How to Manage Save Files and Backups on a Satisfactory Server

Overview

Your Satisfactory save file is your factory. Losing it means losing hours or days of work. This guide covers where saves are stored, how the autosave system works, how to create manual backups, and how to restore or transfer saves between servers.

Where Are Save Files Stored?

On a Linux dedicated server, saves are located at:

FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/

You will see files like:

MyFactory.sav              # Your main save
MyFactory_autosave_0.sav   # Most recent autosave
MyFactory_autosave_1.sav   # Second most recent
MyFactory_autosave_2.sav   # Third most recent

File sizes: Save files range from a few MB for new worlds to 200+ MB for large late-game factories.

How Autosave Works

Satisfactory rotates through a configurable number of autosave slots:

The autosave cycle works like this:

1. _autosave_0.sav is overwritten with the current state
2. Previous _autosave_0 becomes _autosave_1
3. Previous _autosave_1 becomes _autosave_2
4. The oldest autosave is discarded

Recommendation: Increase mAutoSaveSlots to 5 for more recovery points:

mAutoSaveSlots=5

Creating Manual Backups

Method 1: In-Game Save

As a server admin, use the console command:

server.Save

Or save with a specific name:

server.SaveAs MyFactory_beforeupdate

Method 2: File System Copy

Stop the server or wait for a quiet moment between autosaves, then:

# Create a timestamped backup
cp -r FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/ ~/backups/satisfactory-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)/

Method 3: Automated Backup Script

Create a cron job for daily backups:

#!/bin/bash
# satisfactory-backup.sh
SAVE_DIR="/path/to/server/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server"
BACKUP_DIR="/path/to/backups/satisfactory"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/saves-$DATE.tar.gz" -C "$SAVE_DIR" .

# Keep only last 14 days of backups
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "saves-*.tar.gz" -mtime +14 -delete

Add to crontab to run daily at 4 AM:

crontab -e
# Add this line:
0 4 * * * /path/to/satisfactory-backup.sh

Restoring from a Backup

Restoring an Autosave

If your main save is corrupted, restore from the most recent autosave:

1. Stop the server
2. Check which autosave is newest:

   ls -lt FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/*autosave*
   

3. Copy the autosave over your main save:

   cd FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/
   cp MyFactory_autosave_0.sav MyFactory.sav
   

4. Start the server

Restoring from a Manual Backup

1. Stop the server
2. Extract your backup:

   tar -xzf /path/to/backups/saves-20260401-040000.tar.gz -C FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/
   

3. Start the server

Transferring Saves Between Servers

From Local/Single-Player to Dedicated Server

1. Find your local save file:

   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/<SteamID>/
   • Linux: ~/.config/Epic/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/<SteamID>/

2. Copy the .sav file to your server:

   scp MyFactory.sav user@server:/path/to/server/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/
   

3. Restart the server. It will detect the save automatically.

From One Server to Another

1. Stop the source server
2. Copy the save files:

   scp -r source:/path/to/SaveGames/server/*.sav dest:/path/to/SaveGames/server/
   

3. Start the destination server

Note: Save files are forward-compatible within the same major version but may not work if you downgrade to an older game version.

Monitoring Save File Health

Check Save File Size Over Time

A sudden change in file size can indicate problems:

# List saves sorted by size
ls -lhS FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/*.sav

Check Disk Space

df -h /path/to/server/

Ensure you have at least 1 GB free beyond your current save size. Running out of disk during a save operation is the most common cause of corruption.

Quick Reference

Related Guides

• Common Satisfactory Server Issues
• Satisfactory Server Settings Guide
• How Game Server Backups Work