DayZ Server Troubleshooting: Common Issues and Solutions

DayZ Server Troubleshooting Guide

DayZ servers have a lot of moving parts, and things will go wrong sooner or later. BattlEye kicks, mod conflicts, loot that won't spawn, bases vanishing. We see all of these regularly, and most of them have straightforward fixes once you know where to look.

If you're setting up a new server, the DayZ Getting Started Guide is a better starting point. For config file details, see the DayZ Server Configuration Guide. If you are still choosing where to run it, our managed DayZ hosting takes care of the ports and BattlEye setup for you.

Connection Issues

Players Can't Find the Server in the Browser

What's happening: The server is running, but it's not showing up in the DayZ server browser or DZSA Launcher.

Things to check:

Is BattlEye on? Servers with BattlEye disabled don't appear in the default server browser. Make sure BattlEye = 1; is set in serverDZ.cfg.
Query port access. DayZ uses port 2302 (game, UDP) and 2303 (query, UDP). Both need to be accessible. On LOW.MS servers, this is handled automatically.
Give it a minute. New servers can take 5-15 minutes to show up in the browser after first starting. Try refreshing a few times.
Is the server actually ready? Check the Console tab in the control panel. The server isn't fully up until the mission has finished loading.
Direct Connect as a workaround. Players can always connect using the address and port shown at the top of your server's page, even if the server hasn't appeared in the browser yet.

"Version Mismatch" or "Bad Version" Error

This means the client and server are on different DayZ versions. Usually happens right after a game update.

Update the server. On LOW.MS, press Update on the Overview tab. A restart on its own doesn't update the game.
Don't go looking for a setting to relax. The control panel writes forceSameBuild = 1; into serverDZ.cfg every time the server starts, so it only lets in players on exactly its build, and getting the server current is the fix.
If you're running mods, those may need updating too. On LOW.MS, Update all on the Mods tab does the lot. If it isn't showing, press Check for updates first.

Straight after a big update the same error has a few extra causes, and the DayZ 1.30 section below goes through them.

"Connection Failed" or Timeout

Generic connection failures. Could be a few things:

Is the server actually running? Check the top of its page in the control panel. If it crashed, restart it and look at the Console tab for errors.
Right address and port? Double-check them against the top of your server's page. DayZ's default game port is 2302, but on LOW.MS your server's port may be different.
Password correct? If you've set a server password, make sure players are entering it right.
Server full? If all slots are occupied, new players queue up (assuming loginQueueMaxPlayers is set). They'll get in when a slot opens.
Mod mismatch? If your server runs mods, players need the exact same ones installed. This is probably the most common cause of connection failures on modded servers.

Stuck on Loading Screen

Players connect but never get past the loading screen.

Bump up loginQueueConcurrentPlayers. If lots of people connect at once, set loginQueueConcurrentPlayers = 10; in serverDZ.cfg.
Check RAM. If the server is running out of memory during player loading, it can hang. Watch the Memory figure on the Overview tab and consider an upgrade if it's consistently above 90%. See the DayZ hosting page for options.
Corrupt character data. Rare, but it happens. You can reset the player's data from the server files if a specific player keeps getting stuck.
Mod conflicts. Some mod combinations cause loading issues. Try disabling mods one at a time to narrow it down.

DayZ 1.30 and Badlands: Fixing Join Errors

DayZ 1.30 came out on 15 October 2026 alongside the Badlands expansion, and Steam pushed it to every player that day. Your server doesn't update itself, though, so until it does, anyone on the new client gets turned away. Modded servers then get a second round of it, because the mods have been updating to match 1.30 as well.

"Bad Version" After the DayZ 1.30 Update

Players get "Bad Version" when they join, or a message saying their game is out of date when Steam insists it isn't. If they use a launcher such as DZSA, it may show both version numbers, theirs and the server's. However it's worded, the server is on a different build from the player, and after 1.30 that almost always means the server is behind: still on 1.29, or, once Bohemia's first stable patch is out, on the older 1.30 build.

Update the server. Press Update on the Game updates card on the Overview tab. It stops the server, installs the latest game files and starts it again, so warn anyone who's playing first.
Expect to do it again soon. Bohemia said on launch day that the first 1.30 patch goes to experimental first and that the stable patch "will follow at a later date". When that lands, players update straight away and your server needs another Update. A daily Update task under Add schedule on the Settings tab, set to run only when nobody's online, saves you watching for it.
Check whether the player is on experimental. DayZ Experimental is a separate game in Steam with its own builds, so someone playing it is almost always on a different build from normal servers and won't get into yours, however current it is. They need to launch the normal game instead.

CF Version Mismatch After DayZ 1.30

This one only hits modded servers. Players get kicked with a message that names CF (Community Framework) as out of date or not matching. CF released version 1.5.9 on 13 October with DayZ 1.30 compatibility, and players' Steam clients picked it up from the Workshop by themselves. Your server's copy only changes when you update it, so a server still carrying the older CF can turn away everyone who has the new one.

Update the game first if the server hasn't had 1.30 yet, as above, so you aren't fixing one mismatch and leaving the other.
Update the mods. Press Update all on the Mods tab (press Check for updates first if it isn't there). It stops the server while it swaps the files, then offers to start it again.
Stop it catching you out next time. Add an Update mods task under Add schedule on the Settings tab (the "Nightly mod update, when empty" quick start sets one up). It installs any waiting mod updates while nobody's on, then starts the server again. Setting the auto-update policy on the Mods tab to all mods helps too, but only when the server starts from stopped, because a restart doesn't install mod updates. If there's one mod you'd rather hold back, set it to Never in its Auto-update column.

Mods That Stopped Working After DayZ 1.30

If players can join but a mod fails to load, the server logs show script errors on start, or a mod's features have quietly stopped working, that's a different problem. Some mods need their authors to update them for changes in 1.30, and updating your server's copy won't help until they do. Bohemia also said its first 1.30 patch focuses on issues affecting modders, so some of these may clear up once that patch reaches stable. We cover the common errors, and what to do while you wait, in our separate guide to fixing DayZ mods after the 1.30 update.

BattlEye Issues

"BattlEye Client Not Responding" Kick

This is almost always a client-side problem, not a server issue.

Have the player verify their game files in Steam (right-click DayZ, Properties, Local Files, Verify Integrity).
Reinstall BattlEye. They'll find the installer in the BattlEye subfolder of their DayZ install directory.
Antivirus software, Discord overlay, MSI Afterburner, and similar tools sometimes interfere with BattlEye. Have them disable those temporarily and try again.
Restarting Steam and DayZ fixes it surprisingly often.

"BattlEye: Global Ban" or "BattlEye: Game Ban"

This is a permanent ban from BattlEye for detected cheating. There's nothing you can do on the server side. The player needs to contact BattlEye directly to appeal. Don't disable BattlEye to try to work around it.

BattlEye Initialization Failed

The server won't start because BattlEye can't initialise.

Check that the BattlEye folder exists in the server directory with the required files.
Try a clean restart. BattlEye occasionally fails on the first attempt.
If it keeps happening, open a ticket from the control panel.

Mod Issues

"Addon Not Found" or Signature Mismatch

Players get kicked or see errors about missing addons.

Check the mod folders. Every mod (the @-prefixed folders) needs to be in the server's root directory, and the names in your startup parameters need to match exactly. Case matters. On LOW.MS, mods from the Mods tab are added to the launch line for you, and a mod you upload must be listed under Uploaded Mods on the Manage tab with the same name as its folder in config/mods.
Key files. Every mod has .bikey files in its keys folder. These must be in your server's keys directory. Without them, players running the mod get kicked by signature verification. On LOW.MS, keys for mods from the Mods tab and from config/mods are copied in automatically on every start.
Version match. Server and clients need to be on the same version of each mod. When a mod updates on the Workshop, you need to update the server-side copy. On LOW.MS, use Update all on the Mods tab, or turn on auto-update there.
Load order. Dependencies need to load first. @CF (Community Framework) before anything that depends on it, for example.

Server Crashes After Adding Mods

The server starts but crashes shortly after, or when players do certain things.

Check the crash log. The Console and Logs tabs usually point at which mod caused the problem.
Isolate the mod. Remove all mods, then add them back one at a time with a restart between each. Tedious but effective.
Validate your types.xml. If you merged mod types.xml entries incorrectly, malformed XML crashes the server. Run it through an XML validator.
RAM. Mods increase RAM usage significantly. DayZ Expansion alone can add 2-4 GB on top of vanilla. If you're running out of headroom, check the DayZ hosting page for upgrade options.
Incompatible mods. Some mods just don't play well together. Check the mod authors' Discord servers and Workshop comments for known conflicts.

Mod Items Not Spawning

You've installed a mod with new items but they never appear in the world.

Merge the types.xml. Most mods that add items need their entries in your types.xml, or loaded as a separate file through cfgeconomycore.xml.
Check usage and value tags. New items need <usage> and <value> tags to spawn in the right places.
Restart and wait. After changing types.xml, restart the server. The CE can take 10-30 minutes to spawn new items across the map.
Check nominal values. If <nominal> and <min> are zero, nothing will spawn.

Loot and Economy Issues

Loot Not Spawning or Spawning Wrong

Buildings are empty, or specific items never show up.

XML syntax. A single typo in types.xml can break the entire loot economy. Validate it.
Right mission folder? Make sure you're editing the types.xml in the active mission folder (mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/types.xml for Chernarus).
Check globals.xml. SpawnInitial (default 1200) and InitialSpawn (default 100) control how the server handles initial loot population after a restart. If they're set too low, loot takes ages to appear.
Restart required. Economy file changes only take effect after a full server restart.
Give the CE time. After a restart, the CE needs 15-30 minutes to populate the map. Don't panic if buildings are empty right away.

Loot Cycling / Duplication

Players exploiting loot spawns by rapidly picking up and dropping items.

Enable loot history with lootHistory = 1; in serverDZ.cfg. This prevents immediate respawns in the same spot.
Increase restock timers. Higher <restock> values in types.xml for valuable items mean longer waits between spawn checks.
Use count_in_player. Setting count_in_player="1" for rare items means items being carried count toward the nominal limit.

Performance Issues

Server Lag and Desync

Players rubber-banding, delayed hit registration, general sluggishness.

Reduce ZombieMaxCount in globals.xml. This is the single biggest performance lever. Try 600-700 instead of the default 1000.
Reduce AnimalMaxCount. Try 100-150 instead of 200.
Schedule restarts. Every 4-6 hours. DayZ servers leak memory over time and a fresh restart fixes most lag. Set this up with Add schedule on the Settings tab.
Check RAM usage. If you're consistently above 90%, it's time for an upgrade. Modded servers with 60+ players often need quite a lot of headroom. Check the DayZ hosting page for current options.
Optimise types.xml. Lower lifetimes for common items to reduce the total object count the server has to track.
Lower the player count temporarily. If performance is terrible and you need a quick fix while you optimise, dropping maxPlayers by 10-20 can help.

Unexpected Crashes or Restarts

The server just stops without warning.

Crash logs. Check the Console and Logs tabs for error messages right before the crash.
RAM. Out-of-memory crashes are common with heavily modded setups. If RAM usage spikes to 100%, it'll crash.
Corrupt files. Mission file or mod file corruption can cause intermittent crashes.
Outdated mods. This is a leading cause. Keep everything up to date.
Bad scripts. If you've added custom scripts, a poorly written one can hang the server until it crashes. Review anything you've added recently.

Base Building and Persistence Issues

Bases Disappearing

Player structures gone after a restart.

Persistence. Should be enabled by default on LOW.MS servers.
Flag pole maintenance. Players need to interact with their flag pole within the FlagRefreshFrequency period (default is 5 days, or 432000 seconds). If they don't, the base starts decaying. We get asked about this a lot, and it's almost always the answer.
storageAutoDestroyFlags. If this is set to a non-zero value in serverDZ.cfg, certain storage items get auto-destroyed after being untouched.
Did you wipe? Deleting the storage_1 folder removes all bases permanently. There's no undo.

Items Disappearing from Storage

Gear vanishing from tents, barrels, or crates.

Container lifetime. Items in storage persist based on the container's lifetime in types.xml. Make sure storage containers have high lifetime values (3888000 seconds is about 45 days, which is reasonable for tents).
count_in_hoarder flag. If count_in_hoarder="1" is set for an item, stashed items count toward the nominal limit. The CE shouldn't delete stored items, but it will stop spawning new ones if too many are hoarded.
Server crashes. If the server crashes rather than shutting down gracefully, recent storage changes might not be saved. Regular scheduled restarts help here.

Getting Help

If none of the above solved your problem:

Check the console. The Console tab in the control panel has the most useful diagnostic info. Note down any error messages and when they happened.
Contact us. Open a ticket from the control panel. Include your server details and any error messages you've spotted.
Community resources. The official DayZ forums, DayZ subreddit, and mod-specific Discord servers are good places to ask for help with game-specific issues.