How to Wipe a DayZ Server (Full, Bases Only or Characters)

To wipe a DayZ server, stop it and delete the storage_1 folder inside your mission folder, for example mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/storage_1. That is a full wipe: bases, stashes, vehicles, loot in the world and every character are gone, and the server builds a fresh world on the next start. For a partial wipe, delete only players.db (characters) or only the data folder (the world). Your configs, loot tables and bans are not in storage_1, so they stay.

Short answer

1. Stop the server and take a backup.
2. Open mpmissions/<your mission>/storage_1/.
3. Full wipe: delete the whole storage_1 folder.
4. World wipe, keep characters: delete the data folder, keep players.db.
5. Character wipe, keep bases: delete players.db (and players.db-journal if it exists), keep data.
6. Start the server.

What is in storage_1

DayZ saves everything that persists between restarts in a storage folder inside the mission folder. The number comes from instanceId in serverDZ.cfg, which is 1 on almost every server.

Things that are not in storage_1, so no wipe touches them:

• serverDZ.cfg, your server settings
• The mission's db folder: types.xml, globals.xml, events.xml and the rest of the loot setup
• cfggameplay.json and other mission files
• battleye/bans.txt, your BattlEye bans
• The profiles folder, with logs and admin mod settings
• The keys folder and your mods

Types of wipe

A world wipe has one side effect worth knowing: players log back in with everything in their backpacks, so the best geared players start the new world far ahead. Most community servers do a full wipe for that reason.

A character wipe is the gentle option for a PvE server where people care about their bases. Everyone respawns as a fresh survivor and walks home.

How to do a full wipe

1. Warn your players. A message over RCon works: say -1 Full wipe in 10 minutes. See DayZ admin tools and commands.
2. Stop the server. If it is running, it writes the world back to disk when it shuts down, undoing your delete.
3. Take a backup, so a wipe you regret can be undone.
4. Delete mpmissions/<your mission>/storage_1.
5. Start the server. It creates a new storage_1, and the central economy fills the map with fresh loot over the first minutes.

If your mission name is not obvious, it is the template line at the bottom of serverDZ.cfg.

Wiping loot only

DayZ has no button that resets just the loot. Loot that has already spawned is part of the world in data, and it despawns on the timers set in types.xml. Your options:

• Wait. After you change types.xml, new spawns follow the new values and old items despawn on their own over the next hours.
• World wipe. Deleting data clears every item in the world at once, but takes bases and vehicles with it.

Changing types.xml never needs a wipe. How to edit loot on a DayZ server explains each value.

Keeping your settings through a wipe

Because configs live outside storage_1, a normal wipe keeps them. The mistakes we see:

• Deleting the whole mission folder. That removes your loot setup too, and the server may not start. Only delete storage_1.
• Reinstalling the server to wipe it. A reinstall can put back the stock types.xml and mission files. Delete storage_1 instead.
• Forgetting mod data. Some mods keep their own saves in the profiles folder, for example trader balances, party lists or personal storage. Check each mod's documentation and clear those files too if you want a truly clean start.

Changing map on a wipe

Every mission has its own storage_1. Switching from Chernarus to Livonia starts Livonia with its own empty storage, and the Chernarus world is still there if you switch back. To wipe the old map as well, delete its storage_1 too.

The same goes for the Badlands map, Nasdara: it gets its own mission folder and storage, so trying it does not touch your existing world.

How often should a DayZ server wipe?

There is no forced wipe in DayZ. Some patterns that work:

• Friend group: only when the world feels stale, or after a big update changes the map.
• PvP community server: every one to three months, announced well ahead. Base raiding gets boring when every group has had months to build.
• PvE server: rarely, often never. Character wipes are the softer reset.

Bohemia sometimes recommends a wipe in the patch notes for a big update. Read the notes before deciding.

Wiping on GamezServers

On a GamezServers DayZ server the whole wipe happens in the browser:

1. Press Stop.
2. Press Backup. You keep 3 backups, and restoring one undoes the wipe.
3. Open the Files tab, go to mpmissions/<your mission>/ and delete storage_1, or just players.db or data inside it.
4. Press Start.

No SFTP client, no remote desktop, and nothing to reinstall. The DayZ hosting quick start covers the rest of the panel.

FAQ

Does wiping a DayZ server remove mods?

No. Mods, their keys and the Workshop mods list are separate from storage_1. Only data some mods keep in the profiles folder needs clearing by hand if you want it gone.

Will a wipe remove banned players?

No. BattlEye bans are in battleye/bans.txt, outside the storage folder. Remove a ban with RCon if you want to give someone a fresh start.

Why are bases still there after I wiped?

The server was running when you deleted the files and saved them again on shutdown, or you deleted the storage of a different mission. Stop the server first and check the template in serverDZ.cfg.

Does a wipe reset the in game time?

With serverTimePersistent = 1, the saved time is part of storage, so a full wipe starts the clock again from serverTime. With it off, the time resets on every restart anyway.

Can I wipe just one player?

Not with files alone, since every character is inside players.db. Use an admin mod like Community Online Tools to kill or reset that player in game, or ask them to respawn.