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A Satisfactory dedicated server can fail in two different ways: the FactoryServer process may never start or may crash, or it may be running while traffic is blocked. Check the process first, then read the first fatal line in the logs, validate the installation, and only then change firewall or router rules. For a server that runs but cannot be reached, test from the same LAN before testing over the internet.

First, identify which failure you have

The right fix depends on whether the server process is absent or whether clients simply cannot reach it. The official dedicated-server guidance describes the simplest explanation for an unreachable server as the server not running at all, either because it was never started or because it crashed and was not restarted. A separate networking failure is possible when the process is healthy.

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Startup failure

You have a startup failure when the launch command exits, the server window closes, the service reports a failed start, or no FactoryServer process appears. Work on installation files, permissions, configuration, ports already in use, and crash evidence. Router changes cannot fix a process that is not running.

Connectivity failure

You have a connectivity failure when FactoryServer remains running and the host is listening on its configured ports, but players cannot join. Test locally first. A successful LAN connection moves the investigation to public addressing, NAT, port forwarding, or an internet provider restriction. A failed LAN connection keeps the focus on the host, its firewall, the configured ports, or the server itself.

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Run a short triage before changing anything

  1. Check for the process. On Linux, run pgrep -f FactoryServer.sh. On Windows, open Task Manager or run tasklist | find "FactoryServer.exe".
  2. Confirm which installation you launched. A second copy in another directory can make you inspect the wrong logs or forward ports for the wrong instance.
  3. Check whether the configured ports are listening. Use your operating system’s socket or resource monitor tools and compare the listening port with the server configuration. Do this before editing the router.
  4. Try a client on the same LAN. Use the host’s private LAN address and the configured game port. Do not use the public address for this first test.
  5. Capture evidence. Save the first fatal or error entry from the current log and copy any crash-report directory before deleting files, validating, or reinstalling.

This sequence prevents a common detour: changing port forwarding while the process has already crashed, or reinstalling a healthy installation when a local firewall is the real problem.

Verify that FactoryServer actually starts

Linux check

Run:

pgrep -f FactoryServer.sh

A process ID means a matching server shell process exists; no output means the command did not find one. A process ID alone does not prove that the server finished initialization, so continue by checking the log and listening sockets. If you launch through a script or service, inspect that launcher for the actual installation directory and arguments.

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Windows check

Use Task Manager’s Details tab and look for FactoryServer.exe, or run:

tasklist | find "FactoryServer.exe"

No matching line means the process is not currently running. If more than one instance appears, stop the duplicate before updating or validating files. A duplicate can hold files open, bind the expected port first, or cause SteamCMD’s file-in-use error.

When the process appears briefly and disappears

Start the server once, wait for it to exit, and immediately inspect the current log and the newest crash directory. Do not repeatedly restart it while evidence is being written. The first fatal message is usually more useful than the final shutdown message because later errors can be consequences of the original failure.

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Find the first useful error in the logs

Dedicated-server logs are stored under FactoryGame/Saved/Logs. The active file is FactoryGame.log; older files are rotated backups whose names contain date and time information. Crash reports are stored under FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes, in randomly generated directories.

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How to collect a meaningful log sample

  • Stop repeated launch attempts and open the newest FactoryGame.log.
  • Search from the beginning of the failure for the first Fatal or Error entry, not merely the last line.
  • Record the timestamp, the component named in the message, and the path or port mentioned.
  • Copy the matching crash-report directory before removing temporary files.

What common log patterns tell you

  • File, module, or executable errors: validate the installation before reinstalling.
  • Address or bind errors: another process may already be using the configured port; find and stop the duplicate or choose a different configured port consistently.
  • Configuration or authentication errors: back up the settings file and use the documented settings reset only when necessary.
  • Repeated access-denied messages: check the account running the server and its permissions on the installation and save directories.

Do not infer a hardware problem from a generic crash line. The official material does not establish a universal CPU, memory, or disk benchmark; requirements vary with player count and save-file size. Treat a specific resource error as evidence, not a substitute for the log’s first fatal entry.

Use the documented ports and align every firewall rule

Current documented defaults are shown below. If you remap a port, the value must agree in the server configuration, operating-system firewall, router forwarding rule, and the address players use.

Port Transport Documented role
7777 TCP Server traffic and HTTPS API
7777 UDP Game traffic and lightweight query API
8888 TCP Reliable messaging

The server can try up to 512 ports, according to a 2025 Steam announcement. That does not mean every port should be forwarded. Forward only the exact ports selected by your server configuration, and forward each required transport separately. A TCP rule does not open UDP traffic.

Host firewall

Create inbound rules for the configured TCP and UDP traffic, and allow the game executable through the operating-system firewall, antivirus, or Windows Defender when those products block it. Apply the rule to the network profile used by the host. If a security product has its own application-control list, add the executable there as well.

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Router forwarding

  1. Give the server host a stable LAN address, either with a static address or a DHCP reservation.
  2. Forward each required configured port and protocol to that LAN address.
  3. Remove stale rules pointing to an old host address or an old custom port.
  4. Save the router configuration and retest from outside the LAN.

Port remapping is valid only when all four pieces match: the server’s listening port, the host firewall, the router’s external-to-internal mapping, and the port entered by clients. Forwarding the documented defaults while the server listens on a custom value will still fail.

Test on the LAN before testing over the internet

If a LAN client connects

The server process, local binding, and at least one host-firewall path are working. Concentrate on the public path: router forwarding, the public address, carrier-grade NAT, double NAT, or an internet provider that filters inbound traffic. Confirm that the router forwards to the host’s current private address, not an address that changed after a reboot.

If a LAN client cannot connect

Do not spend time on public DNS or internet port checks yet. Recheck the process, listening sockets, configured port, host firewall, and the client address. A local failure can also indicate that the server is still starting or has crashed after opening a window but before completing initialization.

Why internet tests can mislead

A test from inside the same network to the public address may depend on the router’s hairpin-NAT support and can fail even when outside players can connect. Use a genuinely external connection, such as a player on another network, after the LAN test succeeds.

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Validate and update a SteamCMD installation

Validation is safer than reinstalling because it checks the existing files while preserving the installation directory. Stop the server first, and make sure no duplicate process is holding files open. Run the documented SteamCMD command, replacing the placeholder with the real server directory:

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steamcmd +force_install_dir <game_server_directory_change_this> +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit

The command validates app ID 1690800 and then exits. Repeat the original installation command as the guide recommends when you want to force an update check. Start the server only after SteamCMD finishes.

Handle a SteamCMD 0x606 file-in-use error

Error 0x606 indicates that another process has a file open. Check Task Manager on Windows or the running-process list on Linux, stop duplicate server instances and related launchers, and retry validation. Reinstalling while a process still has files open can reproduce the same error and may leave an incomplete installation.

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When validation does not solve the crash

Return to the first fatal log line. A clean validation result rules out many damaged files but does not fix a bad custom setting, an occupied port, a permissions issue, or a corrupted save/settings file.

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Check configuration paths and recover damaged settings

Configuration files may not exist until the server has started at least once. Do not mark edited .ini files read-only; the server needs to be able to write its settings.

Operating system Configuration directory
Linux <installation_directory>/FactoryGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/
Windows <installation_directory>FactoryGameSavedConfigWindowsServer

Back up before resetting

Stop the server and copy the entire Saved directory, or at minimum the relevant configuration and save files, to a separate location. A backup gives you a way to restore a known-good save or settings file if a reset does not solve the problem.

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Reset administrator and server settings

If administrator authentication or server settings are corrupted, the dedicated-server guide specifies deleting ServerSettings.PORT.sav, where PORT is the configured port. This is a destructive reset: it removes the administrator password, server name, player password, auto-load session name, and certificate. After the next start, configure those values again. Do not delete the file as a first response to a networking problem; use it only when the log or symptoms point to damaged settings.

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Autosave and shutdown planning

The documented default autosave interval is 300 seconds (5 minutes). Treat that as a safety net, not a guarantee that the latest player action is saved. Before stopping a live server for validation, configuration work, or service maintenance, perform a manual save while players are connected.

Recover from a crash without losing the cause

  1. Stop automatic restart temporarily so the server does not overwrite or rotate the evidence while you investigate.
  2. Copy FactoryGame.log and the newest directory under FactoryGame/Saved/Crashes.
  3. Identify the first fatal or error message and note any file, port, or setting named there.
  4. Validate the SteamCMD installation if the error suggests a missing or damaged file.
  5. Correct one variable at a time: duplicate process, occupied port, permission, custom configuration, or settings reset.
  6. Start the server and watch the new log until initialization completes before allowing players to join.

Changing several settings at once makes the result difficult to interpret. Keep the backup and the original log until a successful start and connection test have been completed.

Run the server as a service for boot and crash recovery

The official service guidance says that running the dedicated server as a service can start it after system boot and restart it after a crash. This addresses availability after a reboot or an unexpected exit; it does not repair the underlying crash.

Before enabling automatic restart

  • Confirm a manual launch completes and a LAN client can connect.
  • Use an account with access to the installation, configuration, save, and log directories.
  • Set the service’s working directory and launch arguments to the same values used in the successful manual test.
  • Decide where service output and exit status will be recorded so a restart loop does not hide the original error.

Protect saves during maintenance

Stopping a service does not automatically save the game. Save manually before shutting down when players are connected, then stop the service. Configure restart behavior only after confirming that an orderly stop and start preserve the expected save.

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Choose the remedy from the observed result

Observed result Most useful next action
No process after launch Read the current log, inspect the newest crash report, and validate files if the error indicates damage.
Process starts, then exits Capture the first fatal line; check duplicate processes, occupied ports, permissions, and custom settings.
Process runs but no LAN connection Check the listening port, host firewall, configured address, and server state.
LAN works but internet fails Check router forwarding, public addressing, NAT layers, and inbound filtering by the internet provider.
SteamCMD reports 0x606 Stop duplicate processes and retry validation.
Authentication or settings are corrupted Back up files, then delete the matching ServerSettings.PORT.sav and reconfigure.
Server is stable manually but unavailable after reboot Install and test a service with boot start and crash restart.

When self-hosting is not the right operational choice

Self-hosting gives you control over files, settings, and network policy, but you must maintain the operating system, firewall, forwarding, updates, backups, and process supervision. A managed game-server service is an alternative when you cannot maintain those responsibilities. Evaluate any provider against the specific features you need—custom ports, save access, automated backups, update timing, log access, and restart controls—because those features vary and are not established by the dedicated-server documentation.

Prevent the next outage

  • Keep a dated backup of the Saved directory before changing configuration or validating files.
  • Record the configured port and the host’s stable LAN address so forwarding rules remain auditable.
  • Retain the last known-good launch command and service definition.
  • After updates, perform one LAN connection test before announcing the server publicly.
  • Review the first fatal log entry after every crash rather than deleting logs immediately.
  • Use a service only after manual operation is reliable, and verify that manual saves occur before planned stops.

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