This page is the symptom-to-fix lookup for the most-reported AASM v0.8.3 issues. Look up your symptom, follow the diagnostic, and if it doesn't resolve, drop the relevant log into the Discord #support channel.

Server won't start

Check the server log at <install>\ShooterGame\Saved\Logs\ShooterGame.log for the actual error.
Mod load failure? Look for "Failed to load mod XXXXXX" lines. The mod might be broken or require AsaApiLoader (which isn't installed). Disable the mod via Mod Manager → restart.
Port conflict? Another process is using the game/query/RCON port. netstat -ano | findstr 7777 in PowerShell finds the offender.
Save file corruption? If the log shows "checksum mismatch" or "can't load level," restore the most recent backup ZIP (Backup and Restore sub-tab).
Steam manifest missing? Run an Update from the dashboard - checkAndUpdate() tries validate-repair first.

RCON won't connect / wrong password

Most common cause of RCON failure:

Server isn't actually running yet (RCON binds after the world loads, which takes 1-3 min).
The admin password in AASM's server config doesn't match the actual server's password. Fix: edit Player Settings → admin password → save → restart.
v0.8.2 fix relevant: earlier builds silently accepted wrong passwords because the leading empty RESPONSE_VALUE packet was treated as successful auth. v0.8.2 filters by packet type so you now get an honest rejection. If you're seeing "auth ok" but then no commands work, you might be on v0.8.1 - update to v0.8.2+ first.

Mods don't load

Check Mod Manager: is the mod in the Active list (not Passive)?
Did ARK actually download the .pak file? Check <install>\ShooterGame\Content\Mods\<modid>\ exists.
Is the mod ID actually a valid CurseForge ARK: Survival Ascended mod (not an ARK 1 mod)?
Some mods require AsaApiLoader - check the mod's CurseForge description.

Crash detection loop (server keeps restarting)

If a server crash-detects and restarts, then crash-detects and restarts again, every few minutes:

Check ShooterGame.log for the actual crash reason. Most common: a mod incompatibility after an ARK update.
Disable crash detection temporarily (Maintenance tab → Quick Settings → Auto Restart on Crash → off) so you can investigate without AASM fighting you.
v0.8.3 fix: if you're seeing false-positive crash banners (the server is fine but AASM says it crashed), this was BUG-13. Upgrade to v0.8.3+ - it adds discriminated validation + consecutive-failure counters + bulk-empty guards.

No one can find my server in the server list

Verify Windows Firewall has the ports open (Maintenance tab → Open Firewall Ports - see Firewall guide).
Verify your router/modem has the ports forwarded to your PC. 99% of "can't find server" issues are router-side, not Windows.
Test with a port-checker tool against your public IP and the game port.
Wait 5-10 min after server start for Steam to index it.
Search by direct connect (Unofficial PC Sessions tab → "Filter Servers" → enter name) rather than browsing - the browse list takes longer to populate.

Maintenance schedule fires at the wrong time / not at all

Check that Scheduled Restarts is toggled on in Quick Settings (not just configured).
Check the time is interpreted in host PC's LOCAL time, not server-time or UTC.
v0.8.3 fixes: BUG-14 (stuck updateInProgress flag) and BUG-15 (Center map didn't restart due to query hang) - both addressed in v0.8.3. Update if you're seeing these.
Stale schedule from a deleted server? Check data\maintenance_settings.json - sometimes orphaned entries cause weirdness.

Web UI shows stale data

The Web UI polls the AASM backend every 5-10 seconds. If you see stale data:

Hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+Shift+R).
Confirm the AASM desktop app is still running on the host PC.
v0.8.3 fix: BUG-18 (a1steaksauc) - stale ASA version shown after update completed. v0.8.3 adds a 2-min "freshly-started window" cache bypass + manifest buildid fallback when log file is missing.

Backup restore wiped save files (CRITICAL)

v0.8.3 BUG-21 fix: if you're on v0.8.2 or earlier and a backup restore failed mid-extraction, AASM could leave you with an empty SavedArks folder + orphaned safety copies. v0.8.3 adds try/catch rollback in both extract methods + mid-loop restore on extraction-throw + best-effort cleanup of _backup_<ts> safety folders after success. If you're seeing this on v0.8.3, report immediately on Discord with the exact log lines.

Discover Mods install buttons don't respond

v0.8.3 fix BUG-20: a shimmer ::before overlay was capturing clicks on install buttons + Enable/Disable mod toggles. Also right-click paste was missing in mod-ID fields. Both fixed in v0.8.3. If you're still seeing this, you're on v0.8.2 or earlier - update.

When all else fails

Drop into the Cryptek Discord and post in the support channel with:

Your AASM version (top-left of the app shows v0.8.3)
The exact symptom (screenshot helps)
Relevant log file (%APPDATA%\ark-server-manager\logs\debug-YYYY-MM-DD.log for AASM itself; <install>\ShooterGame\Saved\Logs\ShooterGame.log for the server)
What you've already tried

The Discord helper bot triages most common issues automatically. Real humans help with the rest.

Step 1 - Did your issue not appear above?

This page covers the top 10 most-reported issues. For anything else, the Discord helper bot at the community Discord has TF-IDF search across the full knowledge base and can usually answer within seconds.