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How to Install and Use Valheim Plus on Your Server

A complete Valheim Plus installation guide for Windows clients, Windows and Linux dedicated servers, and container hosts, including configuration, multiplayer synchronization, updates, and troubleshooting.

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Install Valheim Plus by choosing the archive that matches your environment, extracting its contents into the actual Valheim game or dedicated-server root, and starting Valheim once. That first launch creates BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg, which is the file you edit to enable features and set values. For multiplayer, install compatible Valheim Plus builds on the server and participating clients, then decide whether the server will synchronize and enforce its configuration.

The paths differ between a Steam client, a Windows dedicated server, a Linux/Unix server, and a container host. Follow the matching procedure below rather than copying a Windows layout onto a Linux or managed installation.

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What you need before installing

Valheim Plus is a BepInEx-based modification. Its files must sit beside the Valheim executable or dedicated-server executable so BepInEx can load before the game starts. Installing the files in a download folder, a parent directory, or an extra nested folder will leave the game apparently unmodified.

  • A current Valheim installation or dedicated server that you can stop and start.
  • The Valheim Plus archive for your environment: WindowsClient.zip, WindowsServer.zip, or UnixServer.zip.
  • Permission to write to the Valheim root and to edit text configuration files.
  • A backup location for BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg and any existing BepInEx files.
  • A plan for multiplayer version compatibility and configuration ownership.

Close the game before changing a client installation. Stop a dedicated server before extracting files or editing its configuration. Keeping a copy of the last working archive and configuration makes rollback much faster if a release or setting causes a startup or connection problem.

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Choose the correct Valheim Plus package

Environment Archive Where to extract Who normally needs a compatible installation
Steam game client on Windows WindowsClient.zip The Valheim installation folder opened with Steam’s “Browse local files” command The player using the modified client, plus a compatible server setup for multiplayer
Windows dedicated server WindowsServer.zip The dedicated-server root containing the server executable The server administrator; connecting clients must satisfy the server’s compatibility and enforcement policy
Linux or another Unix-like dedicated server UnixServer.zip The Unix dedicated-server root The server administrator; clients still need a compatible build when the server requires it
Container or managed host Use the host’s documented Valheim Plus mechanism Implementation-specific persistent storage Depends on the image or host’s synchronization and enforcement settings

The official project documentation defines the three archive paths above. A container image may place configuration somewhere other than the normal Valheim root, so do not assume that a path from a self-managed installation applies to every host.

Install Valheim Plus on a Windows Steam client

1. Open the real Valheim installation folder

  1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
  2. Right-click Valheim, choose Manage, and select Browse local files. Steam opens the directory containing the game executable.
  3. Exit Valheim and leave this folder open. It is the extraction destination; do not choose the Steam library’s parent folder.

2. Extract the client archive

  1. Download WindowsClient.zip from the Valheim Plus project release that matches your Valheim installation.
  2. Open the ZIP and copy its contents directly into the folder Steam opened.
  3. When the copy is complete, the destination should contain a BepInEx directory beside the existing Valheim files. If you see a path such as Valheim
    ew-foldere_in_ex
    or another extra wrapper directory, move the archive contents up one level.

3. Run Valheim once

Start the game normally and wait until it reaches the title screen, then exit. BepInEx and Valheim Plus use this first start to create their working directories and default configuration.

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4. Check the generated files

In the same Valheim root, confirm that BepInEx/plugins contains the Valheim Plus plugin and that BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg now exists. If the configuration file is missing, the archive is usually in the wrong directory, the game did not start far enough to initialize BepInEx, or the account lacks write permission.

Install Valheim Plus on a Windows dedicated server

1. Stop the server and identify its root

Stop the dedicated-server process before changing files. The correct root is the directory that contains the server executable and its launch files, not necessarily the directory from which you downloaded the server update.

2. Extract WindowsServer.zip

  1. Open the Valheim Plus WindowsServer.zip archive.
  2. Extract all contents into the dedicated-server root.
  3. Accept a merge with an existing BepInEx directory when your archive utility asks. Do not create a second nested BepInEx folder.

After extraction, the server root should contain BepInEx alongside the server executable. The plugin must eventually appear under BepInEx/plugins; the configuration will appear under BepInEx/config after the first successful launch.

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3. Start, initialize, and stop once

Start the dedicated server using the same launch method you normally use. Let it initialize fully so BepInEx can generate its folders and Valheim Plus configuration, then stop it cleanly before editing the file. A clean stop prevents a running process from overwriting or holding an older configuration.

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4. Verify the server log

Inspect the server console or log for BepInEx and Valheim Plus load messages. The exact wording changes between releases, but there should be evidence that BepInEx initialized and the plugin was discovered. If no BepInEx activity appears, troubleshoot the extraction path before changing settings.

Install Valheim Plus on a Linux or Unix dedicated server

1. Work in the dedicated-server root

Stop the server and locate the directory that contains the Unix server executable and its normal launch script. Use the account that owns the server files, or an administrator account that can preserve the same ownership and permissions after extraction.

2. Extract the Unix archive in place

  1. Copy UnixServer.zip to the dedicated-server root.
  2. Extract the archive there with your system’s ZIP utility, for example unzip UnixServer.zip.
  3. Confirm that extraction created or merged BepInEx in that root rather than creating a nested directory such as server/UnixServer/BepInEx.

If the server runs under a service account, keep the extracted files readable and executable by that account. Avoid running the game once as a different user and leaving root-owned configuration files behind; that can prevent the normal service account from writing valheim_plus.cfg.

3. Initialize and verify

Start the server once, wait for normal initialization, and stop it. Then check for BepInEx/plugins and BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg. Review the startup log for BepInEx and Valheim Plus messages before inviting players.

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Find and edit valheim_plus.cfg

The standard configuration path is BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg, relative to the Valheim or dedicated-server root. On Windows, documentation commonly displays the separators as BepInExconfigvalheim_plus.cfg; the underlying location is the same.

Make a safe first edit

  1. Stop the game or server. Do not edit a live server configuration.
  2. Copy valheim_plus.cfg to a dated backup such as valheim_plus.cfg.backup-2026-10-14.
  3. Open the original in a plain-text editor. Avoid word processors that add formatting.
  4. Read the generated sections and comments. Enable only the sections you intend to use.
  5. Save the file without changing its extension or character encoding unnecessarily.
  6. Start the client or server and test one change at a time.

Valheim Plus releases can add, remove, rename, or change defaults for settings. Use the configuration generated by your installed release as the authority instead of relying on a copied line number from an older guide. If a setting is absent, search the current file’s comments or regenerate a clean file after backing up the old one.

Understand server and client sections

The generated file includes a Server section and other feature sections. The Server section includes the serverSyncsConfig option documented by the project. When server synchronization is enabled, the server can overwrite a connecting client’s configuration with the server’s values. In that arrangement, the server file is the operational source of truth for synchronized options.

Do not assume that every option is synchronized or that every player can connect without the mod. Read the current generated comments, decide which requirements you want to enforce, and test with a second account or trusted player before opening the server publicly.

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Configure multiplayer: who needs Valheim Plus?

For the least surprising multiplayer experience, install compatible Valheim Plus builds on the dedicated server and on each participating game client. The project README warns that installing the mod on only one side can cause problems. A server administrator should establish a specific build for the group and keep a copy of the archive used.

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Server-synchronized configuration

With the Server section and serverSyncsConfig enabled, clients can receive the server’s configuration when they connect. This reduces drift between players, but it also means a player’s local values may be replaced. Tell players which settings are controlled centrally and ask them to avoid editing those values locally.

Local or selectively enforced configuration

If synchronization is disabled or only some requirements are enforced, clients may retain local settings. This can be useful when an administrator wants optional quality-of-life behavior, but it creates more combinations to troubleshoot. Record the intended server settings and compare a client’s file only when a player reports a difference.

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Before inviting others

  • Confirm that the server and clients use compatible Valheim Plus builds.
  • Decide whether clients without the mod may connect and whether the server will enforce a requirement.
  • Back up the server configuration after every known-good change.
  • Have one player connect and test building, inventory, world interaction, and any enabled feature before a larger session.
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Container and managed-host installations

Containerized Valheim servers often separate persistent configuration from the application directory. The community-valheim-tools project documents a convention in which Valheim Plus configuration is persisted at /config/valheimplus/valheim_plus.cfg, plugins are synchronized into the server’s BepInEx directory, and updates or restarts can be automated.

That path is a convention of that project, not a universal Valheim path. Your image or host may mount a different volume, copy files during startup, or recreate the application directory on every update. Before editing, identify:

  • The persistent volume that survives container recreation.
  • The path where the host expects valheim_plus.cfg.
  • Whether startup scripts copy the persistent file into BepInEx/config.
  • Whether automated updates can replace the plugin or restart the server without notice.
  • How to restore a previous configuration and image version.

Make configuration changes through the host’s documented persistent path when one exists. Editing a transient container layer can appear to work until the next restart. After an automated update, check the server log and verify both the plugin and configuration before players reconnect.

Updating Valheim Plus without losing your settings

  1. Announce maintenance and stop the server or close the game.
  2. Back up the entire current BepInEx directory, especially BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg and the plugin files.
  3. Note the currently installed Valheim Plus build and the Valheim game/server version.
  4. Extract the replacement archive into the same root, allowing the new files to merge.
  5. Start once and inspect the generated configuration. Compare it with your backup rather than blindly replacing the new file with an old one.
  6. Reapply only settings that still exist and are supported by the new release.
  7. Test locally, then allow normal players to join.

Keeping an old configuration untouched as a reference is safer than editing it in place during an upgrade. If the new release changes section names or defaults, copying every old line can reintroduce invalid or obsolete options.

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Troubleshooting by symptom

No BepInEx folder or no generated configuration

  • Confirm that the archive was extracted into the actual Valheim root, not into a download folder or an extra nested directory.
  • Start the game or server once and let it reach normal initialization.
  • Check that the account running Valheim can write to the root and its subdirectories.
  • Verify that the archive matches the client/server environment; a client package is not a substitute for a Unix server package.

BepInEx exists but Valheim Plus is not loading

  • Check that the plugin is inside BepInEx/plugins, not one level deeper.
  • Review the startup log for BepInEx initialization and plugin-load errors.
  • Re-extract from a clean backup if files were partially overwritten.
  • Confirm that the plugin build is compatible with the current Valheim and BepInEx installation.

valheim_plus.cfg is missing

Start the game or server once after extraction. The file is created on first start, not necessarily when the ZIP is unpacked. If it still does not appear, resolve the root-path and write-permission issues first; creating a hand-written file in an arbitrary directory will not make Valheim Plus load.

Players cannot connect

  • Compare the Valheim Plus build on the server and each affected client.
  • Check whether the server is enforcing a mod or version requirement.
  • Review the Server section and serverSyncsConfig behavior; a client may be receiving values from the server or may be missing a required installation.
  • Revert the most recent configuration change from your backup and test again.

The server starts, then behaves differently after a restart

Stop the server, inspect the persistent configuration path, and determine whether a container or startup script is copying another file over BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg. Managed environments can automate updates and restarts, so confirm which file is authoritative before making another edit.

A practical operating checklist

  • Use the archive that matches the platform and administration model.
  • Extract directly into the folder containing the Valheim or server executable.
  • Launch once to generate BepInEx directories and valheim_plus.cfg.
  • Stop before editing and keep a dated backup.
  • Enable only the features you understand from the current generated configuration.
  • Choose server synchronization and enforcement deliberately before multiplayer testing.
  • Keep server and client builds compatible.
  • After updates, inspect logs, verify file locations, and test with one player.

The Bottom Line

The reliable installation pattern is simple: match the package to the platform, extract it into the true Valheim root, launch once, edit the generated BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg with the server stopped, and keep compatible, documented versions across multiplayer clients and the server. Container hosts require an additional check of their persistent configuration path and automation behavior.

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