How to Fix a Windrose Server That Will Not Accept Its Invite Code

Windrose problems almost always trace back to the config file being touched at the wrong moment. Start with the panel Console, which prints the invite code at startup along with any error.

1. Read the invite code again

The code lives in ServerDescription.json and is printed by the server at startup. If the file was edited while the server was starting or running, fields including the code can be reset to defaults, which means the code you shared no longer exists.

Read the current code from the console or the file, and share the new one.

2. The shutdown order

Windrose can overwrite the config if it is edited while the server is up. The order is:

1. Stop the server.
2. Wait for the panel to report it is fully offline.
3. Edit.
4. Start.

Editing during the shutdown itself is the usual mistake, because the panel still says stopping while the server is writing its files.

3. The JSON is broken

Both ServerDescription.json and WorldDescription.json are JSON. A missing comma or brace stops the server loading, and the panel console names the file. Restore your downloaded copy, or fix the punctuation it complains about.

4. The password flag

If players say the code is accepted but they cannot get in, check the password protected flag and the password. A flag set to true with an empty or forgotten password locks everyone out.

5. The port

The port in the config must match the one allocated to your server, shown on the server overview. A wrong value gives a server that starts cleanly and cannot be reached.

6. After a game update

Windrose is actively developed and its server config changes between versions. Restart the server so it pulls the new build, then read the console from the top for anything it now rejects.

Back up before you experiment

1. Stop the server and wait for it to report offline.
2. In Files, download ServerDescription.json and the world folder.

Keeping a copy of the config also means keeping a copy of the invite code, which is worth having on its own.

What to send support

Open a ticket with the first hundred lines of console output from a fresh start and your ServerDescription.json pasted as text with the password removed.