Fix Corrupted Game DB on Conan Exiles Server

This guide walks you through repairing a corrupted game database (db) on a Conan Exiles dedicated server. A corrupted database typically causes crashes on startup, missing player data, or world rollbacks. You’ll learn how to identify the corrupted files, restore a backup, or rebuild the database from scratch, getting your server back online with minimal data loss.

What You’ll Need

• Access to the server’s file system (via FTP, SSH, or a hosting control panel).
• Administrator access to the server (to stop/start the server process).
• A recent backup of your server’s Save folder (if you have one).
• Basic familiarity with file management and command-line tools (if using SSH).

Step-by-Step

1. Stop the server. Before touching any files, fully shut down the Conan Exiles server process. Use your hosting panel’s stop button, or if self-hosting, stop the service (e.g., systemctl stop conan-exiles on Linux or end the process in Task Manager on Windows). Wait for the process to fully exit.
2. Locate the database files. Navigate to your server’s ConanExiles/Saved folder. The database files are typically named Game.db, Game.db-wal, and Game.db-shm (SQLite format). Note the file sizes and modification times.
3. Make a backup of the current state. Copy the entire Saved folder to a safe location outside the server directory. This ensures you can revert if something goes wrong during the repair.
4. Check for existing backups. Look for any automatic backups in your hosting folder (often named backup_ with a timestamp) or any manual backups you’ve made. If you have a recent backup, you can skip to Step 7.
5. Attempt a SQLite integrity check (optional but recommended). If you have SQLite tools installed (or can download them), run sqlite3 Game.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;" to see if corruption is detected. This helps confirm the issue.
6. Try to repair the database using SQLite’s recovery mode. If the integrity check fails, use the SQLite command-line tool to dump and reimport the data: sqlite3 Game.db ".recover" | sqlite3 newGame.db. Then rename the original Game.db to Game.db.corrupt and rename newGame.db to Game.db. This often salvages most data.
7. If no backup exists or recovery fails, restore from a backup. Replace the Game.db (and -wal/-shm files if present) with the files from your most recent backup. Ensure the backup is from a time before the corruption began.
8. Start the server and test. Launch the server. Watch the console logs for any errors related to the database. If it starts successfully, join the game to verify player data and world state are intact.
9. If the server still crashes, delete the database entirely. As a last resort, move all Game.db* files out of the folder. The server will generate a fresh database on next start. This resets all player progress and world changes, so only do this if you have no other option.

Common Mistakes

• Not stopping the server first. Attempting to modify the database while the server is running can cause further corruption or incomplete writes.
• Skipping the backup step. If you don’t make a backup of the current state, you may lose the chance to salvage data after a failed repair.
• Confusing the database with the world files. The Game.db is the database; world terrain and structure data are in separate files (e.g., Level.sav). Deleting the wrong file won’t fix database issues.
• Using a backup that’s too old. Restoring a backup from weeks ago can cause more frustration than the corruption itself, as players lose significant progress.
• Not checking file permissions. After restoring files, ensure the server process has read/write access to them, otherwise it may fail to start or crash again.

Tips

• Schedule regular backups. Use your hosting provider’s backup feature or set up a cron job to copy the Saved folder daily. This is the single most effective way to minimize data loss.
• Monitor disk space. A full disk can cause database write failures and corruption. Keep at least 10-20% free space on the drive.
• Use a UPS or stable power source. Power outages during writes are a leading cause of SQLite corruption. If self-hosting, consider a battery backup.
• Keep the server updated. Funcom regularly releases patches that fix database-related bugs. Run the latest server version.
• Test the repair on a copy. If you have time, copy the entire server folder to a local machine and attempt the repair there before touching the live server.

Troubleshooting

• Server still crashes after restore. Check the server log (ConanExiles/Saved/Logs) for specific error messages. If it mentions a missing table or index, the backup may be incompatible with the current server version. Try updating the server to match the backup’s version, or use a different backup.
• Players report missing items or structures. This usually means the database was restored from an older backup, or the repair process dropped some rows. If you have a newer -wal file, try restoring that instead—it may contain recent transactions.
• Database file is 0 bytes. This indicates a total failure. You’ll need to use a backup or start fresh. If no backup exists, the world is likely unrecoverable.
• Server starts but world is reset. The server may have generated a new database because the old one was missing. Check if you accidentally moved the files to the wrong location. If you have a backup, restore it and ensure the file names match exactly (Game.db, not Game.db.bak).
• SQLite recovery command fails. If the .recover command throws errors, try using sqlite3 Game.db ".dump" | sqlite3 newGame.db instead. This is slower but more thorough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I repair a corrupted database without stopping the server?

No. You must stop the server before any repair attempt. Modifying files while the server is running can worsen corruption and cause crashes.

Will my players lose their characters if I restore a backup?

Only if the backup is older than the last time they played. Restoring a backup reverts all data to that point in time. Players who joined after the backup will lose progress.

What causes database corruption in Conan Exiles?

Common causes include abrupt server shutdowns (power loss, kill -9), disk full errors, hardware issues, and bugs in older server versions. Mods can also contribute if they write to the database incorrectly.

Is there a way to prevent corruption?

Yes: keep the server updated, ensure stable power, maintain free disk space, and perform regular backups. Some hosting providers offer automatic daily backups—enable them if available.

Can I use the -wal file to recover more data?

Yes. The -wal (write-ahead log) contains recent transactions that haven’t been checkpointed into the main database. If the Game.db is intact but the -wal is missing, you may lose the latest changes. If both are present, the server should normally recover automatically on startup.

What if I don’t have any backups?

Your best chance is to try the SQLite recovery method described in Step 6. If that fails, the database is likely unrecoverable, and you’ll need to start a new world. Consider it a lesson to enable backups.

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