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If ARK recreates GameUserSettings.ini every time the server restarts, the file usually failed validation. The common causes are a syntax error, an invalid key or value, or a missing section that ARK expects. The dependable fix is to generate a clean file, stop the server, merge your changes into that baseline one setting at a time, then restart and verify.
Do not keep editing the repeatedly reset copy. Preserve it as a backup, identify the live platform-specific file, and rebuild from a server-generated version.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat a reset means
A reset is normally ARK rejecting the configuration and writing a replacement with defaults. Shockbyte described this behavior on November 8, 2024: “If your GameUserSettings.ini file is resetting on server restart, this usually means there is an error in the file.” Point of Trade and Pingperfect identify the same broad causes: malformed syntax, missing required settings, invalid configuration variables, or values that do not match what the server accepts.
This is different from a setting that is accepted but has no visible effect. A file that is replaced or loses most of its custom content during startup should be treated as invalid until a clean baseline proves otherwise.
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- A line may be misspelled or placed under the wrong section.
- A value may use the wrong type, such as a number where ARK expects a Boolean.
- A required section header may be absent.
- A whole-file generator may have produced a file that looks complete but omits sections ARK needs.
- An extreme value can prevent startup; Nitrado warns that unsupported limits may stop the server from booting.
Confirm which file and folder the server reads
Before changing syntax, make sure you are editing the live instance used by the service. A template, downloaded backup, local copy, or file for a different operating system will not affect the running server and can make troubleshooting appear inconsistent.
| File or location | What it controls | Documented location or handling |
|---|---|---|
GameUserSettings.ini |
Most general server settings, including difficulty, passwords, PvE/PvP behavior, and multipliers | Windows server path in Nitrado’s File Browser: arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ |
GameUserSettings.ini |
The same configuration file on a Linux server | The ARK Official Community Wiki search result lists ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ |
Game.ini |
Advanced gameplay configuration such as level caps and experience ramps | Use this file for those advanced settings instead of moving them into GameUserSettings.ini |
On a managed panel, open the file browser for the server that actually starts your ARK instance. Nitrado’s documented Windows workflow uses the arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ directory, identifies GameUserSettings.ini as the main-settings file, and requires saving the edit before restarting. For Linux, use the live LinuxServer directory exposed by your host.
Repair the file from a clean baseline
Use this sequence rather than trying to guess which line is bad in a file that has already been regenerated.
- Back up the current file. Download or copy the existing
GameUserSettings.inibefore doing anything else. Keep the original unchanged so you can recover a setting or show the host exactly what was being loaded. - Let ARK create a known-good file. Restart the server once without further edits. Allow it to finish startup so ARK writes a working
GameUserSettings.ini. - Stop the server completely. Do not edit while the process is running. Stop it from the host panel or service controls and wait until the panel reports that it is offline.
- Open the newly generated file. This is your baseline. Do not paste your old file over it. Save a second copy of the baseline before making changes.
- Check the required section headers. A normal baseline should include
[ServerSettings],[/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameUserSettings],[ScalabilityGroups],[SessionSettings], and[/Script/Engine.GameSession]. Missing headers can cause ARK to regenerate defaults. - Move existing custom values first. Compare the backed-up file with the baseline. For each desired setting, locate the corresponding key in the baseline and change only its value under the section where ARK placed it.
- Add missing keys individually. If a desired key is not present, add one line under the correct section, save, and keep a fresh backup of that stable revision. Do not add a large block of unverified lines at once.
- Start and verify. Save the file, start the server, connect to it, and check that the changed settings persist. Nitrado’s workflow likewise requires saving edits and restarting before the new configuration is loaded.
Validate every INI line
Use the required line format
Each entry should be one setting on one line in the form Key=Value. Do not put spaces around the equals sign. Check the spelling and capitalization of the key, the section in which it appears, and the type of value that key accepts.
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- Keep Boolean settings Boolean; do not replace a true/false-style value with a number.
- Keep numeric settings numeric and within the supported range for that option.
- Do not combine two settings on one line.
- Remove accidental characters introduced by copying from a web page or editor.
- Preserve the section header syntax, including square brackets and the leading script path in the two script sections.
A syntactically tidy line can still fail if the key belongs in another section. Compare the placement in the server-generated baseline, not merely the spelling in an online example.
Check sections before keys
Review the file from top to bottom. Confirm that each key follows a section header and that a block of settings has not accidentally been placed under the next section. The five baseline headers listed above provide a structural checklist; they are not interchangeable labels.
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Watch for incomplete generated files
Whole-file INI generators are a frequent source of resets because they may omit required sections. Use generated text only as a source for individual settings. Start with ARK’s own file, retain its headers, and merge the few values you actually need.
Apply changes incrementally
Incremental editing turns a reset into a narrow comparison instead of a complete rebuild.
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- Make one change to an existing baseline key.
- Save a dated or otherwise identifiable backup of that working file.
- Start the server and verify that it boots and retains the change after a restart.
- If it remains stable, make the next change and repeat the check.
- If the server resets the file, restore the last stable backup and test only the most recent addition.
This approach identifies the offending line without discarding settings that were already valid. It also leaves you with a known-good revision to restore if a later edit fails.
Managed-panel editing versus direct file editing
The same validation rules apply whether you use a host’s browser editor, FTP-style access, or another file-management method. The difference is how you locate and save the live file.
| Workflow | Required actions | Main failure to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Managed panel | Open the server’s File Browser, navigate to the platform-specific configuration directory, edit GameUserSettings.ini, save, then restart |
Editing a template or forgetting the save operation before restarting |
| Direct file access | Open the live ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ or LinuxServer/ directory, stop the service, edit, save, and start it again |
Changing a copy while the server is running or editing the wrong platform directory |
| Clean-file incremental merge | Generate a baseline, retain its sections, and add or alter one setting at a time | Pasting a complete generated file that lacks required headers |
| Provider escalation | Supply the intended INI and explain that a clean baseline still resets | Continuing random edits after the host can inspect logs or restore its backup |
Fix the most common traps
Editing while the server is running
Stop the server before changing the file. A running process may continue using the old contents, overwrite your edit during shutdown, or read a partially saved file. Save only after the service is stopped, then restart once the file is complete.
Putting advanced settings in the wrong file
GameUserSettings.ini is for general settings such as difficulty, passwords, PvE/PvP configuration, and multipliers. Advanced settings such as level caps and experience ramps belong in Game.ini. Moving a key to the file where it is documented prevents confusion about whether a setting was ignored or invalid.
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Using the INI for mods
Shockbyte notes that its ARK servers use ark.properties for mod configuration rather than GameUserSettings.ini. If a mod does not load, check the host’s documented mod-setting mechanism instead of adding mod entries to the user-settings file.
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If the server stops booting immediately after a change, revert the latest value first. Nitrado warns that extreme values can prevent startup. Restore the last stable backup, confirm the server starts, and then test a less aggressive value only if the option’s supported range is known.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot by symptom
The file resets as soon as the server restarts
- Restore the server-generated baseline.
- Confirm all five expected section headers are present.
- Reapply only one known-valid setting.
- Restart and check whether that single change persists.
- Continue one line at a time until the offending key or value is identified.
A reset after the first custom line points to that line’s spelling, section, value type, or supported range. A reset with the untouched baseline points to the wrong file, an incomplete startup, or a host-side issue rather than your custom setting.
The server will not start after an edit
Restore the most recent working backup and start the server. If it boots, the last change is the immediate suspect; do not reapply it until its type, section, spelling, and limits have been checked. If the baseline itself will not start, verify that you stopped and saved the correct live instance and contact the provider.
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First confirm that the setting belongs in GameUserSettings.ini rather than Game.ini. Then verify that the key is under the section used by the generated baseline and that you restarted after saving. A setting in the wrong file or section may be ignored without producing the same visible reset behavior.
A mod change is ignored
Do not use GameUserSettings.ini for mod declarations on a host that uses ark.properties. Follow that provider’s mod configuration path and restart after saving it.
When to contact the server host
Escalate after you have tested an untouched, server-generated baseline and a small number of incremental changes. Include the intended GameUserSettings.ini, identify the exact platform directory, and state which revision was the last one that started successfully.
Point of Trade specifically asks customers to provide the file when requesting help. Pingperfect says provider staff may be able to restore a reset file from internal backups. A support ticket is appropriate when the clean baseline itself is replaced, the correct live path has been confirmed, or the server still refuses to boot after restoring the baseline.
Keep your original backup and the last stable revision. Those files let support compare the failing line with a known-good configuration instead of reconstructing your settings from memory.
Quick Recap
Final validation checklist
- The server was stopped before the file was edited.
- The edit was made in the live
WindowsServerorLinuxServerdirectory for that instance. - A backup exists before and after each stable revision.
- The five baseline section headers are present.
- Every entry uses one
Key=Valueline with no spaces around=. - Each key is spelled correctly and appears under the correct section.
- Boolean, numeric, and other value types have not been mixed.
- Advanced level and experience settings were kept in
Game.ini. - Mod configuration was kept out of
GameUserSettings.iniwhere the host usesark.properties. - The file was saved before restarting, and the server was tested after the restart.
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