The Tool Desk
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, the server itself is running and you should stop changing world settings and diagnose ports, firewall rules, or server discovery instead.
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Identify which failure you actually have
Different symptoms point to different fixes. Treat the server window, its log, and the in-game server list as separate evidence.
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The window closes as soon as it opens
This is a startup failure. The most common causes are editing the wrong file, losing custom arguments after a Steam update, an invalid argument value, a password that violates the server rules, a save directory the service account cannot access, or launching from a directory that does not contain the server files. Do not begin by forwarding ports; networking cannot repair a process that never stays running.
The process stays open but creates a new world
The server may have started successfully but selected a different save location or a differently spelled world name. The -world argument selects a world by name. The -savedir argument changes the directory from which world files and permission files are read and to which they are written. A correct world name in the wrong save directory still looks like a missing world.
The log says the server is connected, but friends cannot find it
Iron Gate’s guide defines Game server connected
as the point at which the server is up and ready to accept connections. Once that line appears, treat the problem as reachability or discovery, not as a failed boot. Check the selected backend, router forwarding, host-firewall rules, and whether clients are using a compatible platform.
Use the correct dedicated-server tool and preserve your script
Install Valheim Dedicated Server from Steam’s Tools library. Steam supplies a launch script with the required executable command and arguments. Before changing it, make a copy: use a separate filename for the copy and keep the original untouched.
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Launch the copy from the installed dedicated-server directory. A script that points to an executable in another directory, or that is started with a different working directory, can fail before Valheim has a chance to read the world or bind its network sockets.
Validate every launch argument
Read the complete command line in your copied script from left to right. Remove accidental duplicate flags and check spelling, quotation marks, and spaces. Each argument has a distinct job:
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| Argument | What it controls | Checks to perform | Typical symptom when wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
-name |
The server name shown to players. | Use a unique name. Do not put the server password inside this value. | The server is difficult to identify, or a password rule is rejected. |
-world |
The world selected by name. | Match the existing world name exactly, including capitalization and spacing. Confirm the file is in the directory selected by -savedir. |
A new world is created or the expected world is reported missing. |
-password |
The connection password. | Use at least five characters. Ensure the password does not appear in the server name. | The process exits or refuses the configuration before accepting players. |
-port |
The base network port. | Use a numeric value. Record it because the Steam backend also uses the next port. | The server cannot bind, or outside players cannot connect. |
-public |
Whether the server is advertised publicly. | Use the value expected by the supplied script and your intended visibility. A private listing can be running normally without appearing in a public browser. | The server is reachable by direct connection but absent from public discovery. |
-savedir |
Where worlds and permission files are read and written. | Use an absolute directory that the account running the service can read and write. Check that the expected world files are actually there. | The server starts with an empty world set, cannot save, or exits on a permissions error. |
-crossplay |
Switches from the Steam backend to the PlayFab relay. | Add it only when you want the crossplay backend and its platform compatibility. Do not combine expectations for Steam-only discovery with crossplay behavior. | Port-forwarding assumptions are wrong, or players on an unsupported client cannot join. |
-logFile |
Writes a persistent server log. | Choose a path the service account can write, then inspect the first error and whether the connected message appears. | The console disappears before you can read the cause, leaving no record for diagnosis. |
Keep the executable line supplied by Steam intact while testing. Change one argument at a time and restart after each change so you can identify which edit changed the result.
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World selection depends on two values, not one. -world is the name Valheim looks for; -savedir is the root location where it looks. Verify both before assuming the world is corrupted.
Check the default locations
Iron Gate documents these default save locations:
- Windows:
%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim - Linux:
~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim
If you previously moved saves, a custom -savedir overrides those defaults. Browse the selected directory under the same account that runs the server. Confirm that the world files and permission files are present and that the account can create and modify files there.
Match the world name exactly
Use the existing world’s name, not the filename you wish it had. Retype the value in the script to eliminate trailing spaces or typographical differences. If the server launches a fresh world, stop it before playing; otherwise the newly created save can make it harder to tell which directory is being used.
Check permissions and service accounts
A path that works interactively may fail when the server runs as a scheduled task, system service, container user, or another account. Grant that account read and write access to the entire save directory. Avoid a location mounted read-only or unavailable when the service starts. After correcting access, restart with the same world and inspect the log for the first file-related error.
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Separate startup from network reachability
Wait for the log line Game server connected
. Before it appears, continue checking the executable, arguments, world, and save path. After it appears, leave those settings alone and work through networking.
Steam backend: forward two ports
When -crossplay is omitted, the server uses the Steam backend. It uses the configured port and the immediately following port. The documented defaults are 2456–2457 (Iron Gate AB, 2024). If you choose another base port, forward that port and the next one.
- Find the host computer’s local IP address and give it a stable DHCP reservation so the forwarding rule does not point to a different device later.
- Create router forwarding rules for the selected base port and base port plus one, using the protocol options provided by your router.
- Allow the dedicated-server executable through the host operating system’s firewall on the same networks you intend to use.
- Start the server and verify the connected message before testing from outside your home network.
- Have a friend test from an external connection. Testing from inside the same router can produce misleading results because some routers do not support hairpin connections.
A server can be running and visible to the host while still being unreachable from the internet if either forwarded port is missing, the forwarding target changed, or the firewall blocks the process.
Crossplay backend: use the PlayFab relay
Adding -crossplay switches the server to the PlayFab relay. External players do not require router port forwarding when the relay is used, so this is a practical test when you cannot change the router or are behind a restrictive network.
The backend also changes who can connect. Without the flag, the Steam backend is limited to Steam users. With it, players from platforms supported by the crossplay backend can use the relay. Make the backend choice deliberately: a port-forwarding fix will not change a Steam-only server into a crossplay server, and adding the flag changes the connection path that clients must use.
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Create a log that survives a closed window
A disappearing console removes the evidence you need. Add -logFile to the copied script and choose a writable path. Start the server, wait for it to exit or reach the connected state, then open the resulting file.
- Record the first error rather than the last cascade of messages.
- Write down the executable directory from which the script was launched.
- Copy the exact
-worldvalue and the resolved-savedirpath. - Note the selected port and whether
-crossplayis present. - Mark whether
Game server connected
appears. - Change one setting, restart, and compare the new log with the previous one.
This method prevents a port change from hiding an unrelated world-path typo and gives you a reproducible record if you later move the service to another machine.
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A complete recovery sequence
Use this order when you do not yet know the cause:
- Stop every existing Valheim server process so an old instance is not holding the port or save files.
- Open the Steam Tools library and confirm that Valheim Dedicated Server is installed.
- Make a fresh copy of the supplied Windows or Linux launch script; do not edit the original.
- Confirm the script launches from the installed server directory and retains Steam’s executable command.
- Set a unique
-name, an exact existing-worldname, a password of five or more characters, and a numeric-port. - Set
-savedironly if you need a non-default location, and verify read/write access for the account that runs the service. - Add
-logFile, start the script, and inspect the first error if the process exits. - If the log reaches
Game server connected
, choose Steam or crossplay intentionally and apply the corresponding network test. - For Steam, forward the configured port and the next port and allow the process through the host firewall.
- For crossplay, add
-crossplay, restart, and test with a player using a supported crossplay platform. - Once the server works, keep the tested copy of the script and document its arguments, save directory, ports, and backup plan.
Backups and routine maintenance
Startup success does not protect a world from disk failure, accidental deletion, or a bad update. Iron Gate’s 2024 guide lists these default intervals:
| Operation | Default interval | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| Regular save | 1,800 seconds (30 minutes) | The server’s default periodic save interval. |
| Short backup | 7,200 seconds (2 hours) | The default interval for the shorter rolling backup cycle. |
| Long backup | 43,200 seconds (12 hours) | The default interval for the longer backup cycle. |
These are defaults, not a substitute for an independent backup. Copy the world and permission files to storage that is not the same disk as the live server, and test restoring a copy before you need it. When Steam updates the dedicated-server files, check your preserved launch script and confirm that the save directory still points to the intended data before allowing players back in.
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Home hosting gives you direct control over scripts, files, ports, and update timing, but you must maintain the machine, firewall, router, uptime, and backups. A managed Valheim host shifts those tasks to a provider; verify its current Valheim support, crossplay support, backup policy, access to launch arguments, and update process before committing.
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| Decision factor | Self-hosted at home | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Platform backend | You choose Steam or crossplay and edit the script directly. | Confirm which backend and crossplay options the plan exposes. |
| Router requirements | Steam backend normally requires forwarding two consecutive ports; crossplay uses the relay. | The provider normally handles public networking, but ask whether custom ports or crossplay are supported. |
| File control | Full access to worlds, permission files, logs, and save paths. | Control depends on the provider’s file manager, console, and export policy. |
| Updates and backups | You decide when to update and must maintain off-machine backups. | Check retention, restore procedure, update timing, and whether backups are included or extra. |
| Failure responsibility | You diagnose the process, operating system, router, and firewall. | Support may handle infrastructure, but game-specific configuration remains your responsibility unless explicitly covered. |
Moving to managed hosting is not a cure for an incorrect -world name or a missing save file. Export the correct world, record its name, and confirm the destination’s save path before switching players over.
Diagnose by symptom
It stopped after a Steam update
Compare the copied script with the newly installed original. Updates can reset the original, removing your custom arguments. Restore your known-good values in the copy, then test with logging enabled.
It exits with no useful message
Launch the copied script from a terminal or command prompt and add -logFile. Check that the path is writable and that the process is started from the installed directory. The first recorded error is more useful than the final shutdown line.
The browser listing is empty, but direct players can connect
Check -public and the client’s discovery method. A server can be intentionally private while remaining reachable by direct connection. Do not change the world or reinstall the server until visibility settings and backend compatibility are confirmed.
Friends see the name but cannot join
Confirm that the server reached the connected state, then check the backend. On Steam, verify both forwarded ports, the forwarding destination, and the host firewall. On crossplay, verify that -crossplay is present and that the joining players use a supported platform.
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The server loads the wrong world after a move
Compare the old and new -savedir values and inspect the directory that the running account can access. Re-enter the exact -world name. Keep the original files untouched until the intended world has been loaded and verified.
Prevent the next startup failure
- Keep an unedited copy of the script supplied by Steam and a tested custom copy.
- Store the script, world name, save directory, backend choice, port pair, and backup schedule in your server notes.
- After every update, check that custom arguments survived and that the executable path is still valid.
- Use a persistent log during changes and remove it only after confirming that the server starts cleanly.
- Change one variable per restart; otherwise a successful launch will not tell you which edit fixed the problem.
- Test a restore of a world backup and a connection from outside the host network at regular intervals.
The decisive checkpoint remains the same: before Game server connected
, troubleshoot the script, arguments, world, and save directory; after it, troubleshoot the selected backend, firewall, router, and client compatibility.
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