Setup & servers
Back up Project Zomboid saves before adding Viewpoint mods
Close the game before copying the complete save folder. On Windows the default root is %USERPROFILE%\Zomboid\Saves; on macOS it is ~/Zomboid/Saves. Keep a dated copy outside the live Saves directory and record the game/mod versions.
On this page
Keep a recoverable copy
- Exit the world and game normally. For a server, ask its administrator for a stopped/consistent server backup.
- Find the intended world under the actual user's data directory.
- Copy the complete folder into a dated backup location or archive it.
- Check the copy opens as a folder/archive with the expected world contents, not just a shortcut.
- Write down build, enabled mods, launch options and changed configuration separately.
The support forum recommends archiving a complete world because saves can be large. A backup's existence does not prove restoration has been tested. Keep the original untouched while testing a mod on a new world.
Do not mix two versions of a world
Before restoring, preserve the current world separately too. Match the backup's original version and mod set. Avoid merging an older world's partial files over a newer world: leftover files can make the result inconsistent.
Use a separate test and verify the intended character, location and inventory before relying on the copy. If loading reports a version mismatch, stop and retain both copies; a newer save is not guaranteed to work after a downgrade.
A server backup has more than a client world
A player's local files are not the authoritative server backup. Server discussion distinguishes world data, server configuration and player databases. Preserve the administrator's full corresponding set with the same naming and a consistent timestamp; this page does not propose editing databases to convert between builds.
Support describes the Windows Zomboid\backups directory when automatic server backups were enabled. Check an actual archive and its date rather than assuming automatic backups exist. Before any update use the version checklist; for a joining error use server/client responsibilities.
Sources & version
Based on author documentation and community instructions, not our own gameplay test. Later updates may change defaults.