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Godlike.Host offers hosted Valheim servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Change a Valheim server password by editing the server’s launch command, replacing the value after -password, saving the file, and restarting the server. On Windows, edit start_headless_server.bat; on Linux, edit start_server.sh. Use at least five characters, and keep the password different from both the public server name and the world name.
What you need before changing the password
You need access to the machine or hosting control panel that starts the Valheim Dedicated Server. Changing the password is a configuration edit; it does not require new hardware, a new world, or a separate password utility.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Windows self-hosted server: access to the folder containing
start_headless_server.batand a text editor such as Notepad. - Linux self-hosted server: shell or file access to
start_server.sh. - Panel-managed or containerized server: administrator access to the provider’s startup settings or the container configuration.
- A replacement password: choose five or more characters, using letters and numbers for the greatest compatibility.
Stop the server before editing its launch file if it is currently running. Otherwise, a restart may use the old process or overwrite your change, depending on how the server was started.
Change the password on a Windows Valheim server
1. Open the launch file
Find start_headless_server.bat in the Valheim Dedicated Server installation directory. Right-click the file, choose Open with, and select Notepad. Do not double-click it to edit: double-clicking launches the server instead.
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2. Find the password option
Look for the command line that starts the server. The official setup documentation identifies the launch-options line as the one beginning with start valheim_server. Within that line, locate the argument in this form:
-password "Secret"The text between the quotation marks is the current password. Replace only that value. For example:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches-password "NewVikingPass7"Keep the quotation marks if the existing command uses them. Do not add spaces inside the password unless you have confirmed that your particular script handles them correctly; simple letters and numbers avoid most parsing problems.
3. Save the file without changing its type
Choose File > Save in Notepad. Confirm that the filename remains start_headless_server.bat, not start_headless_server.bat.txt. If Windows is hiding file extensions, enable View > Show > File name extensions in File Explorer so you can verify the name.
4. Restart the server
Close any existing server console, then start the batch file directly or launch the server through Steam, as described by the official guide. Wait for the server to finish starting before testing the new password. Everyone who joins must use the new value; the old password stops working as soon as the new process loads the edited command.
Change the password on a Linux Valheim server
1. Open start_server.sh
Go to the directory where the dedicated server startup script is stored and open start_server.sh in your preferred editor. For example, a text-only session might use:
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nano start_server.shThe exact location and editor command depend on your installation. Make a backup copy before editing if you expect to change several options:
cp start_server.sh start_server.sh.backup2. Replace the value after -password
Find the launch line and change the quoted value after -password. A complete example reported by a third-party guide looks like this:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "NorseRealm" -port 2456 -world "Expedition1" -password "SecretViking" -public 1 -crossplayIn that example, changing "SecretViking" to "NewVikingPass7" changes the join password while leaving the server name, port, world, visibility, and cross-play settings unchanged. Treat the example as a pattern and verify the executable name and other options against your own script.
3. Save and exit
In Nano, press Ctrl+O, press Enter to confirm the filename, then press Ctrl+X. Other editors use different save commands, but the important result is that the existing script is updated rather than saved under a second filename.
4. Restart and test
Stop the running server cleanly, start the script again, and wait for the startup messages to finish. Connect from a client using the new password. If the process exits immediately, follow the validation checks in the troubleshooting section before reverting the file.
Choose a password Valheim will accept
Password validation is stricter than simply entering any text after -password. The following rules are reported by third-party Valheim guides and the Nimdy troubleshooting wiki; launch-script behavior can change with game updates, so confirm the syntax in your installed script if an otherwise valid value fails.
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| Rule | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| At least five characters | Use five or more characters; eight to 16 is a practical range for a memorable private password. | A value shorter than five characters is reported to prevent the server from working. |
| Do not match the public server name | Keep the password different from the text supplied to -name. |
Several guides report that an identical value is rejected. |
| Do not include the server name | Avoid using the server name, or a recognizable portion of it, inside the password. | One reported example, server name “Shattered Vikings” with password “vikings,” refuses to start. |
| Keep it separate from the world name | Use a password that does not match or contain the value supplied to -world. |
Sources disagree on whether the server name or world name is checked; avoiding both is the safest interpretation. |
| Prefer letters and numbers | Start with an alphanumeric password if troubleshooting is needed. | The Nimdy wiki reports that special characters can cause problems in some setups. |
These restrictions concern the server’s launch configuration, not your Steam account password. Changing one does not change the other.
Example of a safe launch configuration
The following Linux-style command illustrates how the related options fit together:
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Do not copy the entire line blindly into a different installation. Executable paths, options, and script names may differ after Valheim updates or between distributions. Change the existing -password value in your own launch file and preserve the options you already use.
Server panels and Docker installations
If a hosting company supplies a web panel, the visible startup script may not be the source of truth. Look for a field labeled Password, Server password, Startup parameters, or an environment-variable section. Save the setting and use the panel’s Restart control.
Container images commonly receive launch values through environment variables rather than a file you edit inside the running container. The exact variable name and whether a container must be re-created are image-specific and are not established here. Follow the image maintainer’s documentation or the panel’s instructions instead of guessing a variable name. If a normal restart restores the previous value, inspect the container’s environment or re-create it only when the image documentation explicitly requires that step.
Do not edit a generated configuration file if the panel warns that it will be overwritten. Change the setting in the panel or deployment definition that generates it, then restart or redeploy from that source.
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Visibility, public mode, and empty passwords
The -public 0 option hides a server from the community browser. A third-party guide reports that an empty password is accepted only when -public 0 is used. An empty password is a poor choice for any server reachable from the internet: anyone who can discover its address may be able to join.
For a private server, use an actual password even when the server is hidden. Hiding the listing reduces casual discovery but is not a replacement for access control.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot a Valheim server that will not start after the change
Check the length first
Count the characters in the value after -password. If it has fewer than five, replace it with a longer value and restart. This is the first check because a too-short password is specifically reported to stop the server from working.
Remove server-name and world-name overlap
Compare the password with both the -name and -world values. Remove exact matches and recognizable fragments, then try a neutral alphanumeric value. Sources differ on whether the world name is checked in addition to the server name, so testing against both avoids that ambiguity.
Temporarily remove special characters
Replace punctuation, quotation marks, shell symbols, and other non-alphanumeric characters with letters and numbers. A character can be interpreted by the batch file, shell, panel, or container before Valheim receives it. Once the server starts reliably, you can test a more complex value if your setup documents support for it.
Verify the edit is on the active launch line
Some scripts contain commented examples or more than one command. Confirm that the running command is the line beginning with start valheim_server on Windows, or the executable invocation in start_server.sh on Linux. Editing an unused example line has no effect.
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Check quoting and file names
- Keep matching quotation marks around the password when the original line uses them.
- Make sure the Windows file still ends in
.bat, not.bat.txt. - On Linux, confirm you saved the same
start_server.shthat your service or launch command actually runs. - For a panel or container, confirm that the setting was saved in the active server instance rather than a template or stopped instance.
Read the startup output
Start the server from a console when possible and watch for the first error before the process exits. A clean start followed by an inability to join usually points to a client using the old password or to a different server instance, whereas an immediate exit points first to an invalid password value, naming conflict, quoting problem, or wrong configuration source.
Confirm you restarted the correct instance
It is easy to change one installation while a service manager, Steam shortcut, panel, or container starts another. Stop all duplicate Valheim server processes, identify the active installation path, edit its launch configuration, and start only that instance. Players should then test by entering the new password manually rather than relying on a saved connection entry.
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The server starts, but the old password is accepted nowhere
That behavior is expected after a successful restart: the new launch value is authoritative. Send players the new password exactly, including capitalization. Remove old saved server entries or cached connection details if a client keeps submitting the previous value.
The server is visible but rejects the new password
Check that the server listing belongs to the instance you edited. Duplicate servers can have the same display name. Verify the port, address, and running process, then restart the instance whose launch file contains the new value.
The password contains spaces or punctuation
Return temporarily to a password made only from letters and numbers, enclosed in the same quotes as the original argument. If that works, the earlier value was likely being altered by the shell, batch parser, panel, or container environment rather than by the player’s client.
Operational checklist
- Stop the active Valheim server.
- Open
start_headless_server.baton Windows orstart_server.shon Linux. - Find the active launch command and its
-passwordargument. - Enter a password of at least five characters.
- Keep it different from, and free of recognizable parts of, both the server name and world name.
- Use letters and numbers first if compatibility is uncertain.
- Save the original filename and preserve the command’s quotation marks.
- Restart the correct server instance.
- Test from a client using the new password.
- If startup fails, check length, name overlap, special characters, and whether a panel or container is overwriting the setting.
How often can you change it?
You can repeat the same edit whenever access needs to be rotated—for example, when a former player should no longer join. Each change takes effect after the server loads the updated launch configuration. Existing worlds and saves are selected by the -world option; changing the password does not, by itself, select a different world.
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Version and documentation caveat
Valheim updates and third-party hosting images can change script names, accepted characters, and panel labels. The official setup guidance referenced here is reported as roughly 916 days old at the time of the latest check and has no verified publication date in the available material. If your installed files use different names or syntax, treat those files and the current official documentation as authoritative, while retaining the validation rules above as troubleshooting checks rather than guaranteed behavior for every future release.
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