Change a Valheim dedicated-server password by editing the launch script, replacing the value after -password, saving the file, and restarting the server. Windows servers normally use start_headless_server.bat; Linux servers use start_server.sh. Use at least five characters, avoid the server and world names, and prefer letters and numbers so the server can start reliably.
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Find the file that starts your Valheim server
The password is not changed from inside a running Valheim world. It is a launch option supplied when the Valheim Dedicated Server software starts. Locate the script or command used to launch that process, then edit its -password value.
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On a Windows installation, open the folder containing the dedicated-server files and look for start_headless_server.bat. Open that file in Notepad or another plain-text editor. The official setup guidance places the launch options on the line beginning with start valheim_server. Do not open the file in a word processor that can add formatting; the server needs the original plain-text command.
Linux: start_server.sh
On Linux, edit the start_server.sh file used by your service or shell command. The same launch options appear on the command line that starts the Valheim server executable. If your system uses a service manager or a custom wrapper, follow that wrapper to the script it actually runs; editing an unused copy will not change the live server.
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Change the password on Windows
- Stop the running Valheim server cleanly. Leave the command window closed before editing so a later restart reads the new value.
- Open
start_headless_server.batin Notepad. - Find the launch line beginning with
start valheim_server. - Locate the argument written as
-password "Secret". Replace only the value between the quotation marks. For example, change it to-password "SecretViking". - Save the file as plain text, keeping the
.batextension. Do not accidentally save a second file such asstart_headless_server.bat.txt. - Start the server directly from the updated batch file, or start it through Steam if that is how your installation is configured.
- Test the new password by connecting from a client that is not already authenticated. Enter the exact new value, including capitalization if you used mixed-case letters.
Changing the argument in the batch file changes what the next server process uses. It does not retroactively edit a password stored in a world save, so a restart is required before clients will see the new setting.
Change the password on Linux
- Stop the current server process before editing
start_server.sh. - Open the script in your normal text editor and find the command that launches the Valheim server.
- Find
-passwordand replace its quoted value. Keep the argument and value together on the same command line. - Save the script without changing its filename or adding rich-text formatting.
- Run the script using the same method you normally use for the server. If you start it through a service, restart that service so it reads the edited script.
- Join with the new password and confirm that a deliberately incorrect password is rejected.
A third-party example of a Linux launch line is:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "NorseRealm" -port 2456 -world "Expedition1" -password "SecretViking" -public 1 -crossplayUse that line as a pattern, not as a drop-in replacement. Your executable name, world, port, visibility setting, and other options may differ. Preserve the options already required by your own script and change only the password value unless you intentionally need to alter another setting.
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What the launch options mean
| Option or file | Purpose | What to change for a password update |
|---|---|---|
start_headless_server.bat |
Windows launch script | Edit the -password value on its launch line. |
start_server.sh |
Linux launch script | Edit the -password value on its launch command. |
-password "Secret" |
Supplies the server password | Replace Secret with your new value. |
-public 1 |
Makes the server publicly listed according to the launch configuration | Leave it unchanged unless you also intend to change visibility. |
-public 0 |
Hides the server from the community browser | It does not replace a secure password for an internet-reachable server. |
The official guide describes the password syntax and launch-file locations, but its age was reported as roughly 916 days at the time of the October 14, 2026 information check. Valheim updates and installer changes can rename scripts or adjust syntax. If the files in your installation differ, treat the script shipped with your server and the current official documentation as the authority.
Password rules that affect whether the server starts
Several third-party guides and the Nimdy troubleshooting wiki report rules that are easy to miss. They are especially important when a server quits immediately after you edit the launch line.
Use at least five characters
A password shorter than five characters is reported to prevent the server from working. Count the characters in the value itself, not the quotation marks or the -password option. A value such as Nord is therefore risky; use five or more characters instead.
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Keep it different from the public server name
The password must not match the server’s public display name. One troubleshooting example reports a server named Shattered Vikings failing when its password was vikings. To avoid the same class of conflict, do not copy the full name, a case-only variation, or an obvious portion of it into the password.
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Avoid the world name too
Sources do not describe this rule consistently: some say the password must not match or contain the server name, while another refers to the world name. The safest practical policy is to keep the password free of both names. If your server is named NorseRealm and the world is Expedition1, choose a value unrelated to either string.
Prefer letters and numbers
The Nimdy wiki warns that special characters may cause problems. Use a password made from ordinary letters and numbers while diagnosing a launch failure. Once a simple value works, you can test a more complex value only if your installation demonstrably accepts it; do not assume every shell, batch parser, or hosting wrapper handles punctuation identically.
Do not rely on an empty password for a public server
One guide reports that an empty password works only when -public 0 is used. That combination hides the server from the community browser, and an empty password should not be used on an internet-reachable server. A non-empty password is the appropriate baseline for a server that other people can reach.
Restart and verify the change
Editing the file does not change a process that is already running. The server reads its launch arguments at startup, so perform a complete stop and start after saving.
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- Stop the old process and wait for its console or service to exit.
- Reopen the launch script briefly and confirm that the intended
-passwordvalue is present. This catches edits made to the wrong copy of a script. - Start the server with the normal Windows batch file, Linux shell script, Steam workflow, or service wrapper used by your installation.
- Watch the startup output for an immediate exit or an explicit configuration error.
- Connect with the new password. Then try an intentionally incorrect value to verify that the server is enforcing the setting rather than allowing an unauthenticated connection.
If players are already connected when you stop the process, they will need to reconnect after the restart. Coordinate the change with anyone using the world so they do not mistake the planned restart for data loss or a networking outage.
If the server quits after you set the password
Check the password itself before changing unrelated launch options. The two most commonly reported causes are a value under five characters and an overlap with the server or world name.
Check the length first
- Count the password characters and make sure there are at least five.
- Confirm that the value was not truncated when you edited the line.
- Make sure the quotation marks surround the value rather than replacing or removing the
-passwordargument.
Remove name collisions
- Compare the password with the public server name.
- Compare it with the world name.
- Replace it with an unrelated letters-and-numbers value and restart.
This test is useful because it changes only the conditions reported to cause startup failure. If the server starts with the unrelated value, the previous password was incompatible rather than the world or executable being damaged.
Check for punctuation problems
If a five-character-or-longer value that avoids both names still fails, remove punctuation and spaces. Shell quoting on Linux and batch-file parsing on Windows can treat special characters differently. Test a simple alphanumeric value first, then add complexity only after the basic configuration works.
Make sure you edited the active script
Multiple copies can exist after an update, a manual installation, or a service migration. Confirm which command your shortcut, Steam entry, scheduled task, or service actually runs. The active command must contain the new value; changing an archival script has no effect.
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Restore the previous known-good value
If the server will not start and you need to restore access quickly, stop the process, put back the last value that worked, and start the server again. Once it is online, make one controlled change: use a longer alphanumeric password unrelated to the server and world names. This isolates password-format problems from other edits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Hosted panels and container installations
A managed hosting panel or a containerized installation may not expose the Windows or Linux script directly. In those environments, the password is often entered in a panel field or supplied through an environment variable. Some container images require the container to be re-created before a changed variable is applied.
Those behaviors depend on the particular provider, panel, image, and version, so do not assume that editing a file inside a running container will persist. Look for the host’s documented startup-variable or server-configuration screen, change the password there, and use the panel’s restart or re-create action when its instructions require it. The general rules still apply: use at least five characters, avoid the server and world names, and test the restarted instance.
If a panel offers both a password field and a generated launch command, treat the panel’s saved configuration as the source of truth. A manual edit can be overwritten the next time the panel regenerates the command.
Choosing a replacement password safely
The password protects entry to the game server, not the operating-system account that runs it. Use a value that is unique to this server and do not reuse a personal login password. Share it only with players who should join, preferably through a private channel rather than a public server description.
- Use five or more characters; a longer value is easier to keep unrelated to the server and world names.
- Use letters and numbers while troubleshooting compatibility.
- Avoid the exact server name, any recognizable part of it, and the world name.
- Do not place the password in screenshots, public configuration repositories, or chat messages visible to people who should not connect.
- After changing it, tell regular players that a restart is required and provide the new value through a private message.
Because the password is stored in a launch script or hosting configuration, protect access to that file or panel. Anyone who can read the launch command may be able to read the password directly.
Worked examples
Windows example
Suppose the launch line contains -name "NorseRealm" and -password "OldPass". Stop the server, open start_headless_server.bat, and replace only OldPass with a new value such as Fjord2026. That value is longer than five characters, contains only letters and numbers, and does not copy the displayed name. Save, restart, and test a client connection with Fjord2026.
Linux example
If start_server.sh launches the command shown below, change the quoted password and leave the other options intact:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "NorseRealm" -port 2456 -world "Expedition1" -password "Fjord2026" -public 1 -crossplayDo not change -port, -world, -public, or -crossplay merely because you are changing the password. Those options control different parts of the server configuration.
Password change checklist
- Located the active launch file:
start_headless_server.baton Windows orstart_server.shon Linux. - Edited the
-passwordvalue on the command that actually starts the server. - Used at least five characters.
- Kept the value different from both the public server name and the world name.
- Used letters and numbers while checking compatibility.
- Saved the file without changing its extension or adding formatting.
- Stopped and restarted the server.
- Tested the new value and an incorrect value.
- If using a panel or container, changed the setting in the panel or environment configuration and applied any required restart or re-creation.
When to consult current documentation
Launch script names and password validation can change with Valheim updates and with third-party hosting software. The official guide used for the basic syntax is relatively old according to the October 14, 2026 freshness check, and no verified publication date was available for it here. Before applying a change after a major server update, compare the command in your installed server folder with the current official instructions. If your host supplies a custom panel or image, follow that product’s current configuration instructions rather than assuming the stock scripts are present.
The Bottom Line
Edit the active Valheim launch command, replace the value after -password, save, and restart. A password of five or more alphanumeric characters that matches neither the server name nor the world name is the safest starting point; if the server exits, test those conditions before changing anything else.
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