shutdown — the Stop button and scheduled restarts save before exiting.
- On demand — the
/savecommand from the console.
What it does not do is save on a crash. That's the gap backups exist to close.
What the Backups tab covers
The Backups tab snapshots your server's files — the world save and the config files (servertest.ini, sandbox settings) together, which matters because a world and its settings belong to each other. Your plan includes a set number of backup slots; taking a new backup beyond the limit replaces the oldest.
Restoring from the tab returns the whole server to that snapshot. Restore with the server stopped, and expect anything that happened after the snapshot to be gone — that's the point.
The three non-negotiable manual backups
- Before any mod-list change. Mods write into the save; removing an integrated mod can strand its objects in the world. This is the backup that gets used most.
- Before a game update lands. B42 still receives patches, and
BackupsOnVersionChangein your config adds the server's own local snapshot — but a dashboard backup is the one that survives anything. - Before "we're trying something" — a sandbox-settings experiment, an admin-command spree, a soft-wipe rehearsal.
Local backups vs dashboard backups
The game itself also keeps rolling local backups (BackupsCount, BackupsOnStart in your settings — see Server Settings). Those live on the same disk as the server and are a convenience, not protection. Dashboard backups are stored off the server and are the real safety net.
Restoring: the clean sequence
- Stop the server.
- Backups tab → choose the snapshot → Restore.
- Start the server, and check the console reaches
SERVER STARTED. - Have one player join and confirm the world state is what you expected before announcing it.
If the world is already damaged
Corruption after a crash usually shows as a boot that hangs or errors while loading the map. Don't keep restarting into it — stop the server and restore the most recent good backup. If you're not sure which snapshot predates the damage, open a ticket; we can help identify the last healthy one before anything is overwritten.