Inventory Refresher
Few things frustrate an ARK: Survival Ascended server owner more than logging in after a restart only to discover that dozens of survivors have lost their carefully hoarded resources, gear, and tamed creature inventories. Item loss on restart has been a persistent headache, especially for community servers running heavy mod stacks or massive map files. The Inventory Refresher add-on directly tackles this problem by scanning and restoring all inventories across the entire map, with a few deliberate exceptions.
What Does Inventory Refresher Do?
This mod is designed to restore every inventory on your server map after a crash or unexpected restart. It leaves feed troughs and dedicated storage untouched, as those structures often have their own save mechanics. For everything else — from a survivor's equipped armor to a dinosaur's saddle and a storage box's contents — the mod creates a snapshot that can be analyzed and restored.
The intended audience is clear: server owners who are currently experiencing item loss when the server restarts. If you run a public or private server and have seen complaints about vanishing items, this tool offers a structured recovery path rather than manual admin commands or rollbacks that erase progress.
How to Install Inventory Refresher for ARK: Survival Ascended
Before you dive in, understand that this is a testing-phase mod. The developer explicitly warns that you should try it on a test server first to see if your hardware can handle the data volume. Installation follows the standard ARK mod process:
- Subscribe to the mod on your preferred platform or use a launcher that supports direct mod management.
- Add the mod ID to your server's mod list in the GameUserSettings.ini file.
- Restart the server completely to load the mod.
For players asking how to install this correctly, the key is to place the structure in the world before any item loss occurs. You cannot retroactively restore items from before the mod was installed. The mod works with the current official versions of ARK: Survival Ascended, and it is compatible with most other mods that do not alter core inventory save logic.
Using the Refresher: Step-by-Step
Once the mod is active, the workflow is straightforward but requires precise timing. Follow these steps exactly to avoid overwriting your save data:
1. Place the Refresher Structure
Use the admin command: cheat giveitem "/InventoryRefresher/Structure/PrimalItemStructure_InventoryRefresher.PrimalItemStructure_InventoryRefresher" 1 0 0 false. Place the structure somewhere safe on the map.
2. Save Inventory
Run the script command cheat ScriptCommand IRbackup. Wait until the green message appears at the top of your screen. This confirms the save file has been created.
3. Restart the Server
Perform your normal server restart. Once the server is back online, do not save again. The next step is critical.
4. Analyze and Restore
Run cheat ScriptCommand IRrestore. The mod will analyze the saved file and restore any inventory items that were lost during the restart process.
Important warning: Do not save again after restarting the server before running the restore command. If you do, you will overwrite your save with the empty inventory state, and the restoration will fail.
Performance and Storage Considerations
This mod is not lightweight. The save file, named InventorySaveSlot.sav, can grow to the gigabyte range for maps with a lot of content. Check your available storage space before running the backup. The restoration process itself may cause the server to slow down or freeze temporarily. The developer advises that no players should be online except for the admin during the restore. You will most likely be kicked from the server with a "timeout" error — that is normal. Just log back in after a few minutes.
After restoration, your equipped clothing will appear in your inventory, and dinosaur saddles will be placed back into the dinosaur's inventory. This is intentional behavior, not a bug.
Mod Compatibility and Launcher Integration
Inventory Refresher for ARK: Survival Ascended is designed to work alongside other popular mods, but it does require that your server has enough RAM and disk I/O to handle the snapshot process. If you use a mod that changes how inventories are serialized, you may encounter conflicts. Test on a separate save before deploying to production.
If you want a hassle-free setup, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for Inventory Refresher, automatically handling version compatibility checks so you don't have to manually verify which build of the mod matches your server's current ARK update. The launcher also tracks mod updates, so you'll get a notification when a new version of Inventory Refresher is released, preventing silent breakage after a game patch.
Is It Worth the Risk?
The developer is blunt: "Use at your own risk." This mod is currently only for testing purposes. The data volume can cause freezes, and the timeout kick is guaranteed for the admin. However, for server owners who have lost hundreds of hours of player progress to restart bugs, the trade-off is often worth it. The restoration process is manual, giving you full control over when the snapshot is taken and when it is applied.
Before deploying, consider these pros and cons:
- Pros: Recovers all inventories except feed troughs and dedicated storage; simple two-command workflow; works with the official ARK: Survival Ascended versions.
- Cons: Large save files; potential for server freezes; requires an empty server; no automatic scheduling.
Final Thoughts
Inventory Refresher fills a specific niche: emergency item recovery after server restarts. It is not a preventative tool — it is a reactive one. For server owners who have already lost items, this mod offers a path to restore player trust and prevent a mass exodus of frustrated survivors. Just remember to test it on a separate server first, keep an eye on your disk space, and never save after restarting until the restore is complete. With careful use, this add-on can be a lifesaver for your community.