How to Fix a 7 Days to Die Server That Keeps Crashing
7 Days to Die crashes are usually one of a handful of known causes — EAC blocking a modded client, too little RAM for an overhaul mod, or a malformed serverconfig.xml. Here's how to diagnose and fix each one.
EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat) blocking modded clients
EAC is enabled by default and will disconnect or crash connections for anyone running mods, since most mods aren't EAC-signed. Fix: set EACEnabled=false in serverconfig.xml for any modded server.
Too little RAM for an overhaul mod
Darkness Falls, Ravenhearst and similar overhaul mods add substantially more entities and structures than vanilla; 8 GB, the vanilla minimum, is routinely too tight. Fix: budget 12-16 GB for a populated overhaul server.
Outdated mod after a game patch
7DTD's modding API can break when the base game updates; a mod built for the previous version loaded on a newer one throws on startup. Fix: check the mod author's page for an explicit compatibility note before updating the base game.
serverconfig.xml misconfiguration
A malformed or duplicated XML tag — common after manual edits — causes an immediate crash on boot before any gameplay happens. Fix: validate the XML structure, or restore the default template and reapply changes one at a time.
Corrupted save from an interrupted write
Killing the process instead of a graceful shutdown during an autosave can corrupt the save folder, crashing on next load. Fix: restore from the most recent automatic backup; always use the proper shutdown command, not a hard kill.
Map seed or size mismatch after a config change
Changing GameWorld or WorldGenSeed on an existing save without a full world wipe causes chunk-generation errors and crashes. Fix: keep seed settings untouched for an existing save, or wipe fully — not partially — when intentionally changing them.
FAQ
Why does my server crash only for players running mods?+
How much RAM do I need for an overhaul mod?+
Can editing serverconfig.xml by hand break the server?+
Overhaul mods without the EAC guesswork
CoalHost pre-configures EAC and RAM correctly for modded 7 Days to Die from the first boot.
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