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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →ARK: Survival Evolved has two separate password settings. ServerPassword controls whether a player may join; ServerAdminPassword unlocks administrator commands after a player is connected. For a private server with moderation or cheat controls, set both to different values. Setting only the admin password will not stop ordinary players from joining.
What each ARK password does
The names are easy to confuse because both are configured as server parameters, but they protect different stages of a connection.
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| Setting | Purpose | When it is used | What happens if it is absent |
|---|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Join password for the server | Entered by a player before connecting | The server does not require a player join password |
ServerAdminPassword |
Administrator authentication | Entered in the in-game console with enablecheats |
Players are not granted administrator access through this setting |
These controls are independent. A server can require a join password without giving players administrative privileges, or it can have an admin password while remaining open to anyone who can find it. A private server normally uses both: the first password admits approved players, and the second is shared only with trusted administrators.
Before changing anything
- Stop the server. Shut it down cleanly before editing a startup script or configuration file. This prevents a running process from rewriting your changes when it exits.
- Choose two different values. Use one non-obvious password for players and a separate, stronger value for administrators. Do not reuse a personal account password.
- Know how your server starts. A self-hosted dedicated server may use a batch file or shell script. A managed server may write an INI file and also add arguments through a control panel.
- Keep the exact spelling and capitalization. Parameter names must be written as
ServerPasswordandServerAdminPassword. - Do not add quotation marks in the documented parameter values. The configuration reference specifies unquoted values.
Windows dedicated server: add passwords to the launch command
The Windows setup example uses the server executable and query-string-style arguments. A complete command has this form:
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ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Replace each angle-bracket value with your server’s actual value. The important additions are ?ServerPassword=... and ?ServerAdminPassword=.... The other arguments identify the map, session name, network ports and player limit; retain the values your existing server already uses.
Example with both passwords
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=PrivateIsland?ServerPassword=JoinOnly-7pQ2?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=10?ServerAdminPassword=Admin-4vN8In this example, players enter JoinOnly-7pQ2 when connecting. An administrator does not use that value for console access; the administrator enters Admin-4vN8 with enablecheats after joining.
Making the server open to joins again
To remove the join requirement, delete the entire ?ServerPassword=... segment, including the question mark and parameter name. Do not leave an empty parameter such as ?ServerPassword=. Removing only ServerAdminPassword changes administrator authentication; it does not remove a join password that is still present.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsEditing a Windows batch file safely
- Stop the ARK server process.
- Open the batch file or shortcut that launches
ShooterGameServer.exe. - Insert
?ServerPassword=your_join_valuein the argument string and add?ServerAdminPassword=your_admin_valueelsewhere in the same string. - Save the file without surrounding either value in quotation marks.
- Start the server from that file and wait until it is fully online.
- Test with a permitted player account, then test administrator access separately.
Linux dedicated server: use the equivalent startup script
Linux uses the same ARK parameters. Place the equivalent launch command in a shell script in the server’s Linux binary directory. The setup material refers to ShooterGame/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux and also describes the binary path as ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux; use the directory that contains your installed Linux server executable.
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./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Save the command in a file such as server_start.sh. From the directory containing the script, make it executable:
chmod +x server_start.shThen run the script using your normal server-management method. Keep the same separation of duties: the value after ServerPassword= is for joining, and the value after ServerAdminPassword= is for administrator authentication.
Linux checklist
- Confirm the script starts the intended map and server installation.
- Check that both parameters are on the same launch command as the executable.
- Verify the script has execute permission after editing or replacing it.
- Restart the server after every password change; an already-running process will not reliably pick up a modified script.
Configuration-file method: GameUserSettings.ini
Servers managed through a control panel commonly store these values in GameUserSettings.ini. The configuration reference defines the entries as follows:
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ServerPassword=your_join_value
ServerAdminPassword=your_admin_valueEnter the values without quotation marks. The first line is the password players must provide to join. The second is used to gain administrator access through the in-game console.
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Editing the INI file
- Stop the server from its control panel or service manager.
- Open the server’s
GameUserSettings.ini. - Add or replace the
ServerPasswordandServerAdminPasswordentries using the exact spelling shown above. - Save the file.
- Start or restart the server.
- Join with the new player password and verify administrative access with the new admin password.
Do not assume that an INI edit is the only source of truth on a managed host. A provider’s panel can write the INI while a custom startup command supplies another value. If both locations contain a join password, the command-line setting may override the file or continue to apply after the file is cleared.
Why an old password can keep working
If players can still join with a previous password, inspect the provider’s startup or custom-command field as well as GameUserSettings.ini. Remove or update the old ?ServerPassword=... argument, save the panel configuration, and restart the server. Clearing only the INI entry is not sufficient when the launch command still supplies a password.
How administrators authenticate after joining
The admin password does not act as a second join password. First connect using the player join password, if one is configured. When you need administrative commands, open the in-game console and enter:
enablecheats <admin_password>Replace <admin_password> with the exact value configured for ServerAdminPassword. Once the server accepts it, the session can use the administrative commands available to that ARK server. Share this value only with people who should have those powers.
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Common authentication mistake
Entering the admin password in the server browser’s join-password prompt will fail because that prompt checks ServerPassword. Conversely, entering the join password after enablecheats will not authenticate as an administrator. Keep the two values labeled separately in your password manager or team documentation.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
The password parameters are the same, but the practical workflow differs according to who controls the server process.
| Decision point | Self-hosted dedicated server | Managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Startup arguments | You edit the batch file, shortcut or Linux shell script directly. | A panel may expose a custom command field or generate the command for you. |
GameUserSettings.ini access |
You normally have direct filesystem access. | Access depends on the provider’s file manager, FTP/SFTP feature or support policy. |
| Password rotation | Change the script or INI, then restart the service yourself. | Change the panel setting or file, then use the panel’s restart control. |
| Backup and recovery | You are responsible for copying configuration and save files before edits. | The provider may offer backups, but retention and restore behavior are provider-specific. |
| Platform support | The documented examples cover Windows and Linux paths and commands. | The host determines which ARK edition, operating system and file controls are actually available. |
| Override risk | Your own launch script is usually the place to check. | A command-line value can override or outlast an INI value, so inspect both. |
Before choosing a managed service, confirm that it supports the ARK: Survival Evolved edition you run, exposes both password settings, allows the restarts your change requires, and provides a way to inspect or clear custom startup arguments. Those capabilities vary by provider and plan.
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Password-change and removal procedures
Changing the player join password
- Stop the server.
- Change the value after
ServerPassword=in the startup command, the INI file, or both locations used by your host. - Remove any stale command-line value if the server is managed through a panel.
- Save the changes and restart.
- Give the new value only to the people who should join.
- Test that the new value works and the old value no longer does.
Changing the administrator password
- Stop the server.
- Replace the value after
ServerAdminPassword=in every active configuration location. - Restart the server.
- Join with the player password and run
enablecheats <new_admin_password>. - Discard the old administrator value from shared notes and password managers.
Removing password protection entirely
To make the server open to joins, remove the complete ?ServerPassword=... argument from the launch command, or remove the corresponding ServerPassword setting from the active configuration. Check for a second command-line definition before restarting. Removing ServerAdminPassword alone does not open the server; it only removes or changes the administrator credential.
Troubleshooting password problems
Players can join without entering a password
- Check that the active launch command actually contains
?ServerPassword=.... - Check
GameUserSettings.iniif the server is panel-managed. - Restart after saving; editing a file while the old process is running does not change that process’s current settings.
- Confirm you edited the configuration for the correct server instance and map, not a backup or unused installation.
Players are rejected even with the new password
- Look for a second, older
ServerPasswordvalue in a custom command line. - Check for typographical errors, extra spaces or quotation marks.
- Verify that the server was restarted after the change.
- Give players the join password, not the administrator password.
The admin password does not work
- Join the server first;
ServerAdminPasswordis not entered in the server browser. - Run
enablecheats <admin_password>in the in-game console. - Use the exact current value from the active startup command or INI file.
- If the value was recently changed, restart and try again rather than relying on an existing session.
Removing the INI value did not remove the join password
This usually indicates that a managed host is still passing ?ServerPassword=... through its custom startup command. Clear or update that command-line setting, then restart. Check both configuration layers whenever a value appears to survive an edit.
Security practices for a private ARK server
- Use distinct player and administrator passwords so a leaked join credential does not automatically grant console access.
- Choose values that are not the server name, map name, owner name or a predictable sequence.
- Limit distribution of the admin value to the smallest trusted group.
- Rotate the player password when the membership of the server changes, and rotate the admin value when an administrator no longer has access.
- After each rotation, test both admission and console authentication from a permitted account.
- Back up the relevant configuration before making edits so you can restore the previous working command if the server fails to start.
- When using a hosting panel, review both its visible password fields and any custom command or advanced-arguments field.
Quick verification checklist
- The server is stopped before files or startup arguments are changed.
ServerPasswordcontains the value intended for ordinary players.ServerAdminPasswordcontains a different value intended only for administrators.- Values are unquoted and parameter names are spelled exactly.
- There is no conflicting password in a provider command line.
- The server has been restarted after the edit.
- A permitted player can join with the join password.
- An administrator can run
enablecheats <admin_password>after joining. - An old password no longer works after rotation.
The essential distinction
Use ServerPassword to control admission and ServerAdminPassword to control administrator authentication. Configure both in the active startup command or configuration file, restart the server, and check a managed host’s command-line override whenever an old value persists. That sequence gives you a password-protected ARK server without confusing the password players use to connect with the credential that unlocks administrative commands.
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