AASM's Move Server action relocates the install, saves, mods and configuration to a new path. On Linux, choose a writable destination; for a move between Windows and Linux hosts, use the migration guide.
Prerequisites:
- The server is stopped (AASM refuses to move a running server).
- Enough free space at the destination for the full install (20-100 GB depending on mods + save size).
Step 1 - Stop the server
From the Dashboard or the server tab, click Stop and wait for the status to switch to STOPPED.
Step 2 - Right-click the server card → Move Server
In the Dashboard, right-click the server's card (or use the (...) menu) and choose Move Server.
Step 3 - Pick the new install path
The dialog asks for the destination root (e.g. D:\Ark Servers\Island Server). AASM will move:
- The entire ARK install (binaries, .pak files, mods)
- SavedArks/ (player saves)
- Cluster files (if this server is part of a cluster)
- Any AASM-managed config files
Step 4 - Confirm and wait for the copy
AASM copies (then deletes the source) - copying a 70 GB install across drives can take 10-30 min. The dashboard shows progress; don't close AASM during the move.
v0.8.2 restore safety relevant here: if anything fails mid-move (disk full, permission denied), AASM rolls back the partial copy. BUG-21 (the v0.8.3 critical save-file-reset fix) added rollback in both extract methods so partial-extract failures don't leave you with an empty SavedArks. The Move operation uses the same primitive.
Step 5 - AASM updates all internal references
After copy:
servers.jsonpath field → updated- Cluster paths (if applicable) → updated
- Backup config (if using local relative paths) → updated
- Anything else that referenced the old path is rewritten in place.
Step 6 - Start the server and verify
Start the server and check the dashboard. The server should come up with the same players, dinos, and structures as before the move.
Moving a Server to a New Location - done
You can relocate any server install without manual file copy or path updates. Most usage: moving from a small SSD to a large NVMe, or consolidating onto one drive.