Modding:Player Guide/Troubleshooting

Did something go wrong with your game? This is the page for you. (This page isn't only for players who use mods!)

Common fixes

The basics

1. Try restarting your computer.
2. Make sure you have Stardew Valley 1.6 or later.
   Click the "?" button on the title screen, and the version will appear in the bottom-left.
3. If you use SMAPI, make sure you have the latest version of that.
   The SMAPI version is shown at the top of the SMAPI console window.
4. If you use SMAPI, upload a log to the log parser, following the instructions on that page to find where your log is stored. It can help you diagnose common errors. Check here[TBA] for more information on how to read and understand your log.
5. The very top of your log will show a list of all your mods that need to be updated. You can also use Mod Update Menu to keep track of your updates from the in-game menu. The first thing to try when you're having issues with mods is to update everything shown there, even if some of the mods seem to be working fine right now.
6. If you've narrowed down the issue to a specific mod or group of mods, try performing a clean reinstall. Remove all folders for the mod that's causing the issue, making sure to check the mod page for a list of every folder that's included. (If you're downloading mods from Nexus, you can look under "Preview File Contents." On ModDrop, you can find that information under "Files" on the sidebar.) Then, redownload the mod and follow the installation instructions on the mod page. If you normally use a mod manager, reinstall the mod manually to make sure your issue wasn't caused by the mod manager placing files in the wrong locations.
7. If you've gone through these steps and are still having problems, the issue may be caused by an outdated XNB mod. Follow the instructions below to try resetting your content files. If you still get the error, look through the common issues on this page or ask for help!

Reset your content files

Many problems are caused by broken game files (especially if you use XNB mods). You can reset your game files to fix that. SMAPI mods won't be affected.

1. See instructions for Steam or for GOG Galaxy.
2. If you use SMAPI on Linux/Mac, reinstall SMAPI to fix the launcher.

more options

If you don't want to reset all files, you have some other options. Option 2: create retroactive backup to reset any file If you installed XNB mods and want to reset one file you know is broken, you can just restore the original file. If you forgot to back it up, here's how to recover the original files without losing your modded ones: Copy your game's Content folder to Content-modded. Reset your game files (see instructions for Steam or for GOG Galaxy). Copy your (now reset) Content folder to Content-backup. Move Content-modded back to Content. Now your content files are still modded, but you have a backup of the original files. Option 3: troubleshoot XNB mods If you installed XNB mods, you're not sure which caused the problem, and you don't want to remove all your XNB mods, here's how to figure out which one is causing the problem. Back up any XNB mods you want to keep. Reset your game files (see instructions for Steam or for GOG Galaxy). Any XNB mods will be removed, but SMAPI mods won't be affected. If you use SMAPI on Linux/Mac, reinstall SMAPI to fix the launcher. Launch the game to see if the problem is fixed. Reinstall your XNB mods one at a time. After each install, test the game to make sure the mod doesn't cause problems.

Caution: XNB mods (which replace your game files directly) are no longer recommended and can cause issues. Resetting your content files will remove XNB mods you installed. After doing so, consider using content packs instead.

Fix common problems

Game doesn't launch

The game doesn't open when you try to launch it. (If you use Steam, it might show 'running' for a few seconds.) Here are some common fixes:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Make sure you have speakers or headphones plugged in. (They can be muted, but the game needs a working audio device.)
3. If you play on Windows:
   1. Install (or reinstall) .NET Framework 4.5.2 and XNA Framework 4.0.
   2. Restart your computer.
   3. Launch the game.
4. If you play on Linux:
   1. Your default terminal might not be compatible. Try installing the xterm terminal.
5. If that doesn't fix it:
   1. Install SMAPI (if you don't already have it).
   2. Launch the game.
   3. Ask for help and attach your SMAPI log.

Game freezes or crashes while opening

The game tries to open, but crashes before the title screen. Here are some common fixes:

1. Try everything in the list above first.
2. Delete your startup_preferences, found in %appdata%/StardewValley on Windows.
3. Disable antivirus if using SMAPI.
4. Disable any programs that intercept the game (like MSI AfterBurner or RivaTuner).
5. If that doesn't fix it, follow the steps to ask for help.

Game audio doesn't play (Windows only)

Audio plays fine in your browser or other apps, but the game is silent. Here are some common fixes:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Make sure the Windows mixer isn't muting the game.
3. Make sure the in-game sound slider options aren't muted.
4. Reinstall .NET Framework 4.5.2 and XNA Framework 4.0.

Save disappeared or doesn't load

See Saves#Troubleshooting.

Can't connect to another player in multiplayer

1. Check that Stardew Valley is up to date and your save is loaded in co-op mode.
2. Make sure you have enough cabins built for the number of players.
3. Make sure the server is set to online in the game options.
4. Turn firewalls and antivirus off for all players.
5. Make sure everyone is logged onto Steam or GOG Galaxy.
6. Do a content reset for all players.
7. Delete your startup_preferences (found in %appdata%/StardewValley on Windows or ~/.config/StardewValley on Linux/Mac).
8. Restart all players' PCs.
9. Restart all players' routers, and check for any updates for your router.
10. (Windows only) Try reinstalling .NET Framework 4.5.2 and XNA Framework 4.0 first and Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 if that fails.
11. If you use mods and are getting a "version mismatch" error, check your log files for a line like [19:49:26 TRACE game] Starting server. Protocol version: 1.4.0.1 and check whether the protocol version matches.

For console players, please try as many of the steps as you can (particularly the first three) and try power cycling your console. Please note that all consoles require their paid online service to play over the internet.

SMAPI files disappear or antivirus complains

Your antivirus might remove or complain about some SMAPI files. This is based on heuristic detection (for example, SMAPI rewrites mods so they work on your computer, and rewriting files is something malware also does, so your antivirus got suspicious). Antiviruses learn to allow SMAPI after enough users download it, but this resets for each release. SMAPI doesn't have a trojan — you can check by reading the code, decompiling the download, or uploading it to VirusTotal.

If this happens, here's how to fix it:

1. Temporarily disable your antivirus.
2. Redownload and install SMAPI.
3. Add an exception to your antivirus for the Stardew Valley folder (search online for your antivirus name with the words add folder exception for instructions).

SMAPI doesn't recognize controller (Steam only)

Common fixes:

1. Launch the game through Steam.
2. Windows only: make sure you set the launch options (see part 2 in the Windows install guide), don't add SMAPI as a non-Steam game.
3. If all else fails, you can use third-party software to add controller support. Suggested software:
   • Linux: SC Controller.
   • Mac: 360Controller. When using a non-Xbox controller, you should enable 'pretend to be an Xbox 360 controller'.
   • Windows: InputMapper.

last resort on Linux/Mac

As a last resort on Linux or Mac, you can disable the SMAPI console window to fix this. You won't see update/error alerts unless you check the log, and your game won't launch after a crash until you delete the smapi-internal/StardewModdingAPI.crash.marker file. You should periodically check the log to make sure everything is working correctly. If you really want to do this: Linux: Find your game folder. Open the StardewValley file (the one with no file extension) in a text editor. Remove the entire section under # open SMAPI in terminal (up to the next fi line). Find this text at the bottom: if [ $? -eq 127 ]; then $LAUNCHER --no-terminal fi And change it to this: $LAUNCHER --no-terminal Mac: Find your game folder. Open the StardewValley file (the one with no file extension) in a text editor. Find this text: open -a Terminal ./StardewModdingAPI.bin.osx $@ And change it to this: ./StardewModdingAPI.bin.osx $@ 2>&1 > /dev/null Windows: disabling the console window isn't possible. You'll need to repeat this after updating SMAPI.

Fix specific errors

"SMAPI can't find the game"

• Make sure you're running StardewModdingAPI.exe in your game folder (see the install instructions).
• Did you install SMAPI manually (not using the installer)? Make sure you copied the right files: internal/Windows for Windows, or internal/Mono for Linux/Mac.

"Skipped '...' because it doesn't have a manifest.json"

SMAPI couldn't find the manifest.json file for the mod in that folder. That usually means it's not a SMAPI mod, so it won't work from the Mods folder. See that mod's documentation for install instructions.

"missing executable" (Steam only)

Steam can't find the game launcher, usually because your Steam launch options are incorrect. Common fixes:

• If you want to use SMAPI:
  make sure it's installed and your launch options are correct (see install guide).
• If you're uninstalling SMAPI:
  
  1. In Steam, right-click Stardew Valley and choose Properties.
  2. Click the Set Launch Options button.
  3. Make sure the textbox is completely empty.

"looks like Mono isn't installed" (Linux/Mac only)

Mono is a framework needed by the installer and SMAPI to work correctly. Installing Mono and restarting your computer usually fixes this error.

On Mac, it might not work after installing Mono. If so:

• Enter this command:

  ln -s /Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/bin/mono /usr/local/bin/mono
  

• If that shows an error or it still doesn't work, you can install Homebrew and run brew install mono mono-libgdiplus in the Terminal app.

Could not load file or assembly

If the 'file or assembly' starts with Microsoft or System (like "FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'System.[...]' or one of its dependencies"), something is wrong with the core frameworks used by the game.

1. Common fixes:

   platform	reinstall frameworks
   Windows	reinstall .NET Framework 4.5.2 and XNA Framework 4.0 (those exact versions).
   Linux	reinstall mono-complete.
   Mac	reinstall Mono (either channel is fine).

2. On Windows only, in rare cases that won't fix the issue. Unfortunately that's hard to fix since .NET Framework is part of Windows itself. In those cases you may need to perform a Windows reset (you can keep your files), or perform a clean reinstall of Windows. This is drastic, but should fix the issue.

Game freezes when loading a save (Mac only)

On Mac only, the game may freeze when you create or load a save; reinstalling Mono (either version) usually fixes that. If it doesn't, ask for help!

Game Resolution Changes when launched with SMAPI is installed (Windows)

Symptom: Everything looks bigger/smaller if you launch the game with SMAPI.

Cause: Windows DPI settings.

Common fix: *Right-click on StardewModdingAPI.exe, go to "Properties>Compatibility>Change High DPI settings," and verify what boxes are checked. Then, go to StardewValley.exe, go to "Properties>Compatibility>Change High DPI settings." Verify that the same boxes are checked from previous file. If they are not, make the boxes in StardewModdingAPI.exe match the boxes in StardewValley.exe.

Fix other problems

Run the game without SMAPI by launching Stardew Valley.exe (on Windows) or StardewValley-original (on Linux/Mac) in your game folder.

• If it still happens without SMAPI: see this guide to fixing your game. If you still need help, ask for help.
• If it only happens with SMAPI, ask for help.

Ask for help

See Modding:Help for how to get help!

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