Most Satisfactory server issues fall into a handful of well-known patterns. This guide covers the most common ones and how to fix them. If you're dealing with lag or rubber-banding specifically, or something mod-related, we've got dedicated guides for those linked at the bottom.
"No EncryptionToken specified, disconnecting" or Can't Join
This is almost always caused by trying to connect through the Join Game option on the main menu instead of Server Manager. Satisfactory dedicated servers aren't meant to be joined that way.
- Go to Server Manager on the main menu instead.
- Add your server by its IP address and port if it isn't already listed.
- Connect through Server Manager, not Join Game.
Our guide to joining your server covers this in full, including the first-time setup flow.
Certificate Warnings
A plain certificate warning on first connect
This is expected. Your server generates its own self-signed certificate that the game can't verify automatically. Click Confirm to trust it.
"Certificate Verify Result: certificate is not yet valid"
This one means a clock mismatch, usually on your own computer. Check that your system's date, time, and timezone are set correctly, then try connecting again.
If it persists, the issue may be a stale certificate on the server itself. Open a support ticket and our team can help reset it, this involves resetting the server's claim, so it isn't something to do without assistance.
Phantom Player (Duplicate Character)
If you get disconnected unexpectedly, sometimes from a bad connection or a server restart, you may find a duplicate of your own character standing around when you reconnect, holding all the inventory you had at the time. You'll spawn with an empty inventory instead. This is a long-standing game bug, sometimes called the idle player or offline clone bug.
- Find your duplicate character in the world.
- Attack it with any weapon until it dies. It won't fight back or show damage feedback, but it can still be killed.
- Loot the crate it drops to recover your inventory.
Server Crashes or Won't Start
Running out of memory
Larger factories and more connected players both increase how much RAM your server needs. If crashes are frequent and consistently tied to memory, an upgrade is worth it, see our performance guide for when a RAM upgrade actually helps versus when it won't fix the problem.
A corrupted autosave blocking startup
Rare, but it happens, whatever was going on in-game right as an autosave triggered caused it to save incorrectly, and now the server won't start at all.
- Open the Files tab on your MintServers panel and back up your saves folder first.
- Navigate to
.config/Epic/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server. - Find the most recent save by its Last Modified timestamp and delete it.
- Start your server.
If it still won't start, repeat with the next most recent save. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, open a support ticket and our team can help.
Trains Not Loading or Unloading
If a train stops properly loading or unloading cargo at a station, this is a known engine issue with the affected Train Station rather than anything wrong with your server.
- Load your save in single-player on your own PC.
- Rebuild the Train Station that's having the issue.
- Save the game.
- Upload that save back to your server, see our guide to uploading a save if you need a refresher on the steps.
Harmless Warnings You Can Ignore
If you check your server's Console after startup, you may see two warning messages referencing EOS (Epic Online Services), NAT Detection Failed and an EOS Analytics warning. Both are completely normal and don't indicate anything is actually wrong, the server has no real interaction with those systems and is otherwise fine.
Looking for Something Else?
- Lag, rubber-banding, or desync: Fixing Lag, Rubber-Banding & Desync
- Server won't start after adding mods: Installing Mods
- World starts partway through the HUB with no tutorial: Why Your Server Skips the Tutorial
- Setting or removing a join password: Adding a Password
- Any setting under Server Settings: Server Settings Explained
If your issue isn't listed here or in one of the guides above, no worries! Just open a support ticket and our team will be happy to take a look.