Download a copy of your world, or any other files, from your server to your own computer. You can do this in the browser with the File Manager, or over SFTP for large downloads.
Find Your World Folder
Every game stores its world or save data in a different place. Common locations on WinterNode servers:
| Game | World / save location |
|---|---|
| Minecraft Java | The world folder in your server root, named world by default (the level-name value in server.properties) |
| Terraria | saves/Worlds/ (each world is a .wld file; tModLoader worlds also have a matching .twld) |
| Valheim | /.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/ (each world is a .fwl and .db pair) |
| Palworld | Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world folder> |
| Unturned | Servers/Default/Level and Servers/Default/Players |
| Vintage Story | data/Saves/ (each world is a .vcdbs file) |
For any other game, look for a folder named after saves, worlds, or your map name, or check that game’s section of the help center.
Download with the File Manager
Folders can’t be downloaded directly, so you archive the folder first and download the archive.
- Log in to the Game Control Panel and select your server
- In the sidebar, click File Manager
- Navigate to the folder you want (for example, your world folder from the table above)
- Go up one level so you can see the folder in the file list, then click the … menu on the right side of its row
- Select Archive
- Wait for the archive to finish. A new file named like
archive-{date}.tar.gzappears, and it’s ready once its LAST MODIFIED column no longer says a few seconds ago - Click the … menu on the right side of the archive file and select Download
The archive saves to your browser’s default download location. Single files (like a Terraria .wld or Valheim .db) don’t need the archive step: use their … menu and select Download directly.
Download Your Whole Server
To take everything at once:
- In the File Manager, click the check box at the top of the Name column to select everything in your server root
- Click Archive in the toolbar
- Download the finished archive from its … menu, or over SFTP
This is the same process as a manual backup. A full-server archive can be large, so expect the archiving step to take a while.
Download with SFTP
For large worlds or full servers, SFTP is faster and more stable than the browser, and it can download folders without archiving them first.
- Connect to your server with an SFTP client like WinSCP or FileZilla
- On the server side, navigate to the folder you want
- Drag it to a folder on your computer and wait for the transfer to finish
Still Not Working?
If your download keeps failing or you can’t find your world files, contact our support team with:
- Your Server UUID
- The folder or file you’re trying to download
- What you’ve already tried (File Manager, SFTP, or both)
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Downloading copies the files to your computer and leaves the originals on the server untouched.
Yes, large archives can make the File Manager freeze or briefly disconnect. The archive is still being created. It's done when its LAST MODIFIED column no longer says 'a few seconds ago'.
Download it over SFTP instead. SFTP is faster and more stable for large files, and you don't need to archive first: you can download folders directly.