Rust server will not startThe most common causes after an update, a wipe and a plugin installation

Published on August 9, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

First: read the console

Rust logs the startup in the console in the web interface. Unlike Minecraft, the decisive line is often not at the very end - look for the first line that refers to a module, a plugin or a file.

Two patterns are enough to narrow it down: if the startup aborts before the world is loaded, it is the framework or the startup parameters. If it aborts during or after loading the map, it is about the save, the map or plugins.

After the force wipe: outdated framework

By far the most common case. On the first Thursday of the month, Facepunch rolls out the big update - and the game update overwrites the Oxide or Carbon extension. Until the framework has been updated to the new version, the server does not start or starts without plugins.

• Oxide/uMod needs a matching new version after every force wipe - see Install Oxide / uMod.
• Carbon is usually available faster after the update - see Install Carbon.
• Both installed at the same time is a guaranteed startup error. Only one framework may ever be active.

On wipe day, the rule is therefore: update the framework first, then check the plugins. The cycle behind it is explained in Force wipe & wipe cycle.

A plugin blocks the startup

Plugins are loaded at startup; a plugin built for an older framework version can abort the process. The console then shows the file name right before the error.

1. Temporarily empty the entire plugin folder and start - if the server runs, it is a plugin.
2. Copy the plugins back in halves and restart each time until the culprit is identified.
3. Download a version of the affected plugin that matches the current version.

A faulty plugin configuration can also prevent the startup: a broken JSON file in the configuration folder can be deleted, and the plugin creates it again at the next start. Details in Install & configure plugins.

Corrupted save or map

After a hard crash, the save file can be corrupted. Rust stores several backup states in the identity folder - an older state can be copied in place of the broken one.

With a custom map, there is another source of errors: if the stored URL is no longer reachable or the file is damaged, the startup aborts while loading the map. To test, switch the server to a procedural map once - if it starts then, it is the custom map.

The clean way out in both cases is a wipe: it costs you the save, but is guaranteed to bring the server back up.

Errors in server.cfg and startup parameters

Some Rust convars only work as startup parameters and not in the server.cfg - above all server.worldsize and server.seed. If they are in the wrong place, the server either starts with unexpected values or not at all.

• Invalid worldsize - the usable range is roughly between 1000 and 6000.
• A typo in a convar name - Rust aborts hard on some errors.
• Quotation marks in the server name or description that break the line.

When in doubt, remove the line you changed last and restart. Which values go where is explained in Change worldsize & seed.

Narrow it down step by step

If you are not sure which of the four causes applies, work from the outside in and change only one thing at a time:

1. Check the framework. Right after a monthly update, this is the first suspect - restart once the matching framework version is available.
2. Start without plugins. If the server comes up with an empty plugin folder, the framework and the save are fine.
3. Test with a procedural map. If the server only fails with your custom map, you have found the cause.
4. Undo the last configuration change. A single faulty line is enough.

Before you delete or overwrite anything, download the identity folder and the configuration via WebFTP or SFTP - with us, backups are self-service across the board, see Create backups. Then even a failed repair attempt costs you nothing.

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