When an Arma 3 dedicated server starts without its mods, the usual cause is not the mod itself. The server is often launching the wrong executable, using the wrong working directory, pointing -mod or -serverMod at an incorrect folder, or reading a modlist file whose name and location do not match the host configuration. If the server lists the mods but kicks players, investigate version differences, PBO files, signatures, keys, BattlEye, or a server-only mod placed in the required client list instead.
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This guide separates those two symptoms and gives a repair sequence for Windows and Linux servers, including hosting panels. Follow the checks in order: establish what is failing, verify the startup line and paths, confirm the modlist, bring client and server files to the same version, then handle signatures and secondary causes.
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“Mods are not loading” can describe two different situations. A server that starts with no add-ons at all has a discovery or configuration problem. A server that shows its mods but rejects a player has usually found the files and then failed a compatibility or security check. Treating both as the same problem leads to unnecessary reinstalls.
| What you observe | Most likely area | First check |
|---|---|---|
| The console shows a clean start but no mods | Executable, working directory, -mod, -serverMod, modlist path, or capitalization |
Read the exact startup command and confirm the folders exist under the server installation |
| A file-not-found or missing-addon message appears | Incorrect folder name, nested Workshop directory, bad modlist, or Linux case mismatch | Compare every character of the configured path with the real directory name |
| A PBO mismatch or “different data” error appears | Client and server have different files or versions | Identify the named PBO, repair that mod on the affected client, and update the server |
| The player is kicked for a signature or key error | Missing or stale .bikey files, or an unapproved client mod |
Check the server’s keys folder and the player’s complete loaded-mod list |
| The server requires a mod that should be server-only | Role placed in the normal required-mod list | Move it to the server-side-mod setting |
| The server crashes, hangs, or stops downloading | BattlEye, firewall, antivirus, memory, disk space, or an extra startup flag | Run a minimal configuration and add optional components back one at a time |
Record the exact console line and the player’s kick message before changing anything. “No mods listed” and “signature mismatch” require different repairs.
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Verify the executable, working directory, and startup line
A dedicated server loads only what its startup configuration points to. Installing a mod in the correct place does not help if the process is an old server binary, the main game executable, or a shortcut that starts in another directory. Bohemia Interactive documents cases in which add-ons were loaded from the wrong installation.
Windows checks
- Open the service, shortcut, batch file, or hosting-panel command that launches the server. Confirm that it calls the intended
arma3server.exe, not a desktop-game executable or a binary from an older installation. - Set the working directory to the dedicated-server root. Relative paths such as
@ExampleModare resolved from this location. - Inspect the complete command for duplicate, truncated, or misspelled arguments. Pay particular attention to
-mod=,-serverMod=,-config=, and any panel field that generates these values. - Temporarily remove optional launch parameters and start with only the configuration and the known mod paths. If the minimal command works, restore one option at a time until the conflicting parameter is found.
Linux checks
- Confirm that the process is the dedicated Linux server binary and that the service’s working directory is the server installation, not the home directory or a previous release.
- Use the absolute path to the mod directories while diagnosing. This prevents a service manager from resolving a relative path somewhere unexpected.
- Check capitalization in every directory and file name. Linux treats
@ExampleModand@examplemodas different paths. - After editing a systemd unit, container command, or panel setting, reload that service definition and restart the server. A changed file does nothing if the old process is still running.
An explicit, correct -mod= value can also prevent the server from inheriting data from the wrong installation. Bohemia’s known-issues guidance gives an example of specifying the official content folders directly when the server chooses the main game installation instead.
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Use -mod and -serverMod for the right jobs
-mod is for content that the server and joining clients must load. -serverMod is for server-side content that clients should not be asked to load. A server-side mod put in -mod can make every client fail the join check even though the server itself starts normally.
Check the syntax
Mod values are separated with semicolons. Keep the argument as one value and quote the complete path when the operating system or panel requires quoting. A diagnostic command might look like this:
arma3server.exe -mod=@Core;@MissionPack -serverMod=@AdminTools
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The names above are examples of syntax, not mod names you must install. Replace them with the exact directory names on your server. Do not add spaces, punctuation, or a second -mod argument unless your host explicitly documents how it merges fields; a later field can overwrite an earlier one.
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- The directory named after
-modmust contain the mod’s expected Arma files, normally including anaddonsdirectory. - Do not point at a parent folder that merely contains another copy of the mod. Workshop downloads and manual archives can create an extra nesting level.
- Do not mix a Windows path such as
C:Arma3@Modinto a Linux command, or a Linux path into a Windows shortcut. - Remove trailing spaces from panel fields and check for invisible characters introduced by copy and paste.
Read the startup output
Restart after every path change and read the early console lines. A correctly configured server should report loading each requested mod or its data. If one directory is never mentioned, the problem is still discovery, not signatures. Save the startup output so you can compare a working and failing launch.
Check a modlist HTML file when your host uses one
Many managed panels let you export a mod collection from the Arma 3 Launcher and then select a “Modlist File.” In that setup, the HTML file is part of the configuration; the server will not infer the list from whatever folders happen to be present.
- Export the collection from the Arma 3 Launcher in the format your host expects.
- Place the resulting HTML file directly in the dedicated-server root unless the panel’s instructions specify another location. A file left in a subfolder may be ignored.
- Compare the configured Modlist File value with the real filename, including capitalization and the
.htmlextension.mods.htmlandMods.htmlare different names on Linux. - Check that the export references the same Workshop items or local folders that exist on the server. An old export can silently point to removed content.
- Save the panel settings, restart the server, and inspect the console for each expected mod. Do not assume that a successful panel save means the game accepted the file.
If the server starts with no listed mods after these checks, bypass the HTML list temporarily and use an explicit -mod value. This isolates a bad export or filename from a game-file problem.
Bring server and client files to the same version
Workshop updates can leave a server and a player on different revisions. The server may load successfully while a joining client receives a PBO mismatch. Bohemia Interactive describes this plainly: a PBO error means the server is using different data from the client.
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Repair the server copy
- Enable the host’s automatic Workshop update behavior if it provides one.
- Stop the server before an update, then start it again after the download finishes. A running process can continue using files from the previous revision.
- If the host offers file validation, run one validation pass after the update. Return the setting to its normal value afterward; leaving forced validation enabled can cause unnecessary downloads or startup delays.
- Check available disk space. An interrupted Workshop download can leave a partial or stale directory that looks present but lacks the current files.
Repair the affected client
- Have the player close Arma 3 and the Steam client’s game session.
- Use the PBO name in the error to identify the affected mod. Remove that PBO and its accompanying BISIGN file from the client’s mod directory.
- Verify the game or Workshop files through Steam, or unsubscribe and redownload the specific Workshop mod when verification does not restore the file.
- Start Arma 3 again and allow the Workshop item to finish updating before joining. The client and server must use compatible mod files, not merely folders with the same visible name.
Do not copy a random PBO from another player. That can hide the original problem and create a new signature or dependency mismatch. Repair the complete Workshop item or the complete server package instead.
Fix Linux case and path problems
Linux is case sensitive, while Windows commonly treats capitalization as equivalent. A mod copied from Windows can therefore contain a path that looks valid in a panel but does not resolve on the server. Capital letters in folder names, filenames, or references inside a configuration can prevent discovery.
Make the names consistent
- Compare the configured folder name character by character with the directory shown by the Linux file browser or shell.
- Use one predictable convention, such as lowercase mod directory names, and update the startup argument to match.
- Check nested directories as well as the top-level
@Modfolder. A single capital letter in an inner path can break loading. - Avoid spaces where the hosting panel or script does not handle quoting reliably. Rename the folder and update every reference rather than relying on shell escaping that the panel may strip.
Use a host-provided lowercase repair carefully
Some managed hosts offer a one-time “make mod files lowercase” operation. Use it only while the server is stopped, then ensure that the configured mod names and any modlist HTML references use the new lowercase spelling. The operation changes filenames; it does not update a stale startup command automatically.
Separate loading from signature verification
A mod can be discovered and loaded yet still cause a player to be kicked. Signature checking is a separate stage. With verifySignatures enabled, the server expects matching key files for the signed content a client loads.
Check the server keys
- Open the server’s
keysdirectory, not a similarly named folder in the main game installation. - Confirm that the
.bikeymatching each client-loaded signed mod is present. - After a Workshop update, check whether the mod’s key changed or whether an old key remains while the new one is missing. Replace stale keys with the keys supplied by the current mod package.
- Restart after changing keys. A running server may not reread them until startup.
Check the player’s loaded set
Ask the player to compare the complete launch collection with the server’s required collection. An unapproved extra client mod can trigger a signature kick even when every required mod is correct. Remove extras that the server does not permit, or configure them as optional where the host and mission support optional client content.
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Do not disable signature verification as a first fix. It removes an important integrity check and does not solve a missing, corrupted, or incompatible PBO. Use it only when you understand the security consequences and have a specific administrative reason.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Move server-only content out of the required list
Administrative tools, monitoring components, and other server-side packages belong in the server-side-mod configuration. If one is placed in -mod, clients are instructed to load it. They then fail because the package is intentionally absent from their machines.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Identify whether the mod’s documentation describes it as server-only.
- Remove it from the normal required
-modlist. - Add it to
-serverModor the hosting panel’s equivalent server-side field. - Restart and test with a clean client collection. If the join succeeds, add optional client mods separately and verify each one.
A mission can also require a particular client mod even when the server itself does not use its files. Follow the mission’s stated requirement rather than moving every unfamiliar package to -serverMod.
Isolate BattlEye, firewall, antivirus, memory, and disk issues
Once paths, versions, keys, and mod roles are correct, investigate secondary causes without changing all variables at once.
BattlEye
Ensure the BattlEye installation is updated and that the service is allowed to run. A damaged or blocked BattlEye component can look like a mod or join problem because the player is removed before the mission loads. Review the BattlEye log and the server console for the exact reason.
Firewall and antivirus
Allow the dedicated Arma server, Steam, and BattlEye through the host firewall and security software. Some products quarantine a newly updated DLL or block a Workshop downloader. Check the security product’s event log rather than permanently disabling protection. Add a narrowly scoped exception, restore the file if it is a false positive, and restart the service.
Memory pressure
Large mod collections and complex missions consume more memory than a short vanilla test. If the server crashes or freezes while loading, start with the smallest known-good collection, then add required mods in groups. Watch the host’s memory usage and system logs while reproducing the failure.
Disk exhaustion
Workshop downloads, temporary archives, logs, and validation backups can fill a server volume. A download that stops partway can leave an apparently complete folder with missing files. Free space, remove only known-safe temporary data, rerun the update or validation, and restart.
Automatic restarts
Bohemia Interactive notes that a BattlEye-enabled, password-protected server may require a manual reconnect after an automatic restart. If players are kicked immediately after a scheduled restart, wait for the process and BattlEye service to finish, then reconnect manually before changing the mod configuration.
Hosting-panel troubleshooting
A panel is another control surface between you and the Arma command line. A field can overwrite a startup argument, normalize capitalization, or point to a different installation than the file manager shows.
- Copy the panel’s generated startup command, if available, and inspect it as plain text.
- Check whether “Mods,” “Server Mods,” and “Modlist File” are separate fields. Put each package in the field matching its role.
- Confirm that the panel’s selected installation or instance is the one containing the folders you edited.
- Save, stop, and start the server rather than relying on a soft reload. Read the first mod-loading lines after the restart.
- If the panel has an automatic updater, let it complete before launching. If it has a validation toggle, use it for one repair cycle and then restore the normal setting.
- Open a support ticket with the exact startup command, console excerpt, operating system, modlist filename, and named PBO or key error if the panel keeps rewriting a correct configuration.
A practical recovery sequence
Use this order when you need a repeatable fix instead of trial and error:
- Classify the symptom as absent mods, a PBO mismatch, a signature kick, or a crash or connection failure.
- Stop the server and verify the intended executable, installation, and working directory.
- Replace the generated mod settings with a minimal explicit
-modand-serverModconfiguration using exact paths. - If a modlist HTML file is required, put it in the server root and match its filename and capitalization exactly.
- On Linux, correct capitalization and remove path ambiguity before testing again.
- Update the server’s Workshop content, run one validation pass when available, and restart.
- Update or repair the client collection. For a named PBO, remove that PBO and BISIGN on the affected client, then verify or redownload the Workshop item.
- Check the server
keysdirectory against the current client-loaded signed mods. - Move server-only packages to the server-side field and test with a clean client.
- Only after those checks, investigate BattlEye, firewall and antivirus events, memory, disk space, and extra startup parameters.
At each stage, test with one known-good client and record the console result. A change that makes the server list a mod but then produces a signature kick has progressed past path discovery; continue with keys and version parity rather than undoing the path fix.
How to choose the right fix quickly
| Evidence | Operating system factor | Mod role or source | Correct direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mod appears in startup output | Windows or Linux | Any source | Correct executable, working directory, startup arguments, modlist, and physical path |
| Folder exists but is not found | Especially Linux | Copied or manually renamed files | Correct capitalization, nesting, quoting, and spaces |
| Named PBO mismatch | Any | Usually Workshop or manually copied package | Synchronize versions; remove the named PBO and BISIGN on the client, then verify or redownload |
| Signature or key kick | Any | Signed client-loaded mod | Install the matching current .bikey in server keys; remove unauthorized extras |
| Clients are asked for an admin or utility mod | Any | Server-only package | Move it from -mod to -serverMod |
| Crash or stalled download after configuration is correct | Any | Large collection or updated files | Check BattlEye, security rules, memory, disk space, and update completion |
The decisive distinction is whether the server can see the mod. Path and startup corrections make content visible; file synchronization and key management make that content acceptable to clients. Keeping those stages separate prevents repeated reinstalls and makes each console message actionable.
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