On a DayZ server you control, administrator access is configured in the server files. Set a private passwordAdmin in serverDZ.cfg, restart the server, join it, and enter #login your-password in chat. BattlEye RCon is a separate administration system with its own password and external tools.
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What “admin” means in DayZ
DayZ has more than one administration path, and confusing them is the most common reason a new owner thinks admin access is broken. The in-game path uses the passwordAdmin setting in serverDZ.cfg. After the server starts with that setting, an authorized player authenticates through the in-game chat command #login.
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BattlEye RCon is different. It reads a separate password from BEServer_x64.cfg and is used from an RCon client outside the game. RCon is not enabled by typing your in-game admin password into an external tool, and changing one credential does not change the other.
Vanilla administration is deliberately limited. Basic server controls such as kicking a player, locking joins, or restarting the server are available through documented commands. Teleporting, spawning items and similar functions normally require a third-party admin mod, with installation and compatibility work of their own.
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Before you start
- Server ownership or permission: You need access to the server’s configuration files and permission to restart it. You cannot grant yourself admin on a server operated by somebody else.
- Control-panel or file access: A rented server usually exposes a file manager, FTP/SFTP, or a configuration editor. A self-hosted server exposes the files directly on the machine running DayZ.
- A maintenance window: Stop the server before editing its configuration. Players will be disconnected, and unsaved changes can be lost if the host overwrites a live file during shutdown.
- A unique secret: Prepare a long password that is not used for Steam, email, RCon, or any other service.
- The correct installation path: DayZ may have separate instance, profile, and battleye directories. Editing a similarly named file in the wrong instance will have no effect.
Set up in-game administrator access
1. Stop the server cleanly
Use the host’s Stop button or stop the DayZ server process on a self-hosted machine. Do not edit serverDZ.cfg while the process is still running unless your host explicitly documents live editing. Wait until the panel reports that the server is offline.
2. Open the server configuration
Locate the active serverDZ.cfg for the instance you run. It is the file that contains the server’s general settings, not a client-side file in your DayZ installation. If your host has multiple instances, confirm the instance name or port before changing anything.
3. Set passwordAdmin
Find the administrator-password line. It should use the existing configuration syntax, with the value between quotation marks:
passwordAdmin = "replace-this-with-a-long-unique-secret";Keep the semicolon and quotation marks if they are present in the surrounding file. Replace only the value. Avoid spaces at the beginning or end of the password, quotation marks inside the value, and characters your host’s editor may silently convert. If the file already has a passwordAdmin entry, edit that entry rather than adding a second one.
This password is a privileged credential. Anyone who learns it may be able to authenticate with #login, so never paste it into public chat, a server name, a community announcement, or a screenshot.
4. Save the file and restart
Save serverDZ.cfg, then start the server again. The configuration is read during startup; changing the file while the server is running does not reliably change the active password. A restart is therefore required after every password change.
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Watch the startup log or control panel for a normal launch. If the server fails to start, restore the previous copy and check for a missing semicolon, unmatched quotation mark, or an accidental change to another setting.
5. Join and authenticate
Connect to the server with the same account and character you normally use. Press Enter to open the in-game chat, type the command below with your actual password, and send it:
#login replace-this-with-a-long-unique-secretDo not include the angle brackets shown in instructional examples; they indicate a substitution. A successful login should be acknowledged by the server. If no confirmation appears, treat that as a failed authentication and work through the troubleshooting section rather than repeatedly broadcasting the password.
6. Log out when finished
End the privileged session with:
#logoutLogging out is especially important when you share a computer, stream your game, or administer a community server from a public gaming machine.
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Commands available after an in-game login
Hosting documentation commonly lists the following vanilla commands. Availability can vary with the DayZ server build, configuration, and host implementation, so test each command on an empty or maintenance server before relying on it during an incident.
| Command | Purpose | Operational notes |
|---|---|---|
#login <password> |
Authenticate as an administrator. | Use the value currently loaded from serverDZ.cfg; a restart is needed after changing it. |
#logout |
End the current administrator session. | Use it before leaving the server or handing the machine to another person. |
#kick <player> |
Remove a player from the server. | Use the player identifier or syntax accepted by your server version; kicking does not necessarily ban. |
#lock |
Restrict new joins. | Useful during maintenance or an incident; existing players may remain connected. |
#unlock |
Allow joins again. | Run it after maintenance if you previously locked the server. |
#shutdown |
Shut down the server. | Warn players first and allow the host panel or service manager to complete the stop. |
#restartserver |
Request a server restart. | Whether the process actually returns automatically depends on the host’s service configuration. |
#init |
Run the server’s initialization command. | Use only when you understand the effect in your particular build and configuration. |
These commands are not an admin menu. Vanilla DayZ does not automatically provide a graphical panel for teleporting, creating items, or manipulating every player state.
Why login may fail
The password is rejected
- Confirm that you edited the
serverDZ.cfgbelonging to the running instance. - Check the exact capitalization, punctuation, and spaces in the value.
- Verify that the server was fully stopped before saving and fully restarted afterward.
- Make sure the password was not altered by a smart-quote conversion or by an editor that removed the semicolon.
- Disconnect and reconnect, then try one carefully typed login. Repeated attempts do not repair a configuration error.
The command appears as ordinary chat
Open the actual in-game chat input with Enter and begin with the hash character. Do not paste a leading explanation, code formatting, or angle brackets. Some interfaces use a different key for chat; use the key binding shown in your DayZ controls if Enter does not open it.
The server will not start after editing
Restore the last known-good configuration, then compare the changed line character by character. Common syntax faults are a missing closing quote, a missing semicolon, or duplicate configuration entries. If your host provides automatic backups, restore only serverDZ.cfg rather than rolling back the entire server instance.
Commands work inconsistently
Confirm that you are still logged in and that another administrator has not logged the account out. A command can also be unavailable in a particular server version or host wrapper. Check the current startup log and your host’s command reference before assuming the password is wrong.
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BattlEye RCon: a separate administration channel
RCon is designed for remote administration without joining the game. It has its own configuration file, credential, network port, and client software. Treat it as an independent system rather than an alternate spelling of #login.
Locate the RCon configuration
The file is normally named BEServer_x64.cfg. It must be in the same folder as BEServer_x64.dll. The folder used by the server is determined by launch parameters such as -bePath and -profiles; on a rented server, the panel may expose this as the BattlEye or profiles directory.
Some installations rename the file after startup, for example to a name similar to BEServer_x64_active_<random>.cfg. That can be normal. If the active file is renamed, stop the server before editing and follow the host’s documented file-loading behavior rather than creating several competing files.
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A typical configuration contains settings like these:
RConPassword a-long-random-rcon-secret
RestrictRCon 0
RConPort 2306The exact syntax and defaults can differ by BattlEye release and host. Use a long random RCon password that is different from passwordAdmin. The example port 2306 is not universal: connect to the port actually set in your active file, and make sure the host firewall and panel expose that port.
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RestrictRCon 0 is shown in common examples to permit RCon access. Do not copy it blindly if your host supplies a safer restriction or an allow-list; follow the security controls available on your server.
Connect with an RCon client
- Install or open a compatible RCon client, such as BEC or DaRT, on a machine that can reach the server.
- Enter the server’s public address, the configured RCon port, and the RCon password.
- Connect and verify that the client receives a BattlEye response.
- Run a harmless information command first, then test a moderation command during a maintenance window.
RCon clients and command sets are separate from in-game chat commands. If the client cannot connect, check the active file location, port forwarding or firewall rules, the running BattlEye service, and whether the host has assigned a different external port.
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| Characteristic | In-game administration | BattlEye RCon |
|---|---|---|
| Credential | passwordAdmin in serverDZ.cfg |
RConPassword in BEServer_x64.cfg |
| Where you use it | DayZ chat after joining the server | External RCon software |
| Restart after changing it | Yes; the server reads the config at startup | Normally restart or reload according to the BattlEye/host procedure |
| Network requirement | You must be able to join the game server | The RCon port must be reachable from the client |
| Typical use | Quick moderation while playing | Remote monitoring and administration without entering the game |
| Password relationship | Should be unique to this credential | Must be different from the in-game password |
Documentation is not completely consistent about the precise role of passwordAdmin. Most hosting guides describe it as the credential for in-game #login, while another guide claims it authenticates BattlEye RCon and that in-game administrative features require a mod. The official configuration definition was not available in the material used for this guide. If your server build rejects the documented login despite a correct restart and file path, check the current Bohemia Interactive and host documentation for that build instead of exposing the password or repeatedly changing unrelated settings.
Adding a full admin toolset with mods
Vanilla commands cover basic access and moderation, not the complete toolset many communities expect. Admin mods such as VPP Admin Tools and Community Online Tools are commonly used for teleportation, item spawning, player inspection, and other live-server tasks.
What a mod changes
- It adds functionality that is not present in the vanilla command set.
- It introduces a second installation on the server and usually a matching client-side workshop requirement.
- It may require a separate permission or admin-list configuration in addition to
passwordAdminor RCon. - Every DayZ update can require a mod update, configuration migration, or compatibility check.
Safe installation sequence
- Stop the server and make a backup of the mission, profile, and configuration files.
- Read the mod’s documentation for the exact server-side files, launch-parameter syntax, and required dependencies.
- Install the same mod version and dependencies specified by the author; do not mix files from unrelated releases.
- Configure permissions using the mod’s documented admin-list or identifier format.
- Start the server and inspect the log for missing dependencies, signature errors, or version mismatches.
- Join with a test account or during a maintenance window and verify one function at a time.
Do not assume that a mod’s menu proves the underlying server credential is configured correctly. Keep the base login, RCon secret, and mod permissions documented separately so you can revoke one access path without losing the others.
Security practices for DayZ administrators
- Use separate secrets: Keep
passwordAdmin,RConPassword, panel credentials, and your personal account passwords unrelated. - Share by private channel only: Never send a privileged password in global chat, a public Discord channel, a server listing, or a support ticket visible to other players.
- Limit the people who know it: Give assistants the least access they need, and rotate the password when staff leave.
- Protect backups: Configuration backups contain credentials in plain text. Restrict file permissions and remove old copies from shared download folders.
- Watch logs: Review startup and BattlEye logs after changing credentials or ports. Unexpected connection attempts or repeated failed logins deserve investigation.
- Use maintenance windows: Test kick, lock, restart, and mod commands with players informed so a mistake does not look like an unexplained outage.
- Rotate after exposure: If the password appears in a screenshot, stream, chat export, or public repository, stop the server, change it, restart, and invalidate the exposed copy.
If you do not own the server
There is no legitimate in-game trick that makes you an administrator on somebody else’s DayZ server. The owner or hosting operator must provide the relevant credential or add your account to the server’s administrator or mod permission list. Attempting guesses, exploits, or repeated login attempts is unauthorized and can result in a ban.
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If you are a moderator, ask the owner which system they use—vanilla login, RCon, or an admin mod—and request only the access level required for your duties. The owner should deliver credentials privately and rotate them when your role ends.
A practical diagnostic checklist
- Did you stop the correct server instance before editing?
- Is the edited file the active
serverDZ.cfg, not a template or another instance’s copy? - Is the line spelled exactly
passwordAdminand enclosed in valid configuration syntax? - Did you save the file, start the server, and wait for a completed startup?
- Are you entering
#loginin DayZ chat, with the exact current password and no angle brackets? - If using RCon, are you editing the file beside
BEServer_x64.dlland connecting to the configured port? - Are you expecting a vanilla command when the feature actually requires an admin mod?
- Did a host update, file rename, or DayZ/BattlEye update change the active path or syntax?
Key takeaway
For a server you run, start with the simplest supported path: stop the server, set a unique passwordAdmin in the active serverDZ.cfg, save and restart, then authenticate in chat with #login. Use #logout when finished. Configure BattlEye RCon separately in BEServer_x64.cfg when you need remote administration, and install an up-to-date admin mod only when vanilla commands do not provide the controls you need.
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