Why doesn't my Windrose server ask for a password despite configuration?

Usually because IsPasswordProtected is still set to false, or the server was not restarted after editing ServerDescription.json.

Windrose: Password Protection

Set a password on your Windrose game server to protect access, and securely manage password changes in the server configuration -> Learn more now

10 November 20263 min read0 Views0 helpful

Introduction

Windrose supports password protection, allowing you to restrict access to your dedicated server with a join password. In this guide, you'll learn how to activate, change, or remove the password on your Windrose server through your ZapX customer account.

Preparation

Before you start, make sure you have access to your Windrose server in your ZapX customer account and permission to edit server files.

Info

Required Access You need access to your server dashboard and file manager to edit the ServerDescription.json file.

Understanding Windrose Password Protection

Setting a password helps prevent unauthorized players from joining your Windrose game server. Players can reach the server via the invitation code but must enter the correct password before connecting.

This is useful if you want to:

restrict access to friends, team members, or a private group
protect a test server from public access
control who can join without relying on separate password managers or account passwords

Info

Password Behavior Windrose uses the password configured directly in the server file. This is independent of your ZAP Hosting account password and unrelated to password managers, Google integration, or password lists.

Enabling Password Protection

To set a password, you must first stop the server, edit the configuration file, and then restart the server.

Stop the Server

Open your server dashboard in your ZapX customer account and fully stop the server before making changes.

Warning

Stop Server Before Editing Always stop the server before editing ServerDescription.json to avoid configuration conflicts or overwriting the file during server operation.

Open Configuration File

In the panel sidebar, select Files.

Then locate and open the ServerDescription.json file in the root directory of your server file list.

Edit Password Settings

In ServerDescription.json, set the value of IsPasswordProtected to true and define your desired password in the Password field.

json

"IsPasswordProtected": true,
"Password": "YourPasswordHere"

Replace YourPasswordHere with your secure password.

Tip

Choose a Strong Password Use a unique password that you do not use as your account password or for other services. This protects your Windrose server from unwanted access.

Save and Restart Server

After editing, click Save Content.

Then restart your server from the dashboard. Your Windrose server will now require the configured password when players try to join.

Configuration Overview

The following table explains the relevant settings in ServerDescription.json:

Key	Type	Example	Description
`IsPasswordProtected`	Boolean	`true`	Enables or disables password protection
`Password`	String	`"YourPasswordHere"`	Defines the join password when password protection is enabled

Changing an Existing Password

If you want to change the password later, the process is the same as the initial setup.

Update Password Value

Stop the server, open ServerDescription.json, and change the value in the Password field to your new password.

Example:

json

"IsPasswordProtected": true,
"Password": "[your_new_password]"

The placeholder [your_new_password] stands for the new password players should use when joining.

Save Again and Restart

Save the file and restart the server to apply the password change.

Info

Password Verification If players cannot join after the password change, ask them to check their input carefully—case sensitivity matters.

Removing Password Protection

If you no longer want to protect your Windrose server with a password, you can disable the feature in the same configuration file.

Disable Setting

Stop the server and open ServerDescription.json again.

Set IsPasswordProtected to false. The value in the Password field will then be ignored.

json

"IsPasswordProtected": false,
"Password": ""

Save and Restart Server

Click Save Content and restart the server. Players can then join without a password.

Troubleshooting

If password protection does not work as expected, check the following points.

Problem	Possible Cause	Solution
Server does not ask for a password	`IsPasswordProtected` is still set to `false`	Set to `true`, save the file, and restart the server
Players cannot join with the correct password	Password was entered incorrectly	Verify the configured value and ask players to check their input carefully
Changes are not applied	Server was not restarted after editing	Restart the server after saving `ServerDescription.json`
File changes are lost	File was edited while the server was running	Stop the server first, make changes again, save, and restart

Warning

Do Not Store Sensitive Passwords Publicly Do not share your server password publicly in community posts, screenshots, or file exports. Also avoid passwords from old password lists or reusing credentials from other services.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have successfully set up password protection on your Windrose server. For further questions or assistance, our support team is available daily! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Stop the server, open the ServerDescription.json file in the Files tab, set IsPasswordProtected to true and Password to your desired password, save, and restart the server.

No, the password is configured independently in the server file and is unrelated to your account password or password managers.

Set IsPasswordProtected to false in ServerDescription.json (the Password value will then be ignored), save, and restart the server.

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Windrose: Password Protection

Introduction

Preparation

Understanding Windrose Password Protection

Enabling Password Protection

Stop the Server

Open Configuration File

Edit Password Settings

Save and Restart Server

Configuration Overview

Changing an Existing Password

Update Password Value

Save Again and Restart

Removing Password Protection

Disable Setting

Save and Restart Server

Troubleshooting

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Windrose

Preparation

Understanding Windrose Password Protection

Enabling Password Protection

Stop the Server

Open Configuration File

Edit Password Settings

Save and Restart Server

Changing an Existing Password

Update Password Value

Save Again and Restart

Removing Password Protection

Disable Setting

Save and Restart Server

Conclusion

Game Server

Servers & Hosting

ZAPX

Resources

ZAP-Hosting