7 Days to Die Server Troubleshooting

Most 7 Days to Die problems on AleForge come down to a few familiar culprits: the server still starting up, a world that no longer matches your mods, or a client that is out of sync with the server. Work through this guide before opening a ticket.

Get the right screenshot

When we ask for a console screenshot, we mean the AleForge panel console — not the in-game menu or the F1 client console.

1. Open the AleForge Panel
2. Select your server and open Console
3. Start the server, or try to connect while it is running
4. Screenshot any red lines, [ERR], or [EXC] messages

The game client can show errors even when the real problem is on the server. The panel console tells us what actually failed during startup or when you joined.

Cannot connect or disconnects immediately

1. Confirm the server shows running on Console and has finished booting
2. Use the IP and port from your panel Dashboard — see Connect to your server
3. If you set a server password, enter it exactly (case-sensitive)
4. Match game versions between server and client. Update your server and verify game files in Steam
5. If you run mods, every player needs the same mods as the server. See Install mods

Red error in the game: ZLIB / invalid stream

Players often see ZLIB: Invalid Stream or similar in the game console right after entering the IP. That usually means the connection was rejected or the data did not match — not necessarily that Steam is broken.

Check these server-side causes first:

• You removed mods but kept the old world save
• World Name on Startup points at a corrupt or missing save
• Server and client mod lists differ
• Server restarted mid-load after a RAM or config change

If the panel console shows clean startup and RemoteConnectionClose only when you connect, the server is up but kicking the client during join. Compare mods and world settings before reinstalling the game.

Client-side fixes (one player only)

If other players connect fine and the panel console looks clean:

1. Close 7 Days to Die and Steam completely
2. Delete %appdata%\7DaysToDie on Windows (this clears local cache and mismatched mod data)
3. In Steam, right-click 7 Days to Die → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity
4. Reinstall matching server mods on the client
5. Connect again

World will not load after a RAM change or restart

Bumping RAM or restarting does not corrupt a world by itself, but it does reload whatever save and mods are configured. If you removed world-gen mods (biome overhauls, decay packs, POI mods) to save memory, the old save may no longer load.

Fix: set a new World Name on Startup and restart. Your previous save stays in .local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves/ if you need to restore it later with the original mods.

EAC or crossplay kicks

• Modded servers often need EAC disabled
• Crossplay requires EAC on and player count at 8 or below

Lag and high RAM use

7 Days to Die eats RAM during exploration and blood moons, especially with mods. If you are near the limit:

• Remove heavy world-gen mods or start a fresh world
• Lower world size on a new save only
• Reduce max players
• Upgrade your plan if the server is constantly at its memory cap

Still stuck?

1. Restart the server from Console
2. Restore from a backup if the world may be corrupt
3. Contact AleForge support with your server ID and a panel Console screenshot