How to Change Conan Exiles Settings Without Them Resetting

To change Conan Exiles settings so they stick, stop the server first, then edit ServerSettings.ini under [ServerSettings] in ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ (native Linux Enhanced server) or ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ (Windows and Legacy servers), save, and start it again. Every rule applies to your existing world, no wipe needed. What resets your edit is the server itself: Conan writes its live settings back to the ini when it shuts down, so anything typed while it runs is lost.

What you can change on an existing world

Good news for anyone nervous about their clan's base: nothing in the ini files is baked into the save. The world lives in game.db, and the rules are read from the ini files on every start.

Which file holds which setting?

All three sit in the same config folder. Funcom's server INI settings reference for Conan Exiles Enhanced lists every key, its default and whether it needs a restart. What each popular key does is covered in our Conan Exiles server settings explained.

Step 1: Back up first

Take a backup before you change anything. Settings never touch game.db, but a typo in a section header or a mistyped key can make a whole block of rules silently fall back to defaults, and a backup lets you compare files and roll back in a minute. At minimum, copy ServerSettings.ini, Game.ini, Engine.ini and ConanSandbox/Saved/game.db somewhere safe.

Step 2: Stop the server

Stop it cleanly from the panel or with a normal shutdown, not by killing the process, and wait until it is fully offline. This is the step people skip. While the server runs, it holds every setting in memory, and on shutdown it writes that memory back over the ini. Your careful edits get replaced by the old values the moment you restart.

Step 3: Edit the right file

Open ServerSettings.ini and change only the values, keeping each key under the [ServerSettings] header:

[ServerSettings]
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.5
PlayerXPRateMultiplier=2
ItemConvertionMultiplier=0.5
PVPEnabled=True
CanDamagePlayerOwnedStructures=True
RestrictPVPBuildingDamageTime=True
AdminPassword=PickSomethingLongAndUnique

Keys must be spelled exactly as Funcom writes them, including the odd ones like ItemConvertionMultiplier. A key under the wrong header, or one with a typo, is simply ignored. For the player cap, edit Game.ini:

[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=20

Step 4: Start and check

Start the server, join, become admin with MakeMeAdmin YourPassword in the console, and run GetAllServerSettings. It prints the values the server is actually using, which is the fastest way to prove an edit took. Our Conan Exiles admin commands guide covers the rest of the console.

Can I change settings without restarting?

Yes, for most of them. As admin, press Ctrl + Shift + C to open the admin panel and change rates and rules there, or use SetServerSetting "Setting" "Value" in the console. The server applies them live and writes them back to ServerSettings.ini itself, so they survive a restart. Funcom marks a handful as needing a restart anyway: PVPEnabled, DisableBuildingAbandonment, NoOwnership, LandClaimRadiusMultiplier, AmbientLifeEnabled and BuildingReplicationDistance.

The rule of thumb: use the admin panel while the server is running, and edit the file only while it is stopped. Never mix the two in one session.

The gotcha: editing a config folder the server never reads

Conan Exiles Enhanced ships a native Linux dedicated server, and Unreal Engine servers keep their config in a folder named after the platform. A Linux server reads Saved/Config/LinuxServer/, a Windows server (and the Legacy build, which only runs as Windows) reads Saved/Config/WindowsServer/. Almost every guide online, including copies of old config packs, says WindowsServer.

So people create WindowsServer/ServerSettings.ini on a Linux server, paste in perfect settings, restart, and nothing changes. There is no error. The server keeps reading its own LinuxServer files, and the file you edited just sits there. If you moved a server between Windows and Linux, copy your values into the folder that matches the build that runs now.

Funcom's Linux server notes flag the other Linux trap: file names are case sensitive, so the save must be named game.db in lowercase.

Common problems

• Edits gone after a restart: you edited while the server was running, and it wrote its old settings over yours on shutdown. Stop, edit, start.
• Nothing changed at all: you edited the wrong platform folder, or the key sits under the wrong section header. Check LinuxServer versus WindowsServer, then the header.
• Server name or password keeps reverting: your host passes them on the start line. On GamezServers, the name and join password come from the panel on every start, so change them there.
• PvP still off after changing it live: PVPEnabled only applies after a restart.
• Raids happen at the wrong hours: raid windows use the server's clock, which may not be your time zone.
• Empty world after moving to Linux: the save is named Game.db or similar. Rename it to game.db.

Changing settings on GamezServers

On a Conan Exiles server from GamezServers, the Conan Exiles Enhanced type runs the native Linux server, so your files are in ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. The Standard type runs the Legacy build, which uses WindowsServer. Press Backup, then Stop, edit the ini in the Files tab or over SFTP (login in Settings), and start again. The server name and join password are panel settings, so they stay put. For mod changes, see how to install mods on a Conan Exiles server.

FAQ

Why do my Conan Exiles server settings keep resetting?

The server rewrites its ini files from memory when it shuts down, so edits made while it was running are lost. Stop the server before editing, or change settings live in the admin panel.

Where is ServerSettings.ini on a Linux Conan Exiles server?

In ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. Windows and Legacy servers use ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ instead.

Do I need a new world to change Conan Exiles settings?

No. Rates, PvP, raid windows, decay and every other ini setting apply to your existing game.db after a restart, or live from the admin panel.

Which Conan Exiles settings need a restart?

Funcom lists PVPEnabled, DisableBuildingAbandonment, NoOwnership, LandClaimRadiusMultiplier, AmbientLifeEnabled and BuildingReplicationDistance. Most others apply live.