If V Rising rejects a password, the value being checked is usually not the one you just edited. On a dedicated server, the password is read from the active ServerHostSettings.json, unless an environment variable or launch argument overrides it. A wrong settings file, malformed JSON, an un-restarted process, or an offline/different server can all look like a bad password. Identify your hosting model, confirm the file and overrides used by the running process, validate the JSON, restart completely, and then test the intended server endpoint.
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Start with the symptom, not the password
Use the first matching symptom below. This prevents spending time changing credentials when the server itself is unavailable or the client is connecting somewhere else.
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| What you see | Most likely area | First check |
|---|---|---|
| The server is listed, but the password is rejected | Wrong value or an override | Inspect the active Password value, then check VR_PASSWORD and -password. |
| Your friends can see the server but cannot join | Endpoint, firewall, port forwarding, build mismatch, or password | Have the host join locally, then verify the public endpoint and network rules. |
| The listing says Unknown Status | Unreadable settings or a server process that did not load correctly | Check the server log and validate both JSON settings files. |
| The server is missing from the list | Process, listing flags, networking, or stale listing | Confirm the process is running and that the intended listing options are enabled. |
| The password works until the next restart | Temporary panel change or a second configuration source | Make the change in the authoritative file, launch command, or hosting panel. |
Identify where the world is hosted
The correct repair depends on which program owns the world. V Rising has different configuration locations and control surfaces for a private game, a self-hosted dedicated server, and a rented server.
Private world started from the game client
For a locally hosted private world, open V Rising and choose Load Game. Select the world and use Go to Directory. That opens the save folder currently associated with the world you selected. Back up the folder before changing any settings. If you create or load a different save later, it can have a different settings file, so do not assume that a previously edited folder is still active.
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Self-hosted Steam dedicated server
A Steam dedicated server uses the dedicated-server installation and its data directories rather than the private-world menu. Stunlock’s dedicated-server instructions identify Steam AppID 1829350 and describe the Windows settings location under the server data directory. The exact active path depends on how the server was installed and launched, so use the installation’s startup script and arguments as the source of truth.
Rented or panel-managed server
A hosting panel may generate or overwrite ServerHostSettings.json when you save a form or restart. In that case, edit the password in the panel, not an unrelated local copy. Record the value shown by the panel, save it, and restart through the panel. Provider controls can also expose a separate command-line field, so check both the settings page and startup parameters.
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On a dedicated server, the normal setting is the Password property in ServerHostSettings.json. Stunlock describes this field as text that can be set or left empty. An empty value means the server does not require a password; it does not mean that an old password remains active.
The file is not necessarily the final authority. Stunlock’s 1.1.x instructions also document two override mechanisms:
VR_PASSWORD=<password>as an environment variable.-password "<password>"as a server launch argument.
If either mechanism is present, changing the JSON alone may have no effect. Remove or correct conflicting values so the password is defined in one deliberate place. Do not assume which override wins when both are present; eliminate ambiguity by removing the unnecessary variable or argument, then restart.
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Passwords are case-sensitive in practice, and copying from a panel or chat can add a leading or trailing space. Type the value directly into the configuration source, avoid smart quotes, and test with a short temporary password containing ordinary letters and numbers. Once the connection works, replace it with the final value and communicate it through a secure channel.
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Multiple copies of ServerHostSettings.json are common: an installation template, a save-data copy, and a file generated by a control panel. Editing the wrong one produces a perfectly valid change that the server never sees.
- Stop the server. Use the server console or hosting-panel stop action and wait for the process to exit. Do not edit while the process is writing its files.
- Open the launch script or service definition. Look for
-persistentDataPath,-saveName, and any custom configuration arguments. These determine which data root and save are used. - Resolve the save name. Match the
-saveNamevalue to the save folder you intend to host. If the argument is absent, use the server’s documented default and inspect the newest save directory, but verify by checking timestamps and logs. - Search only the active data root. Locate
ServerHostSettings.jsonbeneath the path selected by-persistentDataPath. Keep the installation template untouched unless you are deliberately changing defaults for future saves. - Check the panel’s generated configuration. If a panel writes settings during startup, make the change there or disable the conflicting generated argument. Otherwise your manual edit can be replaced on every restart.
- Back up before saving. Copy the active settings file and the save directory to a separate location. A backup is essential because verification tools cannot recreate every save-folder settings file.
After editing, note the file’s modification time and compare it with the server startup log. If the timestamp changes back immediately, another tool is managing the file.
Repair and validate JSON before testing
A missing comma, brace, quotation mark, or accidental comment can make the settings unreadable. Stunlock identifies manually edited ServerHostSettings.JSON and ServerGameSettings.JSON files as a likely cause of Unknown Status. A malformed file can also prevent the server from loading, which may be mistaken for a password rejection.
Make a safe edit
- Close the server and copy both JSON files to a backup folder.
- Open the active file in a plain-text editor that shows matching braces and line numbers.
- Change only the value after
Password; preserve the surrounding commas, braces, and all unrelated settings. - Save as UTF-8 text with the original filename and extension. Do not let the editor append
.txt. - Run the file through a local JSON validator or the editor’s built-in JSON checker. It must parse as one complete JSON object.
The relevant fragment should follow JSON syntax similar to this, while retaining every other property already present:
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{"Password": "your-password"}That fragment is an illustration, not a complete replacement for a production settings file. Deleting the rest of the file can remove world, game, or listing options.
When Steam verification helps
Steam’s Verify integrity of game files can repair global files in the installation’s VRISING_DataStreamingAssetsSettings directory. Stunlock specifically notes that settings files in save folders cannot be generated again by verifying game-file integrity. Therefore verification is useful for damaged installation defaults, but it is not a substitute for restoring a backup or repairing the active save-folder files.
Restart completely and run a controlled password test
A server normally reads its settings at startup. Saving the file while the process is running does not guarantee a reload.
- Stop the server and wait until its process and console window have closed.
- Remove any temporary
-passwordargument andVR_PASSWORDvariable unless you intentionally want to use them. - Start the server from the same script, service, or panel that normally runs it.
- Wait for the startup log to show that the world is loaded and listening before opening the client.
- Join from the host machine or an internal client using the exact server entry you intend to test.
- Have one remote player test the same listing or endpoint. Record whether the failure occurs locally, remotely, or for both.
Use a newly generated or known-good settings file for the test if you suspect broad corruption. Reintroduce custom settings one at a time, keeping the password in only one configuration source. Never delete a save to solve a password problem unless a verified backup exists.
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Prove that the failure is really authentication
A password cannot make an offline, unknown-status, stale, or different server accept a connection. Separate authentication from discovery and networking before changing credentials again.
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Offline or Unknown Status
Confirm that the dedicated-server process remains running after startup and that the log contains no JSON parsing or fatal initialization error. If the process exits, fix the first startup error rather than repeatedly trying passwords. If the listing shows Unknown Status, inspect both server settings JSON files for syntax errors and restore a backup if necessary.
Wrong listing or endpoint
Search results can contain an old listing, a similarly named server, or a server hosted by another machine. Compare the server name, region or description, host machine, and direct endpoint with the administrator’s details. Test the intended entry immediately after a restart so a stale listing is less likely to confuse the result.
Listing configuration
Check the server’s ListOnEOS and/or ListOnSteam settings. The appropriate option depends on how players are expected to discover the server. A disabled listing flag can hide a healthy server; enabling listing does not repair a blocked port or an invalid password.
Firewall and port forwarding
On a self-hosted server, verify that the operating-system firewall allows the server executable and that the router forwards the configured game ports to the correct internal machine. Confirm that the public address has not changed. A failed direct connection with no password prompt points to reachability rather than credentials.
Client and server builds
Update the client and server through their normal distribution channels and compare their versions. A build mismatch can prevent joining even when the password and network are correct. Do not treat a version error as evidence that the password is wrong.
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Choose the remedy that matches your hosting model
| Hosting model | Configuration authority | Persistence after restart | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local private world | Load Game menu, active save directory, and local process | Usually persists in that world’s save folder | Save name, folder path, local logs, and whether the host can join |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | Active JSON file plus launch script or service arguments | Persists only if no startup override replaces it | Launch command, persistent-data path, save name, server log, and network test |
| Rented or panel-managed server | Provider panel, generated files, and provider startup settings | Depends on the panel’s save and restart workflow | Panel configuration, restart time, generated command line, and provider logs |
A rented host can reduce local firewall, port-forwarding, and uptime work, but it adds provider-specific controls and terms. When a panel rewrites files, the panel is the configuration authority; when you run the binary yourself, the launch command and active data path are authoritative.
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If the password still fails after you have identified the active file, perform a reversible reset instead of making more random edits.
- Stop the server and back up the entire save directory plus both JSON settings files.
- Copy a known-good settings file for the same server version into the active save location, or restore the most recent backup.
- Remove custom password environment variables and launch arguments temporarily.
- Start the server with no password requirement, or with a simple temporary password defined only in
ServerHostSettings.json. - Test from the host and one remote client using the intended server listing or endpoint.
- If the test succeeds, add custom settings back individually and restart after each meaningful change.
- Set the final password in one place, document that location, and keep the backup until several successful restarts have completed.
If the clean configuration fails in the same way, the remaining problem is likely discovery, networking, process startup, or a client/server version mismatch rather than the password text.
Collect useful evidence before contacting support
When local troubleshooting does not isolate the cause, send reproducible details instead of only saying that the password is rejected. Stunlock’s support guidance identifies logs, save files, DxDiag, and crash dumps as useful materials.
- The exact hosting model: private world, self-hosted dedicated server, or rented panel.
- V Rising client and server versions, operating system, and Steam AppID context if applicable.
- The complete launch command, including
-persistentDataPath,-saveName, and any-passwordargument. Redact the actual password. - Whether
VR_PASSWORDis set, again with the value removed. - The active settings-file paths and redacted JSON copies.
- The server log covering startup, listing, and the failed join attempt.
- The client’s error text and whether the host can join locally.
- Firewall, router, or hosting-panel changes made immediately before the failure.
On Windows, player and save data are under %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRising. Dedicated-server logs are commonly stored under the corresponding VRisingServer directory. Include Player.log, relevant server logs, the save files, DxDiag, and crash dumps when present. Stunlock lists [email protected] for Steam support; remove passwords, private addresses, and unrelated personal data before sending attachments.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- You identified whether the world is private, self-hosted dedicated, or panel-managed.
- You confirmed the active save and data paths from
Go to Directoryor the launch command. - The
Passwordvalue is correct and contains no unintended spaces or smart quotes. - No conflicting
VR_PASSWORDvariable or-passwordargument remains. - Both JSON settings files parse correctly and backups exist.
- The server was fully stopped and restarted after the change.
- The process is running, listing flags are appropriate, and the client is using the intended endpoint.
- Firewall, port forwarding, and client/server versions have been checked.
- Logs and configuration context are ready if support must investigate.
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