Fix common Terraria server errors

Most Terraria server problems are a version mismatch, the wrong game, or a world path that doesn’t match. Start at the top and work down.

Joining problems

You are not using the same version as this server.

Why: Your game and the server are on different Terraria versions. You also see it when you join a vanilla or TShock server from tModLoader.

Fix:

1. Update Terraria. On Steam, restart Steam if no update shows.
2. If the server is behind, restart it from Overview. It installs the newest version on start, unless you pinned one in Settings.
3. Phone players sometimes get updates later than PC. They join again once theirs arrives.
4. Check you started the right game: normal Terraria for vanilla and TShock, tModLoader for a tModLoader server.

You cannot connect to a tModLoader Server with an unmodded client

Why: The server runs tModLoader, and you joined from normal Terraria.

Fix: start tModLoader from your Steam library, then join with Join via IP. It’s free for anyone who owns Terraria.

You are on tModLoader …, server is on tModLoader …

Why: Your tModLoader and the server’s are on different versions. tModLoader updates once a month.

Fix:

1. Update tModLoader in Steam.
2. If the server is behind, restart it from Overview so it updates.
3. If you joined a beta branch in Steam, like 1.4.5-dev, switch back to the normal version.

Incorrect password

Fix: check the password in Settings and type it again. Passwords are case-sensitive. If it was just changed, restart the server so the new one applies.

You are banned from this server.

Why: Someone banned you, or banned another player on the same IP address.

Fix: ask the owner. On vanilla and tModLoader, they stop the server and delete your lines from banlist.txt in Files. On TShock, they use /ban list and /ban del <number>.

(name) is already on this server.

Why: A character with the same name is already in the world. It can also happen when you rejoin right after your game dropped, before the server notices you left.

Fix: wait a minute and join again. If a friend uses the same character name, one of you picks another character.

Lost connection

Why: The link between your game and the server broke. Often it’s the player’s own connection, or the server restarted.

Fix:

1. Check the status on Overview. If it says Running, join again.
2. If it’s only one player, have them try a wired connection or turn off their VPN.
3. If everyone drops, look at the Console for a crash helper card.

The game stays on connecting

Why: The port is wrong, or the server is still starting or waking.

Fix:

1. Check you used the port from the address card on Overview, not 7777.
2. Wait until Overview says Running, then join again.
3. Open the wake link, play.wilderack.com/w/terrarium, then try once more.

Server is full

Why: On TShock, MaxSlots limits players, and it starts at 8.

Fix: raise MaxSlots in tshock/config.json and Max players in Settings, then restart. See the config reference.

World and save problems

The server made a new world instead of loading mine

Why: The world line in serverconfig.txt doesn’t point at your world file, so the server made a new world at that path.

Fix:

1. Stop the server.
2. In Files, find your .wld file in the worlds folder. tModLoader worlds are in tModLoader/Worlds.
3. Choose that world in Settings, or set world= to its full path. Capitals count.
4. Start the server.

The new, empty world does no harm. Delete it later if you like.

Load failed!

Why: The game shows this when a world in your world list won’t load, often because a save was cut short.

Fix:

1. Choose Load Backup. It uses the .bak file from the save before.
2. If it says No backup found, and the world came from your server, download a backup from Backups instead.

If the server itself can’t load its world, the Console shows an error. Restore a backup in Backups. We make a safety backup of the current state first.

My world doesn’t show up in tModLoader

Why: tModLoader keeps its own Worlds folder, apart from vanilla. A world made on a newer Terraria version than tModLoader supports is marked (LaterVersion) and can’t load yet.

Fix: upload the world to the tModLoader/Worlds folder. If it’s a newer vanilla world, wait for tModLoader to update, or play it on a vanilla server. See vanilla, tModLoader or TShock.

Server problems

The server won’t start after adding a mod or plugin

Why: The mod or plugin doesn’t match your tModLoader or TShock version, or it needs another mod.

Fix:

1. Read the last lines in the Console. They usually name the mod or plugin.
2. Remove it in Mods, or delete it from Mods or ServerPlugins through Files.
3. Or restore the backup we made before the mod change.

The server crashes when people play

Why: Usually not enough memory, often after adding mods.

Fix:

1. Look at the crash helper card in the Console and follow its hint.
2. Check the RAM graph. If it hit your plan’s limit, move up a plan or remove some mods. See performance.
3. If RAM was fine, send us the console lines from the crash card.

TShock setup code doesn’t work

Why: TShock turns the setup code off once any account exists, even one a player made with /register.

Fix: type user add <name> <password> owner in the Console, then log in from the game with /login <name> <password>.

Still stuck?

Write to us at support@wilderack.com with your server’s name and what you see. Real people read every message.