This guide covers common issues with 7 Days to Die dedicated servers and how to resolve them. For general server configuration, see the 7 Days to Die Server Setup Guide.
Mods Not Loading / Server Crashing With Mods Installed
serverconfig.xml, set:
<property name="EACEnabled" value="false" />
All players must also launch 7 Days to Die with EAC disabled from their client. EAC-enabled clients cannot connect to EAC-disabled servers, and vice versa.
Additional mod troubleshooting steps:
- Confirm the mod folder contains a valid
ModInfo.xml. See the Mod Installation Guide for the correct folder structure. - Check the server log for errors referencing the mod name -- the log file is
logs/latest.log, accessible via the File Manager in GPanel or via the console output tab. - Ensure the mod is compatible with your current game version. Alpha updates frequently break mod compatibility.
- If multiple mods are installed, try disabling them one at a time (move the mod folder out of
Mods/) to identify conflicts.
High Memory Usage on Large Worlds
Procedurally generated worlds (RWG) with large map sizes consume significantly more RAM than the fixed Navezgane map. To reduce memory usage:
- Use
GameWorld=Navezganeif a custom world is not required. - Reduce
WorldGenSizeinserverconfig.xmlfor procedural worlds. Valid sizes in Alpha 21 and later must be a power of 2 (e.g.,4096instead of8192). Values such as6144are not valid and will cause world generation errors. - Lower
MaxSpawnedZombiesandMaxSpawnedAnimalsto reduce entity memory load. - Reduce
MaxPlayersvia the Startup tab in GPanel if the server is consistently under memory pressure.
Players Cannot Connect
- Confirm the server is running and shows green status in GPanel.
- Verify players are using the correct IP and port. See How to Find Your Server IP and Port.
- Check that
EACEnabledmatches on both server and client -- both must be enabled or both disabled. - If a server password is set, confirm players are entering it correctly.
- Ensure the server has fully started. Check the Console tab in GPanel for the "Server started" message.
Server Stuck on Starting / Not Responding
If the server appears stuck during startup or becomes unresponsive:
- World generation time: First-time procedural world generation (RWG) can take several minutes depending on the world size. Check the console output in GPanel for progress.
- Corrupted save: If the server crashes repeatedly on startup, try removing or renaming the current save folder and restarting. This will generate a new world.
- Incompatible mods: Remove all mods from the
Mods/folder and restart. If the server starts successfully, re-add mods one at a time to identify the problem mod. - Force stop: Use the Kill button in GPanel if the server does not respond to a normal stop, then start it again.
World Generation Errors
If the server fails during world generation with RWG:
- Ensure
WorldGenSizeis a valid power of 2:2048,4096,8192,10240, or16384. Other values will cause errors. - Try a different
WorldGenSeedvalue -- some seeds can produce problematic terrain. - Reduce the world size if the server is running low on available RAM.
Reading Server Logs
Server logs are your primary tool for diagnosing issues. You can access them in two ways:
- Console tab: Open the Console tab in GPanel to see live server output.
- Log file: Open
logs/latest.login the File Manager for the full log.
Look for lines containing ERR or Exception to identify errors. When submitting a support ticket, include the relevant error lines from the log.
Need Help?
If you are unable to resolve an issue after following this guide, please open a support ticket and include your server ID, a description of the issue, and any relevant log output.
Related Articles
- 7 Days to Die Server Setup Guide — serverconfig.xml configuration and how to connect
- 7 Days to Die Admin Setup — serveradmin.xml and admin commands
- 7 Days to Die Mod Installation — installing mods and EAC requirements