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A Satisfactory dedicated server that “won’t start” has one of two problems: the FactoryServer process never stays running, or it is running but players cannot reach it. Check the process before changing router rules. On Linux, run pgrep -f FactoryServer.sh; on Windows, check Task Manager or run tasklist | find "FactoryServer.exe". If the process is absent, work through launch, update, configuration and crash evidence. If it is present, test the server on your local network before troubleshooting internet access.
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The documented defaults are 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP. Every custom port must agree across the server configuration, operating-system firewall and router forwarding. The sequence below separates a crashed server from a networking fault, preserves your save, and gives you a recovery path when a normal restart is not enough.
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The official dedicated-server guidance identifies a stopped process as the simplest explanation for a connection failure: the server may never have been launched, or it may have crashed and not been restarted. Do not begin by forwarding more ports. First establish whether FactoryServer remains alive after launch.
Linux
- Open a shell on the server host.
- Run
pgrep -f FactoryServer.sh. - If the command returns a process ID, FactoryServer is running. If it returns nothing, the process has stopped and you need startup or crash diagnostics.
Windows
- Open Task Manager and look for
FactoryServer.exein the process list. - Alternatively, open Command Prompt and run
tasklist | find "FactoryServer.exe". - A missing process means the server is not available to accept connections, regardless of router settings.
When the process disappears immediately, relaunch it from your normal installation method and watch the console instead of closing the window. Note the first fatal or error message. That first failure is generally more useful than the final shutdown line because later messages can be consequences of the original fault.
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Separate startup failure from reachability failure
Once the process exists, determine whether it is actually listening on the ports you configured. Use the host operating system’s socket or resource monitor to confirm the bound TCP and UDP endpoints. A running process with no expected listener can still be a startup or configuration problem; a listener with failed remote connections points toward firewall, NAT or addressing.
Run the next test from another computer on the same LAN, using the server’s private address and configured game port. This LAN-first test avoids public routing variables:
- LAN connection succeeds: the server process and local firewall path are basically functional. Investigate router forwarding, public addressing, carrier-grade NAT and ISP restrictions for internet players.
- LAN connection fails: stay on the host and local network. Recheck the process, listening ports, operating-system firewall and the address or port entered by the client.
- No process is present: do not spend time on forwarding rules yet; inspect logs, crash reports, installation files and configuration.
This distinction prevents a common waste of time: repeatedly editing a router while the dedicated server has already crashed.
Use the documented ports consistently
The current official defaults are shown below. They describe traffic types, not three interchangeable alternatives; when the server uses the defaults, allow and forward each required protocol.
| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | TCP | Server traffic and HTTPS API |
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic and lightweight query API |
| 8888 | TCP | Reliable messaging |
Internet play requires both router forwarding and host-firewall rules. Forward the exact configured ports to the server’s LAN address, and permit those same ports in the operating-system firewall. Also allow the game executable through firewall, antivirus or Windows Defender controls when those products block it. A rule for TCP alone does not permit UDP traffic, and a rule for 7777 does not substitute for 8888/TCP.
When you remap a port
Satisfactory can try up to 512 ports, according to a 2025 Steam announcement, but that does not make arbitrary forwarding safe. If you select a custom port, the value must match in all three places:
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- The host firewall’s inbound rules for the required protocols.
- The router’s forwarding entries, pointed at the server’s current private IP address.
Keep the private address stable with a DHCP reservation or equivalent host setting so that a reboot does not send forwarding to another device. After changing a port, restart the server, verify the listener on the host, then repeat the LAN test before testing from outside your network.
Read the logs before deleting or reinstalling anything
Server logs are stored in FactoryGame/Saved/Logs. The active file is FactoryGame.log; older files are rotated with date-and-time names. Crash reports are placed in FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes, inside randomly generated directories.
For every failed launch:
- Start the server once and wait for it to exit or become unresponsive.
- Open the newest
FactoryGame.logand locate the first fatal or error entry associated with the failed start. - Check the newest crash-report directory for a matching incident.
- Save a copy of the log and crash folder before cleaning files, validating, or reinstalling.
Do not diagnose from the final “shutdown” line alone. A missing asset, malformed setting or earlier initialization failure can produce several follow-on errors. Recording the first fatal line gives you a reproducible symptom for later troubleshooting and avoids erasing the only evidence.
Match evidence to the symptom
A process that exits before creating a listener is a different problem from a process that stays up while every client times out. In the first case, preserve the console output, FactoryGame.log and crash directory and then investigate files or settings. In the second, keep the installation unchanged and compare the configured port with the listener, firewall and client address. This simple classification keeps a network fault from being “fixed” by an unnecessary reinstall.
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Repair the installation with SteamCMD validation
If the process exits during startup and the log suggests missing or damaged files, validate the existing installation before a full reinstall. Stop every server instance first, then run the documented SteamCMD command:
steamcmd +force_install_dir <game_server_directory_change_this> +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit
Replace the placeholder with the actual server directory. The command checks the files for app ID 1690800 and reacquires files that do not match. The dedicated-server guide also recommends repeating the original installation command to force an update check; use the same directory you originally installed into.
Resolve SteamCMD error 0x606
An error such as SteamCMD 0x606 indicates that another process has a file open. Typical examples are a second FactoryServer instance, a still-running wrapper, or a console that did not close cleanly. Stop duplicate server processes, confirm that no service is holding the directory, and retry validation. Running validation while FactoryServer is active can leave files locked and produce a misleading repair result.
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After validation completes, launch once without changing several other variables. If the process now stays running, perform the LAN test. If it still exits, return to the first fatal line in the newly generated log rather than assuming the installation is fixed.
Check configuration and recover a damaged settings file
Configuration locations differ by operating system:
- Linux:
<installation_directory>/FactoryGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ - Windows:
<installation_directory>\FactoryGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\
These files may not exist until the server has started successfully at least once. If the directory is empty on a brand-new installation, launch the server once and let it create its initial configuration before concluding that files are missing. Do not mark edited .ini files as read-only; the server needs to write its settings and may fail or silently ignore later changes when the attribute is set.
Reset administrator and server settings safely
When administrator authentication or server settings are corrupted, the official recovery step is to delete ServerSettings.PORT.sav, where PORT is the configured server port. Stop the server first and make a backup copy of that file. Deleting it resets the administrator password, server name, player password, auto-load session name and certificate. You will need to configure those values again after the next successful start.
This reset is deliberately broader than changing one password. Use it only after preserving the original file and only when the log or behavior points to settings corruption. A reset can restore startup, but it does not repair damaged installation files or a blocked network path.
Understand autosave timing
The documented default autosave interval is 300 seconds, or five minutes. That interval is a safeguard, not a substitute for a manual save before maintenance. If you are about to stop, update or reset the server while players are connected, ask them to stop building and save the game manually first.
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Common failure patterns and the least-destructive fix
It worked yesterday, but no process appears today. Start with the newest log and crash directory, then check whether an update or validation is needed. Do not alter forwarding until the process remains alive.
The process is visible, but a player on the same network cannot join. Confirm the listener and the exact private address and port entered by the player. Check the host firewall and antivirus or Windows Defender allowance for the executable. Internet-facing router changes cannot correct a LAN failure.
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The server starts only after an administrator logs in. Once manual startup and LAN access are reliable, service supervision is the appropriate operational remedy. Configure boot start and crash restart, and test both rather than assuming the service inherited every setting from an interactive launch.
A settings edit is followed by immediate failure. Preserve the original configuration and log, verify that edited .ini files are writable, and consider the documented ServerSettings.PORT.sav reset only after backing it up. Remember that the reset also removes the certificate and passwords.
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Make the recovery decision from the evidence
| Observed condition | Most useful next action |
|---|---|
| FactoryServer is absent immediately after launch | Inspect the first fatal line in FactoryGame.log and the newest crash report. |
| FactoryServer stays running, but LAN clients cannot connect | Verify the configured listener, host-firewall rules and the client’s private address and port. |
| LAN works, internet clients fail | Check forwarding, public address, NAT behavior and ISP restrictions; do not change the game files first. |
| Validation reports locked files | Stop duplicate processes or services, then rerun SteamCMD validation. |
| Startup follows a settings change and then fails | Back up and remove ServerSettings.PORT.sav, then recreate settings after launch. |
| Server is healthy but stops after a host reboot or crash | Run it as a service and configure boot start and crash restart. |
Use one change at a time and retest. Changing the port, reinstalling files and deleting settings simultaneously makes it impossible to identify which action solved the fault and can destroy useful evidence.
Keep the server online with a service
The official service guidance explains that running the dedicated server as a service can start it after system boot and restart it after a crash. This addresses a frequent operational failure: the process worked once, but nobody was present to relaunch it after a reboot or unexpected exit.
Set up service supervision only after you can start the server manually and connect over LAN. Configure the service to use the same installation directory, account permissions, port settings and save location as the working manual launch. Then test both cases deliberately: reboot the host and confirm automatic startup, and stop the process unexpectedly to confirm automatic restart.
Stopping a service does not automatically save the game. When players are connected, perform a manual in-game save before planned maintenance or service shutdown. The five-minute autosave default may leave recent work unsaved if you rely on it during an immediate stop.
What the evidence does not establish
There is no universal CPU, RAM or disk benchmark in the official material that guarantees performance for every player count and save size. Hardware demand varies with those factors. If the process remains stable and the failure is limited to remote connections, changing hardware is not a substitute for checking ports, firewall rules and NAT. If the process crashes under load, use the logs and crash report to identify the failing component before choosing an upgrade.
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When local hosting is the wrong operational fit
A self-hosted server requires you to maintain the operating-system firewall, router forwarding, updates, backups and service supervision. If you cannot keep those pieces available, managed hosting is an operational alternative. Evaluate any provider against the same requirements: access to logs, control of the three required protocol/port combinations or documented remapping, save-file backups, update handling and automatic restart. Provider features and availability change, so confirm them directly before moving a world.
A repeatable checklist
- Check for
FactoryServer.shon Linux orFactoryServer.exeon Windows. - If absent, capture the first fatal log entry and crash report.
- If present, confirm the actual listening ports.
- Test from the same LAN using the server’s private address.
- For LAN failures, inspect the host firewall and local configuration.
- For LAN success but internet failure, verify forwarding, public addressing, NAT and ISP constraints.
- Allow 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP unless you deliberately remapped them.
- Stop duplicate processes before running SteamCMD validation.
- Back up files before deleting
ServerSettings.PORT.savor changing saves. - After recovery, run the server as a service if you need boot start and crash restart, and save manually before planned shutdowns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t my Satisfactory server start?
First verify that FactoryServer is still running. If it is absent, inspect the first fatal entry in FactoryGame.log and the newest crash report, then validate the SteamCMD installation or recover damaged settings. If the process remains present, the problem is reachability rather than startup.
The dedicated server is running, but nobody can connect. What should I check?
Test from another computer on the same LAN using the server’s private address and configured game port. If LAN access fails, check the listener, host firewall, antivirus or Windows Defender and the address entered by the client. If LAN works, investigate router forwarding, public addressing, NAT and ISP restrictions.
Which ports does Satisfactory use now?
The documented defaults are 7777/TCP for server traffic and the HTTPS API, 7777/UDP for game traffic and the lightweight query API, and 8888/TCP for reliable messaging. Allow and forward each protocol separately. A TCP rule does not cover UDP.
Can I use a custom port?
Yes, but the configured value must match the dedicated server, operating-system firewall and router forwarding. Satisfactory can try up to 512 ports, according to a 2025 Steam announcement, but remapping still requires an exact match and a stable private IP for the host.
Where are Satisfactory server logs and crash reports?
Logs are in FactoryGame/Saved/Logs. The current file is FactoryGame.log, with rotated date-and-time backups. Crash reports are in FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes inside randomly generated directories. Preserve the first fatal line before deleting or reinstalling anything.
How do I repair a SteamCMD installation without reinstalling?
Stop every FactoryServer process and run steamcmd +force_install_dir <game_server_directory_change_this> +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit. Repeat the original installation command to force an update check. If SteamCMD reports 0x606, stop the duplicate process or service holding the file and retry.
What happens if I delete ServerSettings.PORT.sav?
After making a backup, deleting that file resets the administrator password, server name, player password, auto-load session name and certificate. Reconfigure those values after the next successful launch. This is a settings recovery step, not a replacement for file validation or network troubleshooting.
How can I keep the server online after a reboot or crash?
Run the dedicated server as a service after manual startup and LAN access work. Service supervision can start it after system boot and restart it after a crash. Stopping the service does not automatically save the game, so save manually before planned shutdowns when players are connected.
The Bottom Line
Prove which layer is failing before changing it: confirm FactoryServer, inspect the first fatal log entry, test LAN access, then address firewall and internet routing. Keep 7777/TCP, 7777/UDP and 8888/TCP consistent, validate SteamCMD files before reinstalling, back up settings before a reset, and use a supervised service only after the server works manually.
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