How to Change DayZ Server Settings Without Them Resetting

To change DayZ server settings so they stick, edit the file that owns each one: server rules in serverDZ.cfg, gameplay in mpmissions/<mission>/cfggameplay.json (only read when serverDZ.cfg has enableCfgGameplayFile = 1;), and loot in mpmissions/<mission>/db/types.xml. All of it applies to your existing world after a restart. Two things undo edits: a host panel that rewrites serverDZ.cfg lines on every start, and game updates that replace files inside the vanilla mission folders such as dayzOffline.chernarusplus.

What you can change on an existing world

Bases, characters and vehicles live in storage_1 inside the mission folder, and none of the settings above touch it.

Which file owns which setting?

Every option in the main file is in DayZ serverDZ.cfg explained, and the gameplay file in DayZ cfggameplay.json explained.

Step 1: Back up first

Press Backup, or copy serverDZ.cfg and the whole mission folder (including storage_1) somewhere safe. One missing semicolon in serverDZ.cfg or a broken XML tag in types.xml stops the server from starting, and the backup is your undo.

Step 2: Stop the server

DayZ reads its config once at start, so edits to a running server do nothing until the next restart. Stopping first also means nothing is mid save when you touch the mission folder.

Step 3: Change the right file

In serverDZ.cfg, every line ends with a semicolon and uses straight quotes:

respawnTime = 10;
enableCfgGameplayFile = 1;
disableBaseDamage = 1;
motd[] = {"Welcome", "Discord: example"};

Then edit cfggameplay.json for gameplay. Without enableCfgGameplayFile = 1; the server ignores that file entirely and runs built in values, which is the most common reason stamina or building changes "do nothing". Some keys, like disableBaseDamage, exist in both files. Once the JSON is on, change them there and keep the serverDZ.cfg value the same so you are not guessing which one won.

For loot, edit the nominal (target count) and min values in types.xml. Our types.xml loot guide walks through it.

Step 4: Start and check the log

Start the server and watch the console. A broken XML file usually shows up as an error naming the file and line, and a broken serverDZ.cfg usually stops the server right after launch. Join and check the change in game.

The panel lines you should not edit by hand

Most hosts manage part of serverDZ.cfg for you. On GamezServers, these lines are written from your Settings on every start, so editing them in the file is undone at the next restart:

Everything else in the file, and every mission file, is yours to edit.

The gotcha: updates overwrite the vanilla mission folder

When Bohemia ships a DayZ update, the server updates itself on the next start, and the patch can replace files in the stock mission folders, dayzOffline.chernarusplus, dayzOffline.enoch and dayzOffline.sakhal. Your tuned types.xml or cfggameplay.json silently goes back to vanilla, and loot suddenly feels wrong a week after a patch.

The fix is to run a copy that updates never touch:

1. Stop the server and back up.
2. Copy the whole mission folder, storage_1 included, to a new name. Keep the map's name after the dot, for example custom.chernarusplus for Chernarus or custom.enoch for Livonia.
3. Point the server at it: set Map to custom.chernarusplus in Settings, or change template in serverDZ.cfg on a self hosted server.
4. Start the server. Your world loads from the copy, because storage_1 came with it.

After each update, compare the new vanilla files with your copy and bring over anything Bohemia added, such as new items in types.xml.

Common problems

• Server closes right after starting: a missing ; or curly quotes in serverDZ.cfg, or a template name with no matching folder in mpmissions.
• Name, password or time settings revert: the panel writes those lines on every start. Change them in Settings.
• cfggameplay.json changes do nothing: enableCfgGameplayFile = 1; is missing, or you edited the file in a different mission folder from the one the server loads.
• Loot back to vanilla after a patch: the update replaced the stock mission files. Run a renamed copy.
• Fresh world after switching map: each mission has its own storage_1. Switch back to find the old world untouched.
• Loot changes not visible yet: items already spawned stay until their lifetime runs out. Give it time, or wipe loot only.

Changing settings on GamezServers

On a DayZ server from GamezServers, the common rules are plain settings in Settings, and the rest of serverDZ.cfg and every mission file is in the Files tab or over SFTP. Press Backup before editing, and restart to apply. Workshop mods and their keys update on each start, so a renamed mission folder is worth setting up early on modded servers too. See the best DayZ server mods for what groups run.

FAQ

Why do my DayZ server settings reset after a restart?

Your host's panel rewrites some serverDZ.cfg lines on every start, so change those in the panel. If loot or gameplay files reset after a patch, the update replaced the vanilla mission folder.

Do I need to wipe my DayZ server to change settings?

No. Settings, cfggameplay.json and types.xml all apply to the existing world after a restart. Only a persistence wipe clears bases and characters.

Why is cfggameplay.json not working?

The server only reads it when serverDZ.cfg contains enableCfgGameplayFile = 1;, and only from the mission folder it actually loads.

How do I stop DayZ updates overwriting types.xml?

Copy the mission folder to a new name such as custom.chernarusplus, with storage_1 inside, and point the server's map at it. Updates only touch the stock folders.