Last reviewed 31 Jul 2026
Applies to
Unity 2022.3 projects VRChat Creator Companion projects Version control and recovery copies
Difficulty Beginner

Back Up and Restore Unity Projects

A useful backup must preserve the files Unity needs and survive a failure that affects the working project. It also needs to be restorable: an archive that has never been opened and checked is not yet a proven recovery point.

Use version control for project history and keep a separate backup for device, account, repository, or storage failure.

Minimum Recovery Setup

Protect the source project, keep another copy outside the working location, and perform a restore test.

  1. Track Assets, Packages, ProjectSettings, and their required files.
  2. Create a current backup on separate storage or a properly managed backup service.
  3. Restore the backup to a new folder and open it with the intended Unity version.
Creator Companion backup

VRChat Creator Companion provides a Make Backup action. Its FAQ says the backup ZIP is saved under %LocalAppData%/VRChatCreatorCompanion/Project Backups by default, and the location can be changed under Settings > General > Backups.

Version Control and Backups Have Different Jobs

Version control records revisions and supports rollback. A backup provides another recoverable copy when the working computer, repository, account, or storage location is unavailable or damaged.

Protection Handles well Does not replace
Version control File history, comparing changes, collaboration, and returning to an earlier revision A separately stored recovery copy
Creator Companion backup ZIP A point-in-time VRChat project archive Ongoing file history or an off-device copy unless you move it
Automatic backup service Repeated copies according to its retention rules Verification that the restored Unity project works
Manual project copy A clear checkpoint before a risky change Regular history or automatic retention

Use more than one layer for important projects.

Files a Unity Recovery Copy Needs

Unity projects contain source files, settings, package definitions, and generated data.

Path Include? Reason
Assets/ Yes Contains scenes, prefabs, scripts, materials, models, textures, audio, and their .meta files.
Packages/ Yes Contains the project manifest, lock file, and any embedded packages.
ProjectSettings/ Yes Contains the project-wide Unity settings.
External local packages Yes, separately A package referenced from outside the project folder is not protected by copying only the project folder.
Library/ Usually regenerate Unity stores imported, game-ready cache data here and can rebuild it from project source and settings.
Temp/ Regenerate Unity uses it for temporary generated data.
Logs/ Optional Logs can help diagnose a failed session but are not the project source.
Build/ or Builds/ Keep only if needed A build is an output, not a replacement for the Unity project that created it.

Unity’s version-control guidance also recommends ignoring generated directories such as Library and Temp, while keeping Assets and project settings. Keep Packages as well so the project’s package state can be reconstructed.

Preserve Every .meta File

Unity stores an asset’s unique identifier and import settings in the .meta file beside that asset. Scenes, prefabs, materials, and other assets use those identifiers for references.

If an asset returns without its original .meta file, Unity generates a new identifier. Existing references can then break even though the visible source file is present.

When copying, syncing, or committing project assets:

  • keep each asset and its .meta file together
  • include folder .meta files
  • move or rename assets through Unity’s Project window when practical
  • confirm new files and their .meta files are both tracked by version control

Configure Version Control for Unity

For an external version-control system, use an established Unity ignore file rather than inventing exclusions one folder at a time.

Before the first real commit:

  1. Confirm Assets, Packages, and ProjectSettings are included.
  2. Confirm .meta files are visible to and tracked by the version-control system.
  3. Ignore generated caches and temporary output according to the selected system’s Unity guidance.
  4. Commit a small project state.
  5. Check out or clone that state to a different folder and open it.

Unity 2022.3 uses Force Text as the default asset-serialization mode. Text serialization makes changes to supported scenes and assets more practical to inspect and merge, but binary assets still need appropriate conflict handling.

Create a Recovery Copy Before Risky Changes

Make a new recovery point before:

  • changing the Unity editor version
  • migrating a VRChat SDK project
  • adding, removing, or upgrading several packages
  • importing a large or unfamiliar asset package
  • replacing shared shaders or materials
  • reorganizing or deleting many project assets
  • changing a render pipeline in a non-VRChat project

Close Unity before making a manual folder copy or archive so files are not changing during capture. Give the backup a meaningful name such as:

GalleryWorld_before-sdk-update_2026-07-31.zip

Record the Unity version and what change the backup precedes.

Use Creator Companion Backups

For a project managed by VRChat Creator Companion:

  1. Select the project in Creator Companion.
  2. Use Make Backup.
  3. Confirm the ZIP appears in the configured backup location.
  4. Copy important backups to separate storage instead of leaving the only copy under the same Windows profile.

The official Creator Companion FAQ restores a backup by extracting the ZIP to a folder, then using Add existing in Creator Companion.

Keep the backup path short

The Creator Companion FAQ identifies long Windows project paths as a common reason packages appear missing or backup creation fails. Extract recovery projects to a short path such as C:\Projects\RecoveredWorld.

Store a Copy Away From the Working Computer

A second folder on the same drive does not protect against drive failure, theft, or a problem that reaches both copies.

Use a secure external drive, a properly managed backup service, or another storage location appropriate for the project. CISA recommends separate or offline backups and regular restore testing for important data.

If using removable storage, disconnect and store it safely when it is not being updated.

Test the Restore

Test restoration without overwriting the working project.

  1. Restore or extract the backup to a new folder.
  2. Confirm Assets, Packages, and ProjectSettings are present.
  3. Confirm source assets still have their .meta files.
  4. Open the project with its intended Unity version.
  5. Allow Unity to rebuild generated data when Library was excluded.
  6. Check the Console and Package Manager for blocking errors.
  7. Open the main scene and inspect important prefabs, materials, scripts, and object references.
  8. For a VRChat project, add the restored folder to Creator Companion and verify its package state.

Do not test by opening the only backup directly. Restore a disposable copy first.

Troubleshooting

The restored project opens with missing references.

Check whether the original .meta files were preserved. Missing or replaced meta files give assets new identifiers, which can break scene, prefab, material, and script references.

The restored project reports missing packages.

Confirm the Packages folder was restored, inspect its manifest and lock file, and verify that any locally referenced package outside the project was backed up separately. For Creator Companion projects, also use a short Windows path.

The backup is several gigabytes larger than expected.

Check whether it contains Library, Temp, logs, builds, or other generated data. These may be useful in a full forensic copy, but routine source recovery normally excludes regenerable caches.

Creator Companion cannot create or restore the backup.

Confirm there is sufficient storage, shorten the project and extraction paths, verify the ZIP is fully extracted, and add the extracted project folder with Creator Companion's Add existing action.

I only have the built world or avatar bundle.

A published build is not a substitute for the Unity source project. Restore from version control, a Creator Companion backup, a project archive, or another source copy instead of expecting the build output to reconstruct the editable project.

Official References

Continue the Workflow

Related Navigation

Recovery Plan

Keep History and a Separate Recovery Copy

Track normal project changes in version control, keep another recoverable copy away from the working drive, and test a restore before relying on either system.

Suggested Order

  1. Protect the project source Include Assets, Packages, ProjectSettings, every .meta file, and any local package or source file stored outside the project folder.
  2. Separate the recovery copy Keep at least one current backup outside the working project and away from a failure that could affect the main computer.
  3. Test restoration Restore to a different folder, open it with the intended Unity version, and verify scenes, packages, and references.

Related VRCreators Guides

Reference Links