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Dedicated Server Crash on Startup

Tags: crash, startup, server, troubleshooting

Startup crashes are usually caused by invalid configs, outdated mods, or missing dependencies. Use this recovery checklist to get the server booting again.

Fast recovery checklist

  1. Move the entire Mods folder out and try a vanilla start.
  2. Verify game files from SteamCMD or Steam.
  3. Restore a known-good serverconfig.xml backup.
  4. Check file permissions on the save and config directories.

Common causes

  • XML typos or invalid property names.
  • Outdated Harmony or mod DLLs after a patch.
  • Anti-virus or security tools blocking the executable.

Check logs

Windows: %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\output_log.txt
Linux: ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/output_log.txt

Free tool: Instead of reading it by hand, drop the whole log into the free 7 Days to Die Log Analyzer. It runs in your browser with no upload and no size limit, and names the startup killers directly: a mod DLL built for the wrong game version, a malformed XML file, a port already in use, or a corrupted region stopping the world load.

After it starts

  • Reintroduce mods one at a time while monitoring logs.
  • Take a backup before applying additional changes.

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