Valheim Save File Corrupted — How to Fix & Recover Your World
Last verified: 2026-09-28
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local
Valheim automatically keeps the previous good save as a .old file. Close the game, back up the whole worlds_local folder, then delete the broken World.db and World.fwl and rename World.db.old → World.db and World.fwl.old → World.fwl to roll back. Always restore the .db and .fwl together as a matched pair from the same date.
If your Valheim world won't load, reset to Day 0, or shows as 0 KB, don't overwrite anything yet. Valheim keeps an automatic backup of your last good save — here's exactly how to restore it.
Where the files live: see the full Valheim save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).
How to transfer your Valheim save to a new PC
- Fully quit Valheim (and stop any dedicated server) so nothing overwrites the files while you work — confirm it isn't still running in Task Manager.
- Open the save folder: press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local and press Enter. Characters live next door in characters_local as .fch files.
- Back up EVERYTHING first: copy the whole worlds_local folder to your Desktop or a USB drive. This is your undo button — do it before any change.
- Restore Valheim's own backup: delete or rename the broken World.db and World.fwl, then rename World.db.old → World.db and World.fwl.old → World.fwl. Keep the pair matched — never mix a .db and .fwl from different dates or you can get terrain glitches or a reset seed.
- Launch the game and load the world to confirm the rollback worked.
- Roll back Steam Cloud if the local files are also bad: exit the game, disable cloud sync for Valheim in the client, restore your known-good folder backup, then re-enable sync so the good save uploads (not the corrupt one). Cloud copies sit in worlds_cloud alongside worlds_local.
- Still stuck? Right-click the file › Properties › Previous Versions (or Windows File History) to pull an older copy from a restore point.
Does cloud sync move it for you?
When Steam Cloud and your PC disagree, the client shows a sync conflict and asks which save to keep. Read the timestamps and pick the one matching your real last session. If you already picked wrong, restore the worlds_local backup you made before letting it sync again — otherwise the corrupt or older save overwrites the cloud copy too.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the old .db/.fwl rollback on a Valheim 1.0 world. Since 1.0 (Sept 2026) each world is a FOLDER inside worlds_local (named after the world) holding .chunk files plus _main*.db2/.fwl2/.chunks/.ok — there is no single World.db to rename. Back up and restore the WHOLE world folder instead.
- Overwriting before backing up. Always copy the whole worlds_local folder first — it's the #1 way a recoverable world becomes a lost one.
- Restoring .db without its matching .fwl (or mixing files from different save dates). Always restore the pair from the same date, or you risk terrain corruption and a reset seed.
- Letting the cloud re-sync the bad save. Disable cloud sync before you restore, or the corrupt file just downloads again.
- A 0 KB World.db means the last save was interrupted by a crash or power loss — the World.db.old backup is your best bet.
FAQ
Where is the Valheim save file on PC?
Worlds are in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local and characters in characters_local. See the full Valheim save location guide for details.
My Valheim world won't load or looks missing after the 1.0 update — is it corrupted?
Usually not. Valheim 1.0 (Sept 2026) changed the save format: each world is now its own FOLDER inside %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local, containing many .chunk files plus _main*.db2/.fwl2/.chunks/.ok instead of a single World.db + World.fwl pair. Pre-1.0 worlds are auto-imported into their own folder on first launch after the update; if one didn't appear, your old World.db/World.fwl should still be sitting in worlds_local — copy them somewhere safe, then let the game re-import. To roll back a 1.0 world, restore the ENTIRE world folder from a backup rather than swapping individual files, because the .chunks/.db2 pieces must stay from the same save.
Can I recover a corrupted Valheim world?
Usually yes. Valheim keeps a .old copy of the previous successful save (World.db.old / World.fwl.old) that you can rename back into place. Always back the folder up first.
Why did my Valheim world reset to Day 0 or show 0 KB?
Almost always an interrupted save from a crash or power loss, or a cloud-sync conflict resolved the wrong way. Restore the .db.old / .fwl.old pair.
Do I need to restore both the .db and .fwl file?
Yes — always as a matched pair from the same date. Mixing a .db and .fwl from different saves can glitch terrain or change your seed.
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Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.