# How to Add Mods to Your Windrose Server (/docs/windrose/server-mods)



import { File, Folder, Files } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/files';
import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps';

Windrose modding is in early days, so things are unstable. **Always back up your save before adding, removing, or updating mods** — see [Backup and Restore](/docs/windrose/backup-restore). A bad mod can corrupt a world.

> ⚠️ **Multiplayer rule:** Every player connecting to the server needs the **same mods installed on their game client** unless the mod page explicitly says it is client-side only (HUD tweaks, fog-of-war reveals, etc). A version mismatch will block joins or crash the world.

***

Where to Get Mods [#where-to-get-mods]

| Source                                            | Best for                           | Notes                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/windrose)  | Most mods, including UE4SS scripts | Largest library, manual install                                         |
| [CurseForge](https://www.curseforge.com/windrose) | Drag-and-drop pak mods             | One-click install for clients; **UE4SS mods still need manual install** |

For server-side installation, you will always be working with `.pak` files manually, regardless of where the mod was downloaded.

***

Server File Locations [#server-file-locations]

<Files>
  <Folder name="R5" defaultOpen>
    <Folder name="Binaries">
      <Folder name="Win64">
        <File name="dwmapi.dll" />

        <Folder name="UE4SS">
          <Folder name="Mods" />
        </Folder>
      </Folder>
    </Folder>

    <Folder name="Content" defaultOpen>
      <Folder name="Paks" defaultOpen>
        <Folder name="~mods" />
      </Folder>
    </Folder>
  </Folder>
</Files>

| What                 | Where                           |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Pak mods (most mods) | `R5/Content/Paks/~mods/`        |
| UE4SS runtime files  | `R5/Binaries/Win64/`            |
| UE4SS script mods    | `R5/Binaries/Win64/UE4SS/Mods/` |

Creating a `~mods` folder inside `Paks` is optional but keeps your mods grouped and easy to remove. The tilde prefix loads the folder after the base game paks, which is what you want.

***

Install a Pak Mod (Most Mods) [#install-a-pak-mod-most-mods]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    **Stop your server** from the Dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Download the mod from Nexus or CurseForge. Open the `.zip` and locate the `.pak` file (some mods also include `.ucas` and `.utoc` files — keep all of them together).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    In your panel, open **File Manager** and navigate to `R5/Content/Paks/`.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Create a new folder called `~mods` if it doesn't already exist, then open it.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    **Upload** the `.pak` file (and any `.ucas` / `.utoc` files) into `~mods`.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Start your server. Check `R5/Saved/Logs/R5.log` for any pak load errors.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Have every player install the same mod into their own `R5/Content/Paks/~mods/` folder before connecting.
  </Step>
</Steps>

> **Where players put their copy:** On a Steam install, players can find the path by right-clicking Windrose in Steam → **Manage** → **Browse Local Files**, then opening `R5/Content/Paks/`.

***

Removing a Mod [#removing-a-mod]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Stop the server.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    In **File Manager**, open `R5/Content/Paks/~mods/` and delete the mod files.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Restore your most recent pre-mod backup if the world has corruption — see [Backup and Restore](/docs/windrose/backup-restore).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Tell players to remove the same files from their client. Start the server.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

UE4SS Mods (Advanced) [#ue4ss-mods-advanced]

Some mods rely on **UE4SS**, a Lua scripting framework similar to SKSE for Skyrim. UE4SS is **known to have issues on dedicated servers** and can cause crashes or refuse to load. We recommend keeping UE4SS mods to single-player or local co-op only. If a mod you want requires UE4SS, expect to troubleshoot.

If you still want to try it on a dedicated server:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Download the **latest experimental UE4SS** release from [GitHub releases](https://github.com/UE4SS-RE/RE-UE4SS/releases) (assets section at the bottom of the latest release).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Stop the server. Extract `dwmapi.dll` and the `UE4SS` folder into `R5/Binaries/Win64/` on the server.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Open `R5/Binaries/Win64/UE4SS/UE4SS-settings.ini` and set the engine version override to:

    ```ini
    [EngineVersionOverride]
    MajorVersion = 5
    MinorVersion = 6
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Drop the **entire mod folder** (not its contents) into `R5/Binaries/Win64/UE4SS/Mods/`.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Start the server and immediately check `R5/Saved/Logs/R5.log` and the UE4SS log file in `R5/Binaries/Win64/UE4SS/` for errors.
  </Step>
</Steps>

> If the server crashes or fails to load with UE4SS installed, remove `dwmapi.dll` from `R5/Binaries/Win64/` to disable it without uninstalling — the server will start normally without UE4SS.

***

Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

**Server starts but the mod doesn't appear in-game**

* Confirm the `.pak` file is actually inside `R5/Content/Paks/~mods/` and not a nested zip folder
* Some mods ship `.ucas` and `.utoc` companion files — all three must be present
* Verify every connected player has the exact same mod files on their client

**"Version Mismatch" when players try to join**

* A mod was added or removed on the server but not on a player's client (or vice versa)
* Make sure everyone is running the same Windrose game version too — see [Update Your Server](/docs/windrose/update-server)

**Server crashes on startup after adding a mod**

* Stop the server, remove the mod files from `~mods`, start again
* Check `R5/Saved/Logs/R5.log` for the failing pak name
* Mods built for an older Windrose version often break after a game update — check the mod page for an update

**World corruption after a mod change**

* Restore your most recent pre-mod backup from [Backup and Restore](/docs/windrose/backup-restore)
* Removing a mod that added new items or world objects can leave dangling references in the save

***

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Backup and Restore](/docs/windrose/backup-restore)
* [Update Your Server](/docs/windrose/update-server)
* [Server Performance](/docs/windrose/server-performance)
* [Troubleshooting](/docs/windrose/troubleshooting)