{
 "schema": "findmysave.steps/1",
 "safety_rules": [
  {
   "id": "read-only-first",
   "rule": "Start read-only: find the save files and list name, size and modified time."
  },
  {
   "id": "backup-before-change",
   "rule": "Back up the whole save folder to a new dated folder before changing anything."
  },
  {
   "id": "confirm-each-change",
   "rule": "Ask the user before every step with changes_files=true."
  },
  {
   "id": "no-anticheat-no-unknown-tools",
   "rule": "No anti-cheat files, no edits beyond the step, no third-party tools without the user's yes."
  },
  {
   "id": "game-and-steam-closed",
   "rule": "Close the game first (and Steam, when a step says so)."
  }
 ],
 "game": {
  "slug": "palworld",
  "name": "Palworld",
  "name_zh": "幻兽帕鲁",
  "steam_appid": "1623730",
  "page": "https://findmysave.com/palworld/",
  "page_zh": "https://findmysave.com/zh/palworld/"
 },
 "updated": "2026-10-22",
 "save_locations": [
  {
   "platform": "Windows",
   "path": "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Pal\\Saved\\SaveGames\\<your Steam ID>\\",
   "source": "https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Palworld"
  },
  {
   "platform": "Microsoft Store",
   "path": "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Packages\\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\\SystemAppData\\wgs\\<your Steam ID>\\",
   "source": "https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Palworld"
  },
  {
   "platform": "Steam",
   "path": "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Pal\\Saved\\SaveGames\\<your Steam ID>\\<world folder>\\",
   "notes": "Co-op host/single-player worlds live in a random-named world folder. Inside: Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, WorldOption.sav, Players\\, backup\\local, backup\\world.",
   "source": "https://steamcommunity.com/app/1623730/discussions/0/4139438760459126367"
  },
  {
   "platform": "Xbox/Game Pass",
   "path": "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Packages\\PocketpairInc.Palworld_<id>\\SystemAppData\\wgs",
   "notes": "Saves are stored as GUID-named container (CNK-wrapped) files in wgs, not a plain folder; Level.sav is sealed inside the container and must be extracted with a tool to be used. Game Pass to Steam conversion is possible with community tools; Steam to Game Pass is reported not possible.",
   "source": "https://hub.tcno.co/games/palworld/converter/"
  },
  {
   "platform": "Dedicated server",
   "path": "PalServer\\Pal\\Saved\\SaveGames\\0\\<DedicatedServerName>\\",
   "notes": "The folder name must equal DedicatedServerName in Pal\\Saved\\Config\\<WindowsServer|LinuxServer>\\GameUserSettings.ini. Settings in PalWorldSettings.ini.",
   "source": "https://xgamingserver.com/docs/palworld/backup-restore"
  }
 ],
 "save_files": [
  {
   "name": "Level.sav",
   "role": "world",
   "notes": "Main world data (bases, Pals, world state). Restoring backups without it (and LevelMeta.sav) does not bring the world back.",
   "source": "https://steamcommunity.com/app/1623730/discussions/0/4139438760459126367"
  },
  {
   "name": "LevelMeta.sav",
   "role": "world",
   "notes": "World metadata; a Steam thread fix required copying both Level.sav and LevelMeta.sav from backup.",
   "source": "https://steamcommunity.com/app/1623730/discussions/0/4139438760459126367"
  },
  {
   "name": "Players/<32-hex GUID>.sav",
   "role": "character",
   "notes": "One file per player. Co-op host is 00000000000000000000000000000001.sav; on a dedicated server the file name is a server-generated GUID. Mismatch causes a new-character prompt.",
   "source": "https://github.com/xNul/palworld-host-save-fix"
  },
  {
   "name": "WorldOption.sav",
   "role": "settings",
   "notes": "World settings; the host-save-fix README says to delete it when moving to a dedicated server (players must re-pick respawn points).",
   "source": "https://github.com/xNul/palworld-host-save-fix"
  },
  {
   "name": "LocalData.sav",
   "role": "character",
   "notes": "Per-player client-side map discovery and global Palbox progress; dedicated servers do not read it.",
   "source": "https://hub.tcno.co/games/palworld/player-transfer/"
  },
  {
   "name": "backup/local/ and backup/world/",
   "role": "backup",
   "notes": "Game-created rolling backups inside the world folder: backup/local holds per-player backups, backup/world holds timestamped world snapshots.",
   "source": "https://help.freakhosting.com/games/palworld/fixing-corrupted-saves"
  },
  {
   "name": "*.sav.bak in Players/ and SaveData/",
   "role": "backup",
   "notes": "Server-side internal backups when bIsUseBackupSaveData=True (default per hosting doc); same volume, so no protection from disk failure.",
   "source": "https://xgamingserver.com/docs/palworld/backup-restore"
  }
 ],
 "cloud": {
  "pcgw": {
   "steam cloud": "true",
   "xbox cloud": "true"
  },
  "research": {
   "systems": [
    "Steam Cloud",
    "Xbox cloud (Game Pass; per PCGamingWiki)"
   ],
   "overwrite_behavior": "Steam players report a local-vs-cloud choice prompt where choosing cloud lost levels/bases, and an older cloud save overwriting a newer one after switching PCs. Community advice is to disable Steam Cloud before restoring backups.",
   "source": "https://steamcommunity.com/app/1623730/discussions/0/4361242944243112266"
  }
 },
 "account_binding": {
  "detail": "Steam saves sit under the SteamID64 folder. Co-op host character is the fixed GUID 00000000000000000000000000000001; each joining player on a dedicated server gets a server-generated GUID, so characters do not carry over automatically between co-op and dedicated server.",
  "source": "https://github.com/xNul/palworld-host-save-fix"
 },
 "situations": [
  {
   "id": "corrupted-1",
   "section": "corrupted",
   "title": "On a dedicated server: infinite loading screen when joining, or players prompted for Character Creation despit...",
   "symptom": "On a dedicated server: infinite loading screen when joining, or players prompted for Character Creation despite existing progress.",
   "steps": [
    {
     "n": 1,
     "do": "Stop the server (do not edit saves while running).",
     "changes_files": false
    },
    {
     "n": 2,
     "do": "World corrupted: copy Level.sav and metadata from a timestamped folder in backup/world into the world folder.",
     "changes_files": true
    },
    {
     "n": 3,
     "do": "Only one player reset: copy that player's 32-character GUID file from backup/local into Players/, replacing the broken file.",
     "changes_files": true
    },
    {
     "n": 4,
     "do": "Or copy matching .sav.bak files over the .sav files in Players/ and SaveData/.",
     "changes_files": true
    },
    {
     "n": 5,
     "do": "Prevention: run /Save (or RCON Save) before stopping the server.",
     "changes_files": false
    }
   ],
   "source": "https://help.freakhosting.com/games/palworld/fixing-corrupted-saves",
   "page": "https://findmysave.com/palworld/corrupted-save/"
  }
 ],
 "for_generic_guides": {},
 "unverified": [
  "Whether the xNul host-save-fix tool still works with the latest Palworld version: README shows no deprecation notice but one hosting site (gameserverkings, dated Sept 2026) says PalworldSaveTools is discontinued and recommends Palworld Save Pal; not verified against the repos.",
  "Backup retention (number/age of backup\\local and backup\\world snapshots) not documented in any opened source.",
  "Steam thread claim that single-player saves are backed up hourly is a player statement, unverified officially.",
  "Pocketpair's official restore instructions live in a Google Doc linked from VGC; contents not accessible.",
  "Chinese sources (Bilibili/Zhihu/NGA) could not be opened (captcha / not fetched); no Chinese-specific facts included.",
  "Current Microsoft Store folder layout and whether Xbox cloud sync can overwrite saves: only PCGamingWiki says cloud=true; no incident source opened.",
  "One aliyun forum answer claims APPID must match between old/new servers; unverified."
 ],
 "if_still_stuck": {
  "url": "https://findmysave.com/help/",
  "url_zh": "https://findmysave.com/zh/help/",
  "note": "Only if every step has failed: a person can look at it with the user remotely."
 },
 "page": {
  "slug": "corrupted-save",
  "url": "https://findmysave.com/palworld/corrupted-save/",
  "url_zh": "https://findmysave.com/zh/palworld/corrupted-save/"
 },
 "find_folder_first": "https://findmysave.com/palworld/save-location/"
}