Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf Vintage Story mods are not loading on a dedicated server, check the mod’s side value, the server’s ModPaths, the ZIP’s internal layout, and version compatibility before reinstalling anything. Then use the server log and a half-at-a-time test to identify a malformed or conflicting mod.
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Start with this five-minute triage
- Stop the server and close the game before changing configuration files.
- Verify that each mod ZIP is in the server folder named
Mods, or in the directory listed by the server’sModPathssetting. - Open each archive and confirm that
modinfo.jsonis at the ZIP root, not inside an extra enclosing folder. - Check the
sideproperty inmodinfo.json. A client-only mod will not run on a dedicated server; a server-side mod must be installed on the server; a Universal mod requires the server to use it as well. - Make sure the server, installed mods and connecting players target compatible Vintage Story versions.
If the mod still does not appear, read the newest server log before trying random fixes. It usually identifies the archive, malformed metadata or duplicate mod ID that stopped loading.
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Find the correct data directory
The dedicated-server guide places Mods and serverconfig.json inside the server data path. If you start the server with the --dataPath launch argument, that custom directory becomes the location to inspect. Put the mod .zip files in its Mods subfolder.
Do not assume the folder containing the server executable is the data directory. A custom data path can be elsewhere, and a server started by a hosting panel may use a path chosen by that panel.
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Verify ModPaths in serverconfig.json
The server configuration uses an array called ModPaths. The Vintage Story Server Config documentation gives this form:
"ModPaths": [
"Mods",
"/absolute/path/to/Mods"
]Its purpose is simply “Where server should look for mods.” Keep an entry that points to the directory containing the ZIP files. The documented example treats Mods as a relative directory under the server data directory. Because the documentation does not define every path-resolution case, test an absolute path when a non-default location is ignored.
Repair a stale user-mods path
The official troubleshooting guidance notes that the user-mods path is absolute and can contain a user name. If the operating-system account or home directory changed, the game can continue looking at the old location and silently ignore the new files.
With Vintage Story fully closed, inspect and correct the modPaths key in both clientsettings.json and serverconfig.json where applicable. Save the files, confirm the target directory exists, and restart the server. Editing while the game is running can be overwritten when it exits.
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Check modinfo.json and the side property
What side controls
Vintage Story reads modinfo.json to decide where a mod is allowed to load. The side property is the first setting to check when a mod is missing from a dedicated server.
- Client-side: intended for the player’s game and not for server execution.
- Server-side: must be present in the dedicated server’s Mods directory.
- Universal: the default category described by the troubleshooting page; it is usable only when the server also has and loads the mod.
A client-only visual or interface mod can therefore be installed correctly on your computer and still never appear in the server’s mod list. Conversely, a server-side gameplay mod cannot be made available merely by placing it in a client folder.
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Inspect the file without extracting it
Open the ZIP with an archive utility and locate modinfo.json. Read the side value and compare it with the place where you installed the archive. If the file is missing, unreadable or contains invalid JSON, the server can report an “Unable to load mod. Check log files” error.
Do not edit a downloaded archive in place unless you know the mod author’s format. A typo in a comma, quote or property name can turn a working mod into a malformed one. Re-download a damaged archive when possible.
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Confirm the ZIP has the right internal structure
A community forum report describes a case in which modinfo.json and the mod’s assets had to sit at the root of the ZIP. In a correctly arranged archive, opening the file shows entries similar to:
modinfo.json
assets/
...A common mistake is an extra wrapper directory:
SomeMod-1.2.3/modinfo.json
SomeMod-1.2.3/assets/That nested layout was reported to prevent detection in the affected setup. It is a community-reported case rather than a universal rule stated by the official documentation, so treat it as a targeted check: if the server does not see a mod and the metadata is one folder deep, move the contents up one level or obtain an archive packaged for direct installation.
Match Vintage Story, mod and player versions
Mods built for an older game release may fail to show up, refuse to load or break during startup on a newer server. A forum report specifically identifies outdated mods as a reason they do not appear. Keep the server build, mod releases and players’ game versions aligned whenever the mod author specifies a version requirement.
Read the version shown in the server log and compare it with the game version listed by the mod. If players connect from a different Vintage Story release, they can also encounter a mismatch even after the server itself starts.
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The Server Config reference was verified for Vintage Story 1.22.0. If your server is newer than that, check the configuration generated by your own build and the current mod documentation before assuming that every setting or folder rule is unchanged.
Read the logs instead of guessing
Where to look
Dedicated-server logs are in the server’s Logs folder, using the same log-folder concept as the client. Open the newest file created during the failed startup or mod reload and search for the mod file name, modinfo, modid, exception or Unable to load mod.
Errors the log can distinguish
- Malformed metadata: the server cannot parse
modinfo.json, often because the file is missing, invalid JSON or packaged at the wrong level. - Duplicate mod ID: two archives declare the same
modid. Remove the older copy or replace one archive with a release that uses the intended ID. - Version or dependency failure: the log names an incompatible game version or a required mod that is absent.
- Path failure: the server starts normally but never mentions the archive because
ModPathspoints somewhere else.
Copy the first meaningful error and the lines immediately around it. Later stack-trace lines are often consequences, not the original cause.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Bisect the Mods folder to find one bad archive
When several mods are installed, testing them one by one is slow. The reliable method is a binary split:
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- Stop the server and move every mod ZIP out of the configured Mods directory into a temporary holding folder.
- Put back roughly half of the archives and start the server.
- If the error returns, the bad mod is in that half. If the server starts, it is in the half still outside the folder.
- Split the suspect half again and repeat until one archive, or a small interacting group, remains.
- Read that mod’s log entry, check its
modinfo.json, version and dependencies, then install a compatible release or leave it disabled.
Keep a written list of each test group. If two mods work separately but fail together, test the pair and inspect the log for duplicate IDs, load-order assumptions or incompatible dependencies.
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| Symptom | Most useful check | How quickly to test | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mod is absent from the dedicated server | Check side, then confirm the server’s ModPaths points to the ZIP directory |
Minutes | Official troubleshooting and Server Config guidance |
| “Unable to load mod. Check log files” | Read the server log for malformed modinfo.json or a duplicate modid |
Minutes | Official troubleshooting guidance |
| Archive is visible but never detected | Open the ZIP and check whether metadata and assets are one directory below the root | Minutes | Community forum report |
| It worked before an update | Compare server, player and mod versions; use the version printed in the log | Minutes | Community report plus log evidence |
| Many mods are installed and the cause is unclear | Disable all, then bisect by re-enabling halves | Several restarts | Standard isolation procedure |
| Mods vanished after moving the server or changing accounts | Correct absolute modPaths entries in configuration files while the game is closed |
Minutes | Official troubleshooting guidance |
A clean recovery procedure
- Back up
serverconfig.json, the Mods directory and the latest log. - Stop the server completely.
- Confirm the active data path, especially if the launch command includes
--dataPath. - Open
serverconfig.jsonand make sureModPathsincludes the folder that actually contains the ZIP files. - Inspect the suspect ZIP: root-level
modinfo.json, intact assets and a validsidevalue. - Remove duplicate copies of the same mod and check that each declared
modidis unique. - Compare the mod’s supported Vintage Story version with the server and clients.
- Start the server with only the repaired or confirmed mod set.
- Review the fresh log, then add remaining mods in batches using the bisect method if the failure returns.
What not to rely on
Some hosting guides describe a client-side “Downloading Mods” loop, a ServerMods cache and an enabled flag in mod-list.json. Those details are not established by the official documentation used here, so do not treat them as required parts of every installation. Likewise, a Linux default data path such as ~/.config/VintagestoryData is host- and installation-dependent; use the path shown by your launch command or hosting panel instead.
Deleting a client cache may be a low-risk experiment when a client is stuck in a download loop, but it does not repair a server whose ModPaths, ZIP layout, side value or metadata is wrong. Fix the server-side evidence first.
When the problem is resolved
A successful fix has three observable signs: the server log names the mod during startup without an error, the mod is present in the server’s loaded-mod information, and players using the matching game version can join without a missing-mod or dependency message. Keep the working ZIP and configuration backup so a future update can be compared against a known-good setup.
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