Restart without risking the world
- Announce the restart and create a recovery point before a game, mod or sandbox change.
- Use Stop in the panel and wait for shutdown before editing servertest.ini, sandbox data or save files.
- Start and wait for the server-ready message; a Zomboid startup can take longer when Workshop content is downloading.
Workshop mods and maps
- Choose mods compatible with the server’s Zomboid build. Record each Workshop item ID and its separate Mod ID; map mods also need the correct map name and order.
- Use the validated Workshop workflow or edit the corresponding WorkshopItems, Mods and Map settings while stopped. Include required dependencies and restart.
- If clients report a Workshop mismatch, compare server and client versions and isolate the most recently updated item. Restore the backup before removing a world-changing map mod.
Join or startup failure
Check the assigned address, the server’s actual readiness, password and game branch. A build mismatch or mod mismatch can reject a player even when the server process is healthy. Use the first relevant console error rather than repeatedly reinstalling.
If the process runs out of memory during map loading or many mods, remove recently added content and check the service memory graph. A larger world or heavy mod set may need a higher plan; support can inspect the log before any upgrade.
Recover a missing save
Confirm the same save/server name is selected. Stop the process and restore the matching save, servertest.ini and sandbox files together from a recovery point. Test the world before removing older backups.