Transfer character between different saves (Works as of Feb 22 - 2024 - Build 41.78.16)

This is a quick guide on how to transfer your character from one save to another, including all learned skills, clothes, and any items currently on your character. UPVOTE SO OTHERS CAN SEE THIS

Photos Of Files For Reference

Player.db file you need to copy


World file you need to copy

Step by step

This method works as of Feb 22nd 2024, may not work with new updates if they change the save game structure blah blah. Doing this allows you to transfer your character with ALL of the skills (carpentry first aid etc) clothes, weapons, food and other stuff CURRENTLY ON YOUR OLD CHARACTER(only your current inventory transfers, no cars or safehouses). A side effect of doing this however, is that you will load into the new world wherever you left off on the old world and there is no way around that, so make sure you are not in a densely populated area or you could die very quickly.


1 - Open your zomboid save folder, but DO NOT close it, it saves time.
C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\Zomboid\Saves

2 - Find the world you made, it could be hardcore, sandbox, survival or whatever, click on it.

3 - Scroll to the very bottom(or use searchbar), then slowly scroll upwards until you see the TWO files named
players.db AND WorldDictionary.bin

4 - Copy both of these files to your desktop DO NOT DELETE ORIGINALS

5 - Make a new world, survival or custom sandbox, make a character and then load in.

6 - Leave the world and repeat step one if you closed it, find your save folder and find your newest save that you want to bring your old character to. (i.e sandbox/survival/apoc and so on)

7 - Drag the two copied files from your desktop into the save file and click REPLACE when prompted.

8 - If you did this all correctly you can click load and more on your save and look for your old characters name to verify it worked.

9 - Enjoy.

Keep in mind this will NOT work on a character who is dead, there is a whole other process to "revive" your character that is tricky to do and I believe was patched.

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR GAME, MAKE SURE YOU MAKE BACKUPS OR UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING

[Dragon_Dude1]

It could be, if the game didn't save your character it may have bugged out when you tried adding one in

[Pricus]

Yeah forgot to come back here I think it was a thing of time, I just sat on the new character for 2 min and walked to another house then it worked fine.

[Dragon_Dude1]

Also i've uploaded some pictures of the exact files you need to copy and replace to your new save on the guide, to help make sure you copy the right ones.

[Dragon_Dude1]

I've just tried it and it worked fine, did you verify that you are using the players.db file with the little gear icon?

[Pricus]

yeah I walked around for a moment, quit to desktop then overwrote the two files and opened it back up again, I'll try spending more time as the new character just in case that's the issue and will report back.

[Dragon_Dude1]

@Pricus When you made the new world, did you make a character and load in for a minute and then log off that save?

[Pricus]

Whenever I overwrite my new save with my old data of a very alive character the game states that there isn't any alive characters to pick and to make a new character. Has anyone had similar issue / Know any kind of fix for this. I've looked over everything multiple times and everything should work.

[Dragon_Dude1]

@SiEGE In theory it MAY work for co-op/online lobbies, as long as you have a save file. I've never tested it on a online save/server so if you try it and it works, let me know. Just make sure you keep the originals and maybe even make a backup just to be safe

[SiEGE]

So if I have a solo world character and I'd like to use that specific character and host a world to play with my friends this would work?