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How to Add a Password to a Space Engineers Server

Open Server settings → General in the Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool, enter a password, save, and restart. Rented hosts may require a hash and salt in SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg instead of plaintext.
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To password-protect a self-hosted Space Engineers dedicated server, open the Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool, select the server instance, go to Server settings → General, enter a value in Password, save the configuration, and start or restart the server. Players then enter that password when they join.

Rented servers use the same dedicated-server configuration but expose it through a host control panel. Depending on the provider, you may need to enter a generated password hash and salt in SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg rather than typing a plain password. The provider’s editor and restart controls determine the exact final step.

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What the password setting does

A password adds an invitation barrier to a dedicated server. The server can remain visible in the normal server browser, but a player who does not know the secret cannot complete the join process. This is different from making a server visible only to friends: a dedicated server does not offer the same “friends only” switch available for a player-hosted world.

Keen Software House describes the field this way: “Password – Password for the server, if you need protected private server.” In the dedicated-server configuration, the field is grouped with Listen IP, Port, Server name, World name, and Steam Group ID.

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Use a password when a small group should join by invitation. If you also want the server listing restricted to a defined community, a Steam-group restriction can be used in addition to, or instead of, a password.

Before you change anything

Identify how the server is hosted

The steps depend on who controls the server files:

  • Self-hosted Windows dedicated server: you can use the Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool and its graphical configuration screen.
  • Rented server: you normally use the provider’s web editor for SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. The provider may transform the password into a hash and require a separate salt field.

If you are unsure, check whether you can launch the official dedicated-server tool on the machine running the server. If you only have a browser control panel, follow the rented-server procedure instead of attempting to copy settings from the desktop tool.

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Have the access details ready

  • The server instance you intend to protect.
  • A password that is not reused for Steam, email, or another service.
  • A secure way to deliver the password to invited players.
  • Permission to save configuration and restart the instance. A Windows service instance may require administrator rights when it is created or managed.

A password is an access credential, not a substitute for operating-system security. Keep the server machine, administrator account, and provider panel protected as well.

Add a password on a self-hosted dedicated server

1. Open the dedicated-server tool

Install or launch Space Engineers Dedicated Server on the computer that hosts the instance. If you are creating or managing a Windows service instance, start the tool with administrator rights so it can perform the required service operations.

2. Create or select the instance

Use the tool’s instance list to add a new server or select the existing server you want to protect. Continue to the server-configuration screen for that instance. Make sure you are editing the correct world: a machine can contain more than one dedicated-server instance, and each instance has its own settings.

3. Open Server settings → General

In the configuration view, open Server settings and then the General section. The password control is in this section, alongside the server’s network and identity fields.

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4. Enter the password

Fill in the Password field. Choose a unique passphrase long enough that people cannot guess it from the server name, world name, community name, or a familiar phrase. Do not paste the password into the server name or description; those fields can be visible to people who should not receive the secret.

5. Save and activate the setting

Use the tool’s Save and start command if the server is not running. If the instance is already running and the tool offers only a save command, save the configuration and then restart the instance. The setting is not useful until the server has loaded the updated configuration.

6. Test the join process

Give an invited player the server name and password through a private channel. Have that player join using the normal server-browser or direct-join route. The player should be prompted for the password or otherwise be required to provide it before entering the world.

For a clean test, try once with the intended password and once without it. If an unprotected join still succeeds, confirm that you saved the correct instance and restarted the process that is actually serving the world.

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Where the setting is stored

Keen identifies SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg as the dedicated-server configuration file. On a self-hosted installation, it is associated with the SpaceEngineersDedicated area under the relevant AppData/configuration location. The exact path and instance folder can differ according to the installation and how the instance was created.

Normally, use the dedicated-server tool rather than editing the file by hand. The graphical editor reduces the chance of changing the wrong instance or breaking the file format. If you do need to inspect a file, first establish which instance folder the running service uses; a similarly named file in another folder will not change the active world.

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Do not assume that a visible XML element named <Password> is accepted by every host or installation. Self-hosted tools and rented-server panels can expose different representations of the same setting.

Password-protect a rented server

1. Open the provider’s configuration editor

Sign in to the control panel for the rented instance and open its editor for SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. Providers often place this under a configuration, startup, advanced settings, or file-management page. The labels vary, but the file name should identify the dedicated-server configuration.

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2. Check which password format the panel expects

Read the provider’s instructions before entering a value. Some hosts accept a password field directly; others require a generated password hash and a salt. A current Host Havoc guide, for example, instructs customers to generate the hash and salt and add those values to the configuration file. That means a plain-text <Password> entry may not work on that service.

If the panel supplies a password generator, use it. If it supplies separate fields, put the hash in the hash field and the salt in the salt field exactly as the host documents. Do not substitute the password itself for a hash, and do not copy a hash from another server: it is tied to the password and salt used for that configuration.

3. Save or apply the file

Use the provider’s Save, Apply, or equivalent control. Wait for the panel to confirm that the file was written. A browser editor can show an old cached view, so reopen the configuration if you need to verify that the values persisted.

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4. Restart the server

Use the provider’s restart control after saving. If the panel separates “save” from “restart,” perform both actions. A running process may continue using the previous configuration until it is restarted.

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5. Test with an invited player

Have an invited player connect with the configured password. If the host provides a console or status page, confirm that the instance has finished restarting before testing. If the password is rejected, return to the provider’s documentation and verify whether it expects plaintext, a hash, a salt, or a particular generated format.

Choosing between a password and a Steam-group restriction

A password and a Steam-group restriction solve related but different access problems. The right choice depends on whether you want a secret invitation, membership-based visibility, or both.

Access method How it works Best fit Main trade-off
Password only Anyone who can see the server may attempt to join, but entry requires the secret. A small private group that can share one credential. The password can be forwarded or exposed, so you must change it when the group changes.
Steam-group restriction Visibility or access is limited through Steam-group membership, according to the server’s group setting. A community that already manages membership through a Steam group. You must administer membership, and group access is not the same as a password prompt.
Both together Players must meet the group restriction and provide the password. A community that wants an additional barrier for a semi-private server. There are two access controls to maintain and explain to players.

A dedicated server cannot be changed into a player-hosted “friends only” world through the password field. Use the documented password and/or Steam-group controls instead.

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How to share and maintain the password safely

Share it only with people who need access

Send the password privately rather than putting it in a public server description, open chat, or a support ticket visible to other users. Tell players the exact capitalization and spacing if your chosen secret contains them. The server name can be public; the password should not be.

Use a separate credential

Never reuse a Steam, email, hosting-panel, or operating-system password. If the game-server password leaks, changing it should not expose any other account.

Rotate it when the membership changes

Change the password when a former player should no longer have access, when the secret appears in a public message, or when you cannot account for who has received it. On a self-hosted instance, edit Server settings → General → Password, save, and restart. On a rented instance, repeat the provider’s hash-and-salt or plaintext procedure and restart.

Keep a record of the active value

Store the current password in a protected password manager or another private record. Avoid leaving it in a shared notes document alongside the public server address. When you rotate it, update invited players through a private channel.

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Troubleshooting password protection

The Password field is missing

  • Confirm that you opened the Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool, not the ordinary game-world settings.
  • Open the selected instance’s Server settings → General section; the field is not in world-generation settings.
  • Verify that you selected the intended instance. Each instance can have its own configuration.
  • If you are renting, stop looking for the desktop field and use the provider’s SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg editor.

The server still accepts players without the new password

  • Save the configuration and use Save and start, or restart the already-running instance.
  • Check that the process you restarted is the same instance whose settings you edited.
  • On a rented server, confirm that the provider accepted the file rather than leaving an unsaved browser edit.
  • Test from a separate player account or ask an invited player to try a connection without the password.

The password is rejected on a rented server

  • Check whether the provider requires a generated hash and salt instead of plaintext.
  • Regenerate the hash and salt from the exact password you intend to distribute.
  • Place each generated value in the field specified by the provider and save the file.
  • Restart after applying the change, then test again.

The change disappears after a restart

You may have edited a temporary panel view, the wrong instance, or a configuration file that the host regenerates. Reopen the editor after the restart and check which values remain. If the host’s panel offers a dedicated password setting, use that setting rather than manually adding an unsupported XML element.

Players cannot join even with the correct password

First distinguish an authentication failure from a general connection problem. If the server is not listed, times out, or fails before a password prompt, the issue may be unrelated to the password value. Check that the instance completed its restart and that the server name and connection details still point to the intended world. If the server reaches the password step but rejects the credential, recheck capitalization, copied whitespace, and the host’s required format.

Changing or removing the password

Change it on a self-hosted server

  1. Open the dedicated-server tool and select the correct instance.
  2. Go to Server settings → General.
  3. Replace the value in Password.
  4. Save the configuration and start or restart the instance.
  5. Send the new value only to the players who should retain access.

Change it on a rented server

  1. Open the provider’s editor for SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg.
  2. Follow the provider’s documented plaintext or hash-and-salt method for the new value.
  3. Save or apply the file.
  4. Restart the rented instance.
  5. Distribute the new password privately.

Remove protection

To make the server password-free, clear the password through the self-hosted tool or remove it using the provider’s documented configuration control. Save and restart afterward. If a provider requires hash-and-salt fields, do not leave an old hash or salt in place while expecting an empty plaintext field to disable protection; use the host’s instructions for clearing the setting.

Self-hosting versus renting: which workflow is simpler?

Consideration Self-hosted dedicated server Rented dedicated server
Where you edit Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool, under Server settings → General. Provider’s editor for SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg.
Configuration control Direct control of the instance and its local configuration. Control is mediated by the host’s panel and supported file format.
Password representation The tool presents a Password field. Provider-dependent; plaintext, generated hash, and salt requirements can differ.
Activation Save and start, or restart the instance after saving. Use the panel’s save/apply control and restart procedure.
Maintenance effort You manage the machine, service instance, and restarts. The provider manages the underlying machine, but you must follow its configuration rules.

Choose self-hosting when you need direct access to the dedicated-server tool and configuration. Choose a rental when you prefer a provider’s management interface, while recognizing that provider-specific password formats can add an extra step.

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Quick checklist

  • Identify whether the server is self-hosted or rented.
  • Use a unique password and share it privately.
  • For self-hosting, open Server settings → General → Password.
  • For renting, open the provider’s SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg editor.
  • Check whether the provider requires a generated hash and salt.
  • Save the configuration.
  • Start or restart the correct server instance.
  • Test one connection with the password and one without it.
  • Rotate the password when access should change.

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