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Valheim server mods usually fail for one of six reasons: BepInEx never started, the server was launched through the vanilla executable, a host-side loader toggle is off, a mod was installed on the wrong side, client and server versions do not match, or a game update or broken plugin stopped the load process. The fastest way to find the real cause is to test the loader before changing individual mods.
Stop the server, delete BepInEx/LogOutput.log, and start it once. If a new log is created and contains entries such as [Info : BepInEx] Loading [ModName 1.0.0], BepInEx is running and you can move on to plugin, version, or networking checks. If no new log appears, your launch path, host toggle, installation, or platform is preventing the loader from starting.
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Find the layer that is failing first
Do not begin by reinstalling every DLL. A modded Valheim server has several separate stages, and each stage produces different symptoms. Identify the first stage that fails, then apply the narrowest fix.
| Where the failure appears | Typical symptom | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Loader startup | No BepInEx console, no configuration folder, and no fresh LogOutput.log |
Launch method, host toggle, BepInEx files, operating-system build and bitness |
| Plugin loading | A fresh log exists, but a named plugin throws an error or the server crashes while loading | Plugin isolation and the first error in the BepInEx console or log |
| Connection handshake | Players are kicked or see an incompatible-version message | Required mods, companion files, and exact client/server versions |
| In-game behavior | The server starts, but items, recipes, creatures, progression, or commands are absent | Whether the mod is installed on the side that owns the content and whether it finished loading |
| Platform or update boundary | Everything stopped working after a Valheim update or on a Microsoft Store, Game Pass, or Xbox installation | Platform support and current BepInEx/mod releases |
Use the first objective signal you can obtain—the presence and contents of a newly generated log—rather than relying on a manager profile that merely shows files copied to disk.
1. Prove that BepInEx actually loaded
A copied plugins folder does nothing unless the BepInEx loader is attached to the process. The Valheim-Modding Wiki states that if no log is generated, no mods have been loaded on the server. Test that claim directly.
- Stop the dedicated server completely. Close the server window or service and wait until its process has exited.
- Open the server’s installation directory and delete
BepInEx/LogOutput.log. Do not merely open an old log; you need a clean timestamped test. - Start the server once using the method you normally use for regular play.
- Look for a newly created
BepInEx/LogOutput.log. On a successful startup, the guide says this log is overwritten, so its new creation confirms that the loader ran. - Search the file for lines like
[Info : BepInEx] Loading [ModName 1.0.0]. Record the first error and the plugin name around it rather than stopping at a generic “failed to load” message.
If no new log exists
Do not troubleshoot individual mods yet. The process never reached the plugin stage. Check the launch path and host setting in the next section, then verify that the complete server BepInEx pack is in the directory that contains the dedicated server executable. A missing core file or wrong entry point is a common BepInEx startup failure, according to the BepInEx documentation.
If the log exists but contains no plugin entries
BepInEx may have started while the plugins directory is empty, in the wrong location, or populated with files for a different game build. Confirm that DLLs are under the server’s own BepInEx/plugins directory, not only in a client profile, and read the log from the same startup that produced it.
2. Correct the launch path and host-side loader switch
Launching the ordinary Valheim server executable bypasses the injection step that loads BepInEx. Starting Valheim directly from Steam is likewise a vanilla launch; a mod manager attaches BepInEx only when you start the game through the manager’s profile.
Managed hosting
Many managed hosts expose a control-panel switch named BepInEx, mod support, or Valheim Plus. Turn that feature on, save the setting, and perform a complete stop/start rather than an in-panel restart that leaves the old process alive. Host interfaces differ, so confirm the toggle has applied to the specific server instance and not just to an account-wide profile. After startup, repeat the delete-and-check test for BepInEx/LogOutput.log.
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Self-hosted dedicated servers
Install the full Valheim BepInEx pack at the server root—the directory used by the dedicated server—not in a separate client installation. Use the launch script supplied with that pack. Starting valheim_server.exe by itself can leave every uploaded DLL inert because the loader is never attached.
R2ModMan or Thunderstore Mod Manager profiles
If a manager launches a headless dedicated server through a batch file, the guide notes that the batch file may need %* appended to its server launch line so arguments passed by the manager reach the server process. Preserve the existing arguments and append the token, for example:
<existing server launch command> %*Use the manager’s dedicated-server or headless profile, not the normal game profile. Then stop and start the server and verify a new log. If the manager opens a game window but the server log remains unchanged, you are still launching the wrong executable or profile.
3. Decide whether the mod belongs on the client, server, or both
Installation scope is determined by what a mod changes, not by where the download page happens to place its files. The Valheim-Modding Wiki reminds users that client-only mods do not need to be installed on a server; Thunderstore tags can help identify them.
| Mod function | Usual installation | What a mistake looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Interface, camera, graphics, or local quality-of-life display | Client only | The server remains healthy; only the player’s feature is missing |
| Items, recipes, creatures, world objects, progression, or shared mechanics | Server and every participating client, with compatible releases | Missing content, failed joins, kicks, or an incompatible-version message |
| Administrative or command tooling | Often server plus a client component, depending on the mod’s documentation | Commands or panels do not appear, or a companion DLL reports a dependency error |
| Pure server automation or logging | Server only unless the author specifies a client component | The server feature works, but installing the file on clients adds no benefit and may create conflicts |
When single-player works but the dedicated server does not
Single-player normally starts through a mod-manager profile on your PC, so its loader and plugin directory can be correct even when the dedicated server has neither. Compare the two locations, then install the server-required portion in the server profile and install the client-required portion in every player’s profile. A mod that adds shared game data cannot be supplied by only one client; the server must load the same data before the connection handshake completes.
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Use the mod’s dependency and tag information
Read the release page for required libraries, client-only/server-side labels, and companion files. Do not assume that two DLLs with similar names are interchangeable. Remove duplicate copies from different profile folders so the process cannot load an unintended release.
4. Make versions and companion files match
Version mismatches are a normal cause of kicks and “incompatible version” messages. Compare the mod profile and the BepInEx log on both sides, not just the filenames shown in a file manager. Match the game build, loader pack, dependency libraries, and every server-required plugin that participates in the handshake.
A concrete dependency example
The AdvancedAdminPanel documentation gives a useful pattern: its two companion DLLs must be the same version, and the server log should show the companion loading after a complete stop/start. Apply the same rule to any mod that ships a core library plus an extension. If one file was updated and the other was left behind, replace both from the same release.
Restart after every coordinated change
- Stop the server and close the client.
- Update or roll back the relevant mod and its dependencies on the server.
- Apply the identical required versions to each client profile.
- Start the server first and confirm the expected load entries in its fresh log.
- Start one client, connect, and test the affected feature before asking every player to update.
Do not “fix” a mismatch by allowing one player to keep a different content mod. Client-only visual differences can be independent, but shared content must be treated as a coordinated set.
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 problems5. Account for Valheim and mod updates
Iron Gate game updates can invalidate the BepInEx pack, a dependency, or a plugin that relies on internal game code. A profile that worked yesterday may therefore fail before any configuration changed. Check the mod’s current Thunderstore release and the loader pack’s compatibility notes after each game update, especially for mods that write to saves.
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Update in a controlled order
- Record the last known working game, loader, and mod versions.
- Back up the world and character saves before changing mods that write game data.
- Stop both server and clients.
- Update the BepInEx pack and dependencies required for the new game build.
- Update server-required plugins and then mirror those versions to clients.
- Start the server with an empty or isolated plugin set if the update produced a crash, then add compatible plugins back in groups.
If a release page does not yet list support for the current game build, keeping the previous game and mod combination isolated is safer than mixing new and old binaries in one profile.
6. Isolate a plugin that crashes or prevents startup
When a fresh log exists but the server closes, hangs, or reports a plugin exception, use a controlled binary search instead of deleting files at random.
- Stop the server.
- Move every file out of
BepInEx/pluginsinto a temporary folder outside the server installation. Do not delete the files; preserve the exact set for restoration. - Start the server with no plugins. If it now reaches a clean ready state, the loader and base installation are working.
- Restore a small group of plugins, restart, and check the console and fresh log.
- Continue dividing the failing group until one plugin or dependency reproduces the error.
- Check that plugin’s release, dependencies, game-build support, and installation scope. Replace it with a compatible version or leave it disabled.
An error that names a plugin is the best lead, but not absolute proof that it is the only cause. A missing dependency, duplicate library, or earlier preloader error can make a later plugin appear guilty. Read upward in the log for the first exception and test the suspect in an otherwise clean profile.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Recover when there is no console, configuration, or log
Missing BepInEx output points to the preloader stage rather than a bad gameplay setting. BepInEx documentation identifies missing core files and a wrong entry point as common startup causes.
Enable the console
Open BepInEx/config/BepInEx.cfg and set the logging console option to enabled:
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[Logging.Console]
Enabled = trueSave the file, stop any running process, and start through the corrected server script. A visible console can reveal an immediate architecture, permissions, or missing-file error that a manager window hides.
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- Use a BepInEx build that matches the Valheim operating system and bitness. A Windows installation and a Linux installation do not use the same executable entry point.
- Confirm that the pack’s preloader files and core files are in the server root beside the executable, not one directory deeper after an archive extraction.
- Remove nested duplicate BepInEx folders created by unpacking an archive into an already named folder.
- Check that security software or a process-startup rule has not blocked
valheim_server.exeor quarantined a loader file. Restore only files you trust and add a narrow exception if your security product supports one.
Repair a damaged Steam installation
On Steam, a damaged Managed folder can prevent the game or loader from starting correctly. Back up saves and custom files, stop Steam and the server, delete the damaged Managed folder, then use Steam’s “Verify integrity of game files” command to restore it. Reinstall the BepInEx pack afterward if verification replaced or removed its files.
8. Respect platform support limits
The documented workflow targets Steam installations. Microsoft Store and Game Pass installs do not have a supported path for this BepInEx server-mod setup, and Xbox clients cannot load the same mod stack. An Xbox player can join a PC server as a vanilla client where the server and game rules allow it, but that player cannot run the client-side mods.
If your group uses a non-Steam copy, first confirm that the loader and the specific platform are supported before changing files. No amount of profile copying can create a supported injection path where the platform does not expose one.
Use symptom-specific recovery branches
“BepInEx is installed, but nothing loads”
- Delete
BepInEx/LogOutput.logand restart. - If no new log appears, correct the host toggle or launch script and verify the pack is at the server root.
- If a log appears, check that DLLs are in the server’s
pluginsdirectory and inspect the first error.
“The mod works in single-player but not on my dedicated server”
- Confirm that single-player is launched through the manager profile while the server may be launching vanilla.
- Install the server-required component and its dependencies in the server profile.
- Install matching required versions on every client and perform a full stop/start.
“Valheim says incompatible version”
- Compare the server and client logs and profiles, including companion DLLs.
- Remove stale duplicate versions.
- Align the game build, loader pack, required plugins, and dependency releases before reconnecting.
“The server starts, then crashes when players join”
- Move all plugins out and confirm a clean start.
- Restore them in groups while watching the console.
- Test the first group that reproduces the crash against its current release and dependency requirements.
Keep a working modded server recoverable
- Keep a text inventory of the server and client mod versions, dependencies, and launch method.
- Save a copy of the known-good BepInEx profile before a game update.
- Back up worlds and characters before installing mods that write to saves.
- Use one coordinated update window: stop the server, update the loader and required plugins, mirror client versions, then test with one client.
- Keep the temporary plugin-isolation folder until the new profile has survived a complete start, connection, and gameplay test.
- When asking for help, provide the first relevant log error, the game platform, the launch method, and whether a fresh log was generated. “The DLL is uploaded” does not prove that the loader ran.
The Bottom Line
Start with the fresh-log test. No new BepInEx/LogOutput.log means the loader or launch path is wrong; a fresh log shifts the investigation to plugin placement, required client/server installation, exact version alignment, and update compatibility. Once the loader is proven, isolate plugins and repair only the layer that fails.
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