How to Change the Saves on Your Factorio Server

Factorio lets you run a shared factory world with friends, and over time you may want to switch to a different save, roll back to an earlier point in your game, or load a fresh world entirely. The RiverHosting panel makes this straightforward from the Saves page without needing to edit any files by hand.

Before you start

• You need access to your server in the RiverHosting panel.
• Your server should be stopped before switching saves. Loading a different save while the server is running can cause the active save to be overwritten or corrupted.
• If you want to keep a copy of your current save before making changes, use the Backups tab first.

1. How to view and manage your saves

The Saves page in the RiverHosting panel gives you a clear view of all the save files currently on your server. Here is how to get there.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Select your Factorio server from the server list.
3. Click Saves in the left-hand menu.
4. You will see a list of all save files currently stored on your server. Each save is shown with its file name and, where available, the last modified date.

2. How to switch to a different save file

If you want your server to load a different save the next time it starts, you need to tell the server which file to use. You can do this from the Startup tab.

1. Go to the Saves page and note the exact file name of the save you want to load, including the .zip extension if it is shown.
2. Click Startup in the left-hand menu.
3. Look for the save file name field. Update it to match the name of the save you want the server to load.
4. Save your changes.
5. Start your server. It will now load the save file you specified.

3. How to upload a save file from your computer

If you have a Factorio save on your own computer and want to run it on your server, you can upload it through the File Manager.

1. Click Files in the left-hand menu to open the File Manager.
2. Navigate to the saves folder. This is where Factorio stores all save files.
3. Click the upload button and select your .zip save file from your computer.
4. Wait for the upload to complete.
5. Follow the steps in section 2 above to set the server to load your uploaded save.

4. How to delete a save you no longer need

Over time you may collect save files you no longer use. You can remove them from the File Manager to keep things tidy.

1. Click Files in the left-hand menu.
2. Open the saves folder.
3. Find the save file you want to remove.
4. Right-click the file (or use the options menu next to it) and select Delete.
5. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

Troubleshooting

• Server loads the wrong save after I changed the file name in Startup. Double-check that the file name in the Startup tab exactly matches the name of the save file in the saves folder, including capitalisation.
• My uploaded save does not appear in the Saves page. Try refreshing the page. If it still does not appear, open the File Manager and confirm the file was uploaded to the correct saves folder and that it is a valid .zip file.
• The server crashes when loading my save. This is usually caused by missing mods. If the save was created with mods enabled, make sure the same mods are installed on your server before starting it.
• I accidentally deleted a save I needed. If you created a backup before deleting, restore it from the Backups tab. If no backup exists, the file cannot be recovered, so we recommend creating backups regularly.

Need help?

If you run into any issues with your Factorio saves that are not covered here, the RiverHosting support team is ready to help.