You have spent time building a world in Windrose on your own machine and want that progress running on your Apex server so your whole crew can explore it together. The process has three parts: locate your local world folder, upload it to the server via FTP, and update the server config file so Windrose loads your world instead of starting fresh.
Before you begin, confirm your local Windrose game version matches the version running on your server. Windrose organizes saves in a version-specific folder, so a mismatch between your local game and the server means the directory paths will not line up.
Finding Your Local World Folder
Your local Windrose saves are stored in a folder identified by a long unique string of letters and numbers. This is your WorldID folder, and the entire folder needs to be transferred to the server.
- Open File Explorer on your computer.
- Navigate to your local AppData directory using this path:
C:\Users\{UserName}\AppData\Local\R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\{YourProfile}\RocksDB\{GameVersion}\Worlds - Inside this folder, locate the directory with a long string of letters and numbers. This is your WorldID folder.
Make a note of the exact folder name before moving on. You will need it in the final section when updating the server configuration. Do not rename this folder. The string of characters is a RocksDB-generated identifier, and changing the name will prevent the save from loading correctly.
Uploading the World to Your Server
The WorldID folder must go into the same directory path the game uses on the server side. The structure must match exactly so Windrose can recognize the save data when it starts. If your server already has an active world you want to keep, download the existing WorldID folder from the server first to back it up before uploading your new one.
- Stop your server completely.
- Open FTP File Access from your Apex server panel and log in.
- Navigate to the matching server save directory:
R5 > Saved > SaveProfiles > Default > RocksDB > {GameVersion} > Worlds - Upload the WorldID folder you copied earlier directly into this folder by dragging and dropping it into Worlds.
Configuring the Server to Load Your World
Uploading the folder alone is not enough. Windrose reads a configuration file named ServerDescription.json at startup to determine which world to load. You need to update the WorldIslandId value in that file to match the exact name of your uploaded WorldID folder.
- In FTP File Access, open the
R5folder. - Open the file named
ServerDescription.json. - Locate the
WorldIslandIdsetting. - Replace the existing ID with the exact name of your uploaded WorldID folder.
- Save the file, then start your server.
Note: Always stop your server fully before editing any files. The Windrose server automatically rewrites the ServerDescription.json file during shutdown, so any changes made while the server is still running will be overwritten.
Frequently Asked Questions
My World Isn’t Loading After Upload
The most common cause is a mismatch between the WorldIslandId value in ServerDescription.json and the actual folder name on the server. Open the file again and compare the two character by character; a single extra space or wrong character will stop the world from loading. Also confirm that your local Windrose game version and the server version are the same, since Windrose stores saves in a version-specific folder and a version difference means the paths will not align.
Can I Switch to a Different World Later
Yes. Stop the server, upload the new WorldID folder to the same Worlds directory, then update the WorldIslandId value in ServerDescription.json to match the new folder name. The previous world stays on the server and can be loaded again at any time by switching the ID back.
Conclusion
Once your server starts, Windrose will load the world you uploaded and your players can connect and pick up right where you left off. If you run into any issues after following these steps, the Apex Hosting support team can check your server configuration directly. If you do not have a server yet, you can get a Windrose server from Apex Hosting and have it running in minutes.
