# How to Back Up and Restore Your Icarus Server (/docs/icarus/backup-restore)



import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';
import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs';

Icarus stores all player progress in **prospect `.json` files**. Backing up a prospect = backing up that entire game session. This page covers backing up prospects manually, using the panel backup tool, and restoring after a crash.

> **Critical:** Never rename or hand-edit prospect `.json` files. RocketWerkz's docs explicitly warn this causes unrecoverable corruption. Always work with whole files.

What to Back Up [#what-to-back-up]

| What                   | Path                                                       | Why                                                                |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Prospects (saves)**  | `Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/*.json` | All player progress, builds, world state                           |
| **ServerSettings.ini** | `Icarus/Saved/Config/ServerSettings.ini`                   | Server config — admin password, prospect settings, shutdown timers |
| **Mods**               | `Icarus/Content/Paks/mods/*.pak`                           | Custom mods (so you don't have to re-download)                     |

Prospects are by far the most important — losing the others is annoying, losing prospects is hours of player progress gone.

Backup Methods [#backup-methods]

<Tabs items={['Panel Backup (Recommended)', 'Manual Download']}>
  <Tab value="Panel Backup (Recommended)">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Stop the server from **Console** in the [XGamingServer Panel](https://panel.xgamingserver.com).
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Open the **Backups** tab and click **Create Backup**.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Give it a descriptive name (e.g. `pre-mod-update-2026-04`) and confirm.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    The panel backup captures the whole server directory — prospects, configs, mods, everything. You can restore from the same Backups tab.
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="Manual Download">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Stop the server.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        In **Files**, navigate to:

        ```
        Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Right-click each `.json` prospect → **Download**. Save them somewhere safe.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        (Optional) Also download `Icarus/Saved/Config/ServerSettings.ini`.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

When to Back Up [#when-to-back-up]

| Trigger                               | Why                                                            |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Before updating the server            | Game updates can break mods or change save formats             |
| Before installing/removing mods       | Mods can corrupt prospects on rollback                         |
| Before changing difficulty / hardcore | Settings stored inside the prospect — bad changes can brick it |
| After a major build session           | Protect player progress                                        |
| Weekly on a schedule                  | General hygiene                                                |

Restore From Backup [#restore-from-backup]

<Tabs items={['Panel Restore', 'Manual Upload']}>
  <Tab value="Panel Restore">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Stop the server.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        In the **Backups** tab, click **...** → **Restore** on the backup you want.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Wait for the restore to finish, then start the server.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab value="Manual Upload">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Stop the server.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        In **Files**, navigate to `Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/`.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Upload your saved `.json` file, overwriting the existing one if it has the same name.
      </Step>

      <Step>
        If the prospect name is different from what's currently loaded, edit `ServerSettings.ini` and set `LoadProspect=YourBackupName` (without the `.json`).
      </Step>

      <Step>
        Start the server.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

Recover From a Corrupted Prospect [#recover-from-a-corrupted-prospect]

If a prospect won't load (server hangs at "loading prospect" or crashes immediately):

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Stop the server. Check the server logs in **Console** for errors mentioning the prospect name.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    In **Files**, rename the broken prospect to `.json.broken` (so the server stops trying to load it). Do **not** edit it.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Restore from your most recent good backup using the steps above.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    If you have no backup, set `ResumeProspect=false` and `LoadProspect=` to empty in `ServerSettings.ini`. Start the server — it will boot to the lobby and you can create a fresh prospect.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Where Local (Singleplayer) Saves Live [#where-local-singleplayer-saves-live]

If you're migrating a singleplayer prospect to your dedicated server, the local saves are at:

```
%LocalAppData%\Icarus\Saved\PlayerData\{SteamID}\Prospects\
```

Copy the `.json` from there to the dedicated server's `Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/` folder. See [Upload a Save](/docs/icarus/import-save) for the full migration steps.

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Prospect Management](/docs/icarus/prospect-management)
* [Upload a Save](/docs/icarus/import-save)
* [Server Configuration](/docs/icarus/server-config)
* [Wipe & Reinstall](/docs/icarus/wipe-reinstall)