Common issues and solutions for WGS and dedicated servers.
📋 Crash log:%APPDATA%\WGS\crash.log
WGS logs all unhandled exceptions here with timestamps. If something crashes or misbehaves, open this file and include it when reporting the issue. Tip: type %APPDATA%\WGS in the Windows Explorer address bar to navigate there directly.
⚠️ Always check the WGS console log first. Go to the server's Console tab — most errors are logged there with a clear description of what went wrong.
WGS won't start — blocked by Windows / antivirus
Windows SmartScreen or your antivirus may block WindowsGameServer.exe because it is unsigned software that manages system-level operations (firewall, processes).
Solution — Method 1 (Properties):
Right-click WindowsGameServer.exe → Properties.
At the bottom of the General tab, check Unblock.
Click Apply → OK.
Solution — Method 2 (SmartScreen popup):
Click "More info" in the blue popup.
Click "Run anyway".
If antivirus quarantines the file, add an exception for the WGS folder in your antivirus settings.
Server keeps restarting (Crash Loop)
WGS detects that the server process exited unexpectedly and restarts it automatically. If this happens repeatedly, the server is failing to initialise.
Solution:
Check the Console tab in WGS for error output from the server.
Look for missing config files or a misconfigured port.
Make sure the server is fully installed — use Install / Update to verify.
Disable auto-restart temporarily in Settings → General to observe the actual crash message.
Players cannot connect (Server Invisible)
The server runs locally but external players cannot find or join it. Network traffic is being blocked somewhere between the internet and your server.
Solution:
WGS manages Windows Firewall rules automatically. Verify the rule was created: open Windows Defender Firewall → Advanced Settings → Inbound Rules and look for your server's ports.
Forward the game's ports (both TCP and UDP) in your router settings. WGS cannot do this automatically without UPnP.
If your router supports it, enable UPnP in WGS settings for automatic port forwarding.
Check that your ISP does not block the port. Test with an online port checker tool.
Port Conflict Error
WGS reports that the port is already in use when trying to start the server.
Solution:
Open Task Manager → Details and look for orphaned server processes and end them.
Or change the server's port in WGS Settings tab to a free port.
Use netstat -ano | findstr :PORT in Command Prompt to identify what is using the port.
SteamCMD Download Fails or Gets Stuck
The install or update process stalls, shows errors, or SteamCMD never completes.
Solution:
Check your internet connection and Steam service status at steamstat.us.
Make sure your antivirus is not blocking steamcmd.exe — add an exception for the WGS data folder.
Delete the steamcmd subfolder in the WGS data directory and let WGS re-download it.
If behind a corporate firewall, ensure outbound TCP port 27015–27030 and port 443 are open.
RCON Not Connecting
The RCON connection fails or the Players tab shows "RCON is not connected".
Solution:
Make sure RCON is enabled in the game's server config file and that the RCON password in WGS matches.
Verify the RCON port in WGS Settings matches the port set in the server config (they are often different from the game port).
Some games only accept RCON connections once the server is fully loaded — wait a moment after start.
Check that no firewall is blocking the RCON port for localhost connections.
Web Dashboard Not Accessible
Navigating to http://your-ip:8765/ui shows "connection refused" or a blank page.
Solution:
Make sure Enable Web API is checked in Settings → Web Remote Control and you clicked Save.
Check that the status indicator next to the Web API section is green.
Confirm the port number matches — the default is 8765 but you may have changed it.
When accessing from another device, use the host machine's local IP (e.g. 192.168.x.x) not localhost.
Make sure the port is forwarded if accessing over the internet.
No Live Game Output in Console Tab (Wreckfest, Wreckfest 2, Palworld)
The WGS console tab doesn't show the game server's own output for these games — but it does still show WGS's own messages (port checks, backups, scheduled task results) and a notice explaining why.
Cause: Wreckfest, Wreckfest 2 and Palworld open their own native console window instead of piping output to WGS. This is a limitation of how those games launch their dedicated server — WGS cannot capture or inject into a native Win32 console window.
Remote commands: For Wreckfest and Wreckfest 2, remote commands via the web dashboard, REST API, Discord !cmd or the Console tab's command box also have no effect. Palworld is the exception — its admin commands (broadcast, save, shutdown, kick, ban, unban) are routed through Palworld's own REST API, so they keep working from any of those, including the Console tab.
What still works: Start, stop, restart, update and backup all function normally for all three games.
No In-Game Warning Before Automatic Restart
Daily Restart, Scheduled Restart and Auto-update don't show a countdown message to connected players.
Cause: WGS broadcasts the warning through the game's own console/RCON/REST command, and not every game has a known one. It currently works for Rust, Source-engine games (CS2, Garry's Mod, TF2, L4D2, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Black Mesa, Day of Defeat: Source and more), Minecraft, ARK: Survival Evolved, Palworld, DayZ and 7 Days to Die.
What still works: For games without a known broadcast command (e.g. Valheim, Conan Exiles, Wreckfest, The Forest), the restart itself still happens normally — only the advance warning is skipped.
Backup Not Created
Scheduled or manual backups fail silently or do not appear in the backup list.
Solution:
Verify the Server Root Path is correctly set in the server's Settings tab. WGS backs up files from this directory.
Ensure the WGS process has write permission to the backup destination folder.
Check disk space — backups will fail if the drive is full.