The "max deployed drones reached" error blocks you from placing a junk drone even when no drone is currently visible in the world. The game tracks deployed drones per character, and the counter does not always decrement when a drone is destroyed, picked up, or left behind on a different save. Most fix guides stop at recommending the jd clear console command. That command works in only one of three cases. This page covers all three and the manual XML fix when the console route fails.
Console commands like jd clear only execute for players who are on the server's admin list. If the player running the command is not admin, the console accepts the input and returns nothing. There is no error message, which is why this case is mistaken for "the command is broken".
In a co-op session where one friend hosts and others join, the host has admin level 0 by default (full power), and joiners have admin level 1000 (effectively no power) unless the host explicitly grants permission. The jd clear command must be executed by the player whose drone counter is stuck, AND that player must have admin permission. Two conditions, both required.
Run these in order. Stop at the first one that resolves the error.
Find the serveradmin.xml file:
%AppData%\7DaysToDie\Saves\serveradmin.xml<server-root>/Saves/serveradmin.xml (path varies by host, check your panel's file manager or FTP)~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/serveradmin.xmlOpen it. The relevant block looks like:
<admins>
<admin steamID="76561198XXXXXXXXX" permission_level="0"/>
</admins>
If your Steam ID is not present, the host can add you live without restarting the server by running this from their own client console:
admin add <yourSteamID> 0
Permission level 0 grants full admin access. Lower numbers mean more permissions. After this, jd clear from your client will execute.
Once admin permission is confirmed, open the console (F1 by default), and run:
jd clear
This zeroes the drone counter for the executing player. If a drone exists in the world it is removed. The error should disappear. Try placing a drone again.
If the command runs but the error persists on next placement attempt, the counter and the world state are out of sync. This is a known A21+ issue that surfaces after a save migration, a player profile copy, or a crash during drone destruction. Move to fix 3.
The drone counter lives inside the player's profile, not in the world save. jd clear writes to the world state but cannot always reach the profile.
Find the player profile file:
%AppData%\7DaysToDie\Saves\<WorldName>\<GameName>\Player\<SteamID>.ttp<server-root>/Saves/<WorldName>/<GameName>/Player/<SteamID>.ttpStop the server before editing. The .ttp file is the player profile (binary). The companion .map and .tts files are world reveal data and saved screenshots, leave those alone.
Direct binary editing of .ttp is risky. The safer path is to use a community profile editor (search "7DTD player profile editor" on the Nexus 7DTD modding hub) which exposes the drone counter as an editable field. Set DeployedDrones to 0, save, restart the server, log in, place a drone.
If you would rather not run a third-party editor, the destructive but reliable fallback is to delete the .ttp file. The next time you log in the game generates a fresh profile. You lose your character stats (perks, skill points, levels) but keep your bases, inventory, and world progress because those live in the world save not the profile. Back up the file before deleting in case you change your mind.
The fastest way is from inside the game. After joining the server, open the console with F1 and run:
lpi
This lists every connected player including their Steam ID. Copy the 17-digit number for the affected player.
Alternatively, on Steam Desktop, right-click your name in the friends list, Copy Profile Link, the URL contains your Steam ID. The numeric form is the long ID, not the vanity URL name.
The drone counter does not decrement when:
Put your drone away (E to interact, Pickup) when you stop using it for the session. The counter only drops when the drone is picked up cleanly. This keeps the cap healthy long-term.