How to restore an ARK Survival Ascended server backup on a Windows VPS

Restore an ARK Survival Ascended backup when you need to roll the server back after a bad config edit, broken mod test, failed update, or corrupted save.

On a Windows VPS, the restore is usually done by replacing the live ShooterGame\Saved folder with the backed-up copy.

Stop the server before restoring. Replacing save files while the server is running can leave the world in a mixed or corrupted state.

1. Stop the ARK Survival Ascended server process.
2. Open File Explorer.
3. Go to the install folder, for example C:\ark-asa.
4. Open ShooterGame.
5. Rename the current Saved folder to something like Saved-before-restore.
6. Copy your backed-up Saved folder into C:\ark-asa\ShooterGame.
7. Start the server again using your start batch file.
8. Join the server and confirm the expected world, characters, tribes, and config have loaded.

If the restored copy is wrong, stop the server again, remove the restored Saved folder, and rename your previous Saved-before-restore folder back to Saved.

Keep the old folder until you have confirmed the restored world is correct.