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Project Zomboid console lines that look like errors but are normal

Project ZomboidUpdated Oct 18, 20264 min read

A healthy Project Zomboid server prints hundreds of lines marked ERROR or WARN while it starts, and still reaches *** SERVER STARTED ****. They come from the game's own data and from the way it starts. If the badge says Online and players can join, you can ignore the lines below.

Lines you can ignore

You seeWhat it is
ERROR: Sound ... Missing ThumpSound for breakable object fencing_01_1The game's own data is missing a sound entry. Many lines, one per object
ERROR: WorldGen ... Property Name not found: ladderW with a long stack of zombie.core... linesA game data warning at start. Harmless on a working server
WARN : General ... Could not find icon: Build_ShelvesMetal, script = ...A missing icon in the game's build menu data
ERROR: General ... Sanitizing container name 'Large Bucket', name may not contain whitespaces.A game data tidy-up message
WARN : Lua ... recursive require(): ...WorldGen.luaA script loading message
ERROR: ld.so: object 'libjsig.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (cannot open shared object file): ignored.A helper library is not needed here. The word ignored is in the line
WARNING: A restricted method in java.lang.System has been calledA Java notice about the game's native libraries
A Steam API failure tag followed by Tried to access Steam interface SteamNetworkingUtils004 before SteamAPI_Init succeeded.A Steam message during start. The server still starts, and the panel can read players over RCON
If the server hangs here, set UPnP=false. then No UPnP-enabled Internet gateway found, you must configure port forwarding on your gateway manually...The game looks for a home router. You never need port forwarding on PlayNHost
ERROR: General ... invalid room metaID ... while reading map_meta.bin and not adding suspicious zoneGame map data notices

These come from a recorded start of a working Build 42 server. Another build may print different ones.

Lines worth reading

You seeWhat it means
required mod "<name>" not foundA mod needs another mod that is missing: How to fix the mod load order on your Project Zomboid server
pnh-workshop-check: WARNING item <number> failed to downloadA Workshop item was dropped: Your Project Zomboid mods do nothing
[playnhost] WARNING: Workshop Item IDs are set but Workshop Mod IDs is emptyMods will download but stay off: How to add a Workshop mod to your Project Zomboid server
A Lua error that is followed by a stop, after you edited a settings or sandbox file by handThe edit probably broke the file: Your Project Zomboid server will not start
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException right after a Workshop lineA Workshop item failed in the game itself: remove the newest item

How to tell

Check the order of events. If *** SERVER STARTED **** came after the line, the line did not stop the server. Use the Console search box and the Errors filter to look at one kind at a time: How to use the Console on your Project Zomboid server.

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