Step 01
Download and install
One package, one script, one desktop icon. Chapter 8 shows it in five steps.
Get your first DayZ server running.
This manual takes you through all of it once: download, install, set up, run. One chapter after another, in the order you actually need them.
Step 02
Connect Steam and fetch the server files
A one-off setup on the first start. Chapter 9 walks you through it.
Step 03
Create your first server and start it
Name, map, done. DZSS allocates the ports itself.
Step 04
Mods, loot, map and backups
The everyday work. Chapter 10 has a guide for each task.
The application itself is in English. Labels therefore appear in this manual exactly as you see them in the program, for example New instance…. Only the explaining text is translated.
Read it once, confirm it once.
Before you start, you should know what you are getting into. It takes a minute and saves you trouble later.
Beta software
DZSS Server Studio is built with care and runs on real servers, but it is not finished.
BETA
The program is under development. Features may change, move or disappear again. It may contain bugs nobody has found yet, and it may behave differently from what this manual describes.
Use at your own risk
You run DZSS on your own machine and for your own servers. The program does what you tell it to, including resetting and deleting saves. Check what you just clicked before every larger step.
No warranty
There is no assurance that DZSS works without faults, is available at all times or is fit for any particular purpose. Nor is there any claim to further development, to a specific feature or to an answer within a given time.
Your responsibility
You are responsible for your data, your servers, your configuration and above all your backups. DZSS backs up automatically before restarts and before every restore, but that does not replace a backup of your own in a second place.
Keep it simple: a copy of your own before you change anything major.
Legal note
Use is free of charge. Liability for damages, data loss, downtime or misconfiguration is excluded as far as the law permits. This does not affect liability for intent and gross negligence, for injury to life, body or health, or under the German Product Liability Act. Nor does it affect liability for the culpable breach of essential obligations, which is then limited to the foreseeable, typical damage.
Mandatory consumer rights remain in place. This text is a plain-language summary and does not replace legal advice. The German wording is the binding one.
What DZSS answers for
- The program itself and the features described here
- Fixing bugs once they are reported and reproducible
- That nothing is sent to third parties: no telemetry, no accounts, no cloud
What you answer for
- Operating system, hardware and the running of your machine
- Network, router and port forwarding
- Your licences for DayZ and for paid content
- Workshop mods and what they do on your server
- Your saves, your backups and the rules on your server
Your confirmation stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
Notice confirmed. You can read it again here at any time.
What DZSS Server Studio does for you.
In two minutes: what the program is, what it was built for and who it is for.
What it is
A Windows program for managing your DayZ servers. Every server, every setting, one window. It runs on your own machine, with no account and no cloud.
The problem it solves
Running a DayZ server otherwise means copying folders, hand-editing XML, hunting for keys, writing batch files and getting up at night when the server hangs. DZSS takes exactly those chores off you.
Who it is for
For anyone who wants to run a DayZ server: from a first server of your own to several instances side by side. No prior knowledge of XML or the command line is needed.
The goal
That you look after your community instead of your folder structures. Everything a server owner touches daily should sit in one place and be done in seconds.
A full overview of all features is on the home page.
There is one person behind DZSS.
No company, no team, no investor.
I'm a developer myself and I build software for a living. At some point I decided to put that knowledge and experience to work for the DayZ community as well, and build something that genuinely adds value for server owners.In-game name: Vezir Fx, developer from Germany
Who
- Known in the DayZ community as Vezir Fx.
- Developer from Germany (KIONOVA®). Builds software for everyday use, writes mods and runs dedicated DayZ dev servers.
- Custom mods, server side as well as client side, are built on request: the quickest way is via the profiles below.
Project
- Project start: August 2026.
- Motivation: giving something back to the DayZ community, with a tool that takes real work off server owners.
Help the project along.
DZSS stays free, with no paywall and no ads. If you would still like to back the development, you can do so voluntarily.
What it helps with
- Development and new features
- Test servers and hosting costs
- Time that could not otherwise go into the project
- Maintenance after every DayZ update
- Support and looking after the community
Support without money
Report bugs, name your wishes, help others on Discord. That is worth just as much.
More ways to support the project: join the Discord, recommend DZSS and report bugs. If you would like to give money, both ways are above: monthly via Patreon or a one-off card payment via SumUp.
Thank you to everyone carrying the project.
Without them there would be neither test servers nor the time to write this manual.
GermanDayZ.gg
The German speaking DayZ community gave DZSS room in their forum. Server Studio and Launcher are presented there, and the first feedback from server owners came in there. Thank you for that.
What your support does
Support pays for development time, not for access: Server Studio and Launcher are and stay free for everyone, without an account and without unlocking. The launcher is open source on top of that.
DZSS Launcher
Open sourceA separate program for DayZ players: open source, free for everyone and independent of the Server Studio.
The DZSS Launcher is a dedicated server browser for DayZ players: search and filter servers, see ping and player counts live, keep favourites and join directly.
It is being built alongside the Studio as a separate project, and it is open source: the source code is public, anyone may read it, audit it and contribute. News about it lands in the Steam group.
For context: the DZSS Launcher is a program of its own and not part of server management. You do not need it to run your servers.
Download the DZSS Launcher
The download is free and open to everyone: no account, no unlocking, no supporter tier.
Windows 10 or 11, .NET is included. Version, size and checksum are on the launcher page; announcements about new builds go out through the Steam group.
How to start it
Two steps, no installation in the usual sense. You do not need administrator rights for this.
Step 01
Unpack the archive
Unpack the downloaded ZIP file into a folder of your choice. A folder of its own is better than the downloads folder, because the launcher stays where you put it.
Step 02
Double-click DZSS.Launcher.exe
On first start the launcher asks whether it should set itself up. Say yes and you get a shortcut on the desktop, Windows search finds it, and you can remove it again from Windows Settings under Apps. No administrator rights, no PowerShell.
On the very first start Windows shows a warning: “Windows protected your PC”. That is because the launcher is not signed yet. Click More info and then Run anyway. If you unblock the ZIP file before unpacking it (right-click, Properties, tick Unblock), you never see the warning at all.
Profiles: your in-game name, with a DayZ folder of its own
A profile is your in-game name plus a DayZ folder of its own: its own key bindings, its own graphics and sound settings, its own mod configurations. You create, switch and delete profiles in the settings under Profile.
Which profile applies on which server is set on the server itself. It is meant for servers that require a particular name or keep a whitelist by name. If you pick nothing, DayZ starts exactly as it would start without the launcher.
Steam account and characters
The settings show the Steam account you are signed in with, including a copyable ID; you need that for unlocks and whitelists. Below it are your characters: one per server, with play time, distance travelled, infected killed and the name you last played under there.
The launcher reads both from your own drive: no sign-in, no extra connection to the outside. Server passwords sit in the same DayZ file; they are not read, not stored and not displayed.
An install.ps1 still ships with the archive. You only need it if the launcher should live under Program Files for all users of the machine; that does require administrator rights. For the normal route above it is unnecessary.
Installed in five steps.
You need administrator rights and nothing else. .NET does not have to be installed, the package brings it along.
Check first
- Windows 10, 11 or Server 2019+
- Administrator rights during installation
- A Steam account that owns DayZ
- 4 GB RAM for one server without mods, 8 GB recommended
- About 3.7 GB of space, plus 3.5 GB per server
- An NTFS drive for your server data, ideally a partition of its own
Step 01
Download
Download the package from the home page. A single archive holding everything the target machine needs, including the two Microsoft runtimes the DayZ server requires.
Step 02
Unpack and copy to the server
Unpack the archive and copy the whole folder onto the machine your servers will run on. That folder is the installer, not the program: you can delete it later.
Step 03
Install as administrator
Open PowerShell as administrator, change into the copied folder and run these two lines. The first one is needed because Windows marks downloaded files and PowerShell refuses marked scripts that carry no signature; it applies to this window only and changes nothing permanently. Do not unpack app.zip by hand.
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\install-on-server.ps1
The script installs the missing runtimes, puts the program into C:\Program Files\DZSS\, sets up the background service and creates a desktop icon. Another target and further accounts go like this:
.\install-on-server.ps1 -InstallDir "D:\DZSS" -AllowedUsers "SERVER\admin"
Step 04
Start it
Start DZSS Server Studio from the desktop icon or the start menu. Do not start it from the unpacked package: there is deliberately no runnable program in there, so that two copies never run side by side and write their logs into the wrong folder.
Step 05
Prepare the data directory
Decide up front where your server data should live: an NTFS partition of its own. Not inside the installation folder, because an update replaces app\ and service\ there completely, and uninstalling deletes the whole folder. A OneDrive folder is unsuitable too, because its synchronisation corrupts saves.
D:\DZSS-Server
What you have now
The program is installed on the machine, the background service starts with Windows from now on, and there is an icon on the desktop. Setup comes next.
A later update takes the same route: close the program, copy the new package, run the installation script again. Your servers keep running meanwhile, they are separate processes. Chapter 11 walks through it step by step.
Three steps to your first server.
On the first start the program walks you through this. After that you never have to do it again.
Step 01
Connect Steam
DZSS fetches the server files and the mods through your Steam account. For that it has to sign in once.
- Click
Connect Steam…at the bottom right of the footer. - In the
Connect Steam accountwindow there is a QR code on the left underVia QR code. Open the Steam app on your phone, tap the magnifier and scan it. - Confirm the sign-in on your phone. If you prefer typing, use
Or with credentialson the right.
If it does not work
If a note next to the account name says DayZ is not part of it, this is the wrong account: without owning DayZ, Steam refuses the download of the server files. A fresh QR code appears by itself, it expires regularly.
Step 02
Pick a data directory
This is where your servers, mods and backups will live. It is the most important choice in the whole setup.
- On the first start the
Initial setupscreen is already open. Later you reach it throughData directory…in the toolbar. - Use
Browse…to pick a folder on an NTFS drive with enough space, outside the installation folder and outside OneDrive. - Read the message below the field. Red means it will not work this way; orange is advice you should follow.
If it does not work
Network drives, exFAT and ReFS are unsuitable: backups and mod links need NTFS. If DZSS reports too little free space, it names the amount required.
Step 03
Install the server files
These are the actual DayZ server files. They are fetched once and then serve every instance as a template.
- On the setup screen click
Install server files (master). - Wait for the progress bar to finish. Depending on your connection this takes a few minutes.
- Afterwards
Back to instance listtakes you back to the instance list.
If it does not work
If the download breaks off, start it again: the parts already fetched are kept. If DZSS additionally asks for a SteamCMD sign-in, that is the built-in fallback route. It is needed once per data directory.
What you have now
Steam is connected, the data directory is set, and the server files sit as a template in serverfiles\. No server ever starts from that folder: each instance gets its own copy when it is prepared. Now you can create your first server.
Day-to-day work with DZSS.
Sorted by what you want to do. Every guide has the same shape: goal, steps, result, way out.
Create a server and start it
The template becomes a self-contained instance: its own folder, its own mission, its own ports.
- On the
Instancestab clickNew instance…. - Fill in
NameandMap. DZSS allocates the ports by itself. Only if the forwarding in your router is already set do you openPortsand enterGame,Steam queryandRCON. - Optional:
Maximum players,Server password (optional)and fixed CPU cores underCPU cores. - Click
Create. DZSS then prepares the instance for you straight away. - Select the instance in the list and click
Start.
Instances tab: the toolbar at the top with New instance…, Start and Stop, and below it the servers with their state and player count.What you have now
The dot next to the instance turns green and the state changes to Running. Shortly after, the player count and uptime appear. The server is reachable.
If it does not work
If a window titled Cannot start opens, read it to the end: it names the reason and the way out. On a freshly installed machine a Microsoft runtime is almost always missing. If a port is taken, DZSS tells you which instance holds it.
The three ports cannot be changed afterwards. So if the forwarding in your router is fixed, enter them right when you create the instance.
Add mods
Get Workshop mods onto your server without players failing on a missing key.
- On the
Modstab enter the Workshop address in the field at the top and clickAdd. A link can also be dragged in. - Select the instance, mark the mod in the pool and assign it with
→ Assign. - Order it with
UpandDown. Frameworks such as@CFbelong at the top. - Click
Apply mods, then stop and start the server on theInstancestab.
What you have now
DZSS copies the mods into the instance, puts the keys in the right place and writes the load order. Until the restart a brown band points out that the change has not taken effect yet.
If it does not work
If players are rejected, a key or a dependency is almost always missing. Repair puts a single mod right again, Reapply from pool plays all assigned mods in once more. Careful: the latter overwrites mod files you changed inside the instance.
Change the loot
Adjust amounts, locations and rarity without the next DayZ update overwriting your work.
- On the
Economytab pick the instance and create a layer of your own withCreate. Your changes land there and not in the original files. - Find an item through
Filter classname…and edit the values on the right, for instanceNominal,MinorLifetime. - Many entries at once: filter, choose field and value, then
Bulk on filter. - Write it with
Apply (write override)and restart the server.
What you have now
Your changes sit in a layer of their own above the original files. The vanilla files stay untouched, a DayZ patch never touches your work.
If it does not work
Watch the Issues column and clear any complaints before writing. Whether the server accepted the change is shown by CE errors from log: clicking a message jumps to the type concerned.
Place spawn points on the map
See where something appears and move it with the mouse instead of typing coordinates.
- On the
Maptab pick the instance and clickGenerate map. This happens once per world and is cached afterwards. - Choose between
EventsandPlayer spawnsat the bottom. - Drag markers with the mouse. New points via
Add position (click on map), delete with the Del key. - Make it take effect with
Apply now (soft reset). A fullWipeis not needed for this.
What you have now
The points live in this instance's mission. Since every instance has its own mission, you can run two servers on the same map quite differently. A backup is taken before anything is reset.
If it does not work
If the map stays empty, read the status line or the Cannot generate the map window: the reason and the way out are in there. Sakhal needs an extra source file, because the server ships no terrain for that world.
Back up and restore
Hold on to a state you can go back to when a change goes wrong.
- On the
Backupstab pick the instance. Back up persistencesaves only the game state and works on a running server too.Back up complete instancesaves the whole folder. The instance has to be stopped for that.- To bring it back, select the backup and choose
Restore…. As a safeguard you have to type the name of the instance.
What you have now
The backup appears in the list. Before every restore DZSS additionally writes a safety copy of the current state, so the way back stays open as well.
If it does not work
If the action is refused, the instance is usually still running. Stop it and try again. Backups survive even deleting the instance, by the way. From a complete backup, Recreate instance… builds the instance again.
Monitoring and schedules
The server should keep running and speak up even when you are not sitting in front of it.
- Monitoring runs by itself: DZSS queries every server every 30 seconds and restarts it when it stops answering.
- Create a schedule under
Restart schedules: pick aPreset…or enter an expression of your own, thenAdd. Warnings go out to the players automatically 15, 10, 5 and 1 minute before. - Set up recurring announcements under
Scheduled messages. For a single announcement tickone-offand enter a point in time. - The field
Broadcast message to all players…plusSendreaches your players right away. The player list offersKickandBan.
What you have now
Before every scheduled restart a backup is written, then the server is shut down cleanly and started again. Messages only go out once the server can actually accept them.
If it does not work
If the player list is still empty after a start, that is normal: it appears as soon as BattlEye accepts the connection. Use plain characters only in messages to players, otherwise they arrive garbled in the in-game chat.
Switch on DZSSLink
Follow the chat, answer players directly and see where someone is, without launching DayZ yourself.
- On the
Modstab clickActivateon theDZSSLinktile at the bottom. - Stop the server and start it again. From then on the server mod is active.
- On the
DZSSLinktab you follow the chat. The recipient field lets you write to everyone or to a single player. - On the
Maptab,Show playersshows the player positions.
What you have now
DZSS packs the server mod itself and puts it into the instance. Your players install nothing for it, download nothing and need no key. Your server stays in the ordinary server list instead of the modded filter.
If it does not work
If the tab reports that the installed copy comes from another DZSS version, click Deactivate once and then Activate again. That delivers the server mod anew. Writing to a single player only works with DZSSLink, RCON alone cannot do it.
Read the status correctly
The interface tells you at any moment how your servers are doing. You only have to know where to look.
- The dot in front of each instance is green for
Running, orange forStarting,StoppingandUnresponsive, red forCrashedand grey forStopped. - If the row says
⚠ not prepared, the instance has to be prepared first. It will not start otherwise. - An orange band in the detail area reports something that needs your attention: missing or wrongly bound firewall rules, a switched-off firewall, or an instance still running the older build after a DayZ update.
- At the bottom left you see whether the connection to the background service is up:
Service connectedwith a green dot is the normal case.
What you have now
If no band is shown, nothing is open. DZSS deliberately shows no green all-clear for things it has not really checked.
If it does not work
If a message carries an identifier in the form ERR-1A2B3C, the same identifier sits in the log next to the full cause. Note it down when you ask for help.
A new version without stopping a single server.
An update replaces the program, not your servers. Those keep running, and nobody is dropped from the game.
Why nobody gets dropped
- Every server is a process of its own and not part of the program. It keeps running even while nothing of DZSS is open.
- Once the background service is back, it finds the running servers by itself and takes them over again with state, log, chat, RCON and monitoring.
- Only
app\andservice\in the installation folder are replaced. Your data directory with instances, mods and backups lives elsewhere and is not touched.
Step 01
Check what you are running
The installed version stands in the footer at the bottom left, for example Service connected (v0.1.9). The current number is on the home page, and below it, under "What changed", what it brings along.
If dzss.eu lists a newer version, the footer shows the Update available notice next to it by itself; a click opens the download page. The check runs once per program start, silently and without telemetry. The gear at the top right opens the settings with the details of the installed version.
Step 02
Download the package and copy it over
Same as the first time: download the archive, unpack it, copy the whole folder onto the machine. Keep the package folder of the version you were running so far; it is your way back.
Step 03
Close the interface only
Close DZSS Server Studio. Do not stop your servers, they run right through it. If the interface is still open, the script stops before it touches anything and names the folder it was started from.
Step 04
Run the same script once more
Open PowerShell as administrator, change into the copied folder and run the same two lines as during the installation. The script stops the background service, replaces app\ and service\ completely and starts it again. That your DayZ servers keep running meanwhile, it tells you outright.
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\install-on-server.ps1
If you gave a target of your own or further accounts at installation time, the same details belong here again:
.\install-on-server.ps1 -InstallDir "D:\DZSS" -AllowedUsers "SERVER\admin"
If it does not work
Without -InstallDir the script puts the new version into C:\Program Files\DZSS\ and points the service at it, while the previous installation folder stays behind unused. Without -AllowedUsers only the account doing the installation is left, and the others can no longer reach the service.
Step 05
Have a quick look
Start the interface from the desktop icon. The footer now carries the new number, and your servers stand unchanged at Running, with their uptime carrying on.
What you have now
The program is new, everything else stands as before: instances, mods, backups, schedules and the Steam login. No server was stopped for it, so no player noticed a thing.
If it does not work
If the service does not come up after the update, the script says so and names the log folder. The way back is the same way: run the installation script from the older package folder once more. Your server data stays untouched by all of it, as it lives outside the installation folder.
Not to be confused: this replaces DZSS. When DayZ gets a newer server build, the program reports that itself with a band above the instance list, and Update server files pulls it in. Running instances are announced, shut down cleanly and started again there, because the server files themselves change.
Seven habits that spare you trouble.
None of it is compulsory. All of it has proven itself in practice.
Back up before you change anything big
DZSS backs up automatically before every restart and every restore. Before larger rebuilds a deliberate backup of your own, with a note on it, is still worth it.
Change one thing at a time
Three changes at once and the server no longer starts: then you do not know which one did it. Change, start, take a quick look, carry on.
Take the beta status seriously
Do not test new things first on the server where fifty people are playing right now. A second instance for trying things out is created in a minute.
Read error messages to the end
The messages nearly always name the reason and the way out. If a message is too long for the status line, DZSS shows it as a window as well.
Stay on the current version
Bugs get fixed, and a fix only helps the person who has it. How you put a new version in place is in chapter 11.
Prepare again after every DayZ update
Otherwise your instance keeps running the older build and rejects updated players. DZSS shows you with a band which instance is affected.
Keep data and program apart
The data directory belongs on an NTFS partition of its own, not in the installation folder and not in a cloud folder. That way your servers survive every update unharmed.
Something stuck?
The cases that come up most often. Pick the one that applies to you.
The program does not start.
Start it from the desktop icon, not from the unpacked package. If it still does not come up, run the diagnostics report in the installation folder as administrator. It lands in the log folder and says what is missing.
.\collect-diagnostics.ps1
The server does not start, or it is gone immediately.
On a freshly installed machine one of the two Microsoft runtimes is almost always missing. The DayZ server then quits at once and writes no log at all. DZSS checks this before every start and names exactly the missing package and where to get it; the installation script brings both along.
I cannot see my server in the server list.
Look for an orange band in the detail area of the instance and create the rules with Create rules. Beyond that, people from outside only get in if the ports are forwarded in your router. That stays your job.
Players are rejected when joining.
Two causes cover nearly every case: a missing mod key, or a DayZ update after which the instance has not been prepared again. Use the repair on the Mods tab, and stop the instance for Prepare again.
Something stopped working after a change.
Undo the last change rather than adding more. If that does not help, stop the instance and restore the state from before the change on the Backups tab. The current state is backed up automatically as part of that.
The map stays empty.
Read the status line on the map tab first, it names the reason. Sakhal needs an extra source file, because the server ships no terrain for that world. If the whole tab stays empty while everything else works, the Microsoft display component is missing, which Windows Server does not include. Every other tab then carries on normally.
The DZSS Launcher does not start.
Download the latest version and restart the machine once. Make sure Windows 10 or 11 is fully updated. If that does not help, open a ticket on Discord; describe what happens at startup and what does not.
Still not solved?
Open a ticket on Discord and bring the log folder along: the Logs button at the bottom of the footer writes a fresh diagnostics report into it and then opens the folder. No passwords are in there. With that folder and the error identifier, one answer usually settles what went wrong.
You are not on your own with this.
Questions, bugs and wishes all come together on Discord, each request as its own ticket. That is where I answer fastest.
Discord: help by ticket
The official place to go for support, bugs and wishes. Every request gets its own ticket so nothing gets lost.
Send the logs along
The Logs button in the footer writes a diagnostics report and then opens the folder. Name the identifier from the error message as well.
How to open a ticket
Join the server and open the category of the program in question: DZSS Server Studio or DZSS Launcher. Both have the same channels. For help with setup and operation go to support-setup-help and open your ticket there. A bug belongs in bugs-issues, a wish in feature-requests, a special request in custom-requests.
Tell me what is missing
This manual too grows on what gets reported. Is a chapter missing, a step unclear, or does something no longer match the program? Say so on Discord.
Legal matters have pages of their own: legal notice and privacy.