Backups on a Terraria server
By Benjamin D. · PDG
· 2 min read
Contents
A Terraria world fits in a single file. That makes backing up simple and losing it total: if the file is corrupt, there is nothing to salvage in part.
What usually destroys a world
An incomplete write after a killed process, a failed mod update and loading the wrong world. Hardware failure is the rarest cause.
World and players are separate
The server holds the world, but characters stay on the players' machines. A world backup restores nobody's equipment.
Why one copy is not enough
Damage is rarely noticed the same evening. A missing area or an emptied chest is found days later.
How many generations to keep
Terraria files are small. A week of daily copies and a month of weekly ones covers practically every case.
Where to store them
A copy on the same machine protects against mistakes, not against losing the machine. At least one belongs elsewhere — the file is light, so it costs nothing.
Before every major change
Adding a mod, updating the game, switching worlds: each deserves its own copy.
Stop the server with a command
Terraria writes the world on shutdown. An interrupted write gives a file that opens but is missing part of the world.
Test the restore
A copy that has never been restored is an assumption. One attempt on a separate server shows whether the file is complete.
Name copies clearly
A date and a short note make restoring fast. Ten identical names force you to open them all.
Ask players to back up too
Since characters stay on their machines, it is worth reminding the group to keep their own copies. The server cannot do it for them.
Check the copies appear
A configured schedule and a working schedule are two different things.
Most of what precedes is a matter of organisation rather than technique: the decisions are made before you start, the backups have to actually run, and the rules are written while nothing has gone wrong yet. Our Terraria server hosting takes on the part there is no reason to do by hand — automatic backups, tModLoader support and instant setup, along with a panel where settings, files, mods and restarts are handled without ever opening a command line.
