Project Zomboid Stuck on Getting Server Info: What to Check
Project Zomboid stuck on Getting Server Info? Record one attempt, compare available server activity, and follow the next exact message safely.
You will need
- The client that gets stuck at the connection screen
- The server operator or console, if available
- The exact client and server build and branch
If Project Zomboid stays on Getting Server Info…, the screen has not yet told you why. Record the exact stage, run one timed attempt, and ask the server operator whether they can see activity at that time. If the server itself is still starting, use the active-initialization checklist first; this page covers the later client stage after startup. Then follow any more specific message the client shows. This checklist helps you hand off useful evidence without changing the world, guessing at a port, or treating an unverified cache tip as a fix.
When Project Zomboid is stuck on Getting Server Info#
Write down the last connection stage exactly as the client displays it. Project Zomboid’s official English UI strings distinguish Getting Server Info... from Trying direct connection..., Trying Steam connection..., Authorizing with Steam..., The server failed to respond, and Failed to establish P2P connection with server. Those strings describe different points in the process; the stage alone does not identify a broken port, server crash, or Steam fault. The UI string list is useful when you need to compare the wording with what another player or operator sees.
Take a screenshot if it contains no private server address or account detail, or copy the text into a note. Record whether the client is still on the same stage, moved to another one, or produced a complete error. If a more specific error appears, preserve it verbatim and use that message to choose the next check. Avoid summarizing every result as “it won’t connect”; that removes the clue you are trying to follow.
This is also why a reinstall or a router change is a poor first move. You would alter the setup before recording whether the same attempt reaches a different stage. Keep the current state long enough to compare one clean attempt with what the operator can observe.
Record one timed attempt and its route#
Make one deliberate attempt and write down when it started, how long it stayed at Getting Server Info…, and what happened next. Include your time zone so the operator can line it up with server activity. Note which character or account attempted the join, whether other players can join, and the route you selected. Do not share passwords, authentication tokens, or a public IP in a public post.
Agree on a quiet test window
Ask the operator to watch the server console or relevant logs for one attempt. If nobody can observe the server, still record the time and outcome; mark the server-side result as unknown.
Start one attempt
Note the local time and time zone before joining. Keep the client on the connection screen long enough to observe whether it advances or changes to a specific error. There is no verified universal timeout threshold to use as a pass/fail cutoff.
Write down the outcome
Record the last exact message, elapsed time, selected route if shown, and whether the attempt connected. Stop after this one sample so unrelated retries do not clutter the operator’s view.
The result is a comparable observation, not proof that a particular network component is at fault. If several players are testing, have them avoid overlapping attempts or identify each attempt by time and player. Otherwise the operator may not know which activity corresponds to which client.
Ask whether the server saw activity at that time#
Give the operator the timestamp and ask whether the console or available logs showed anything that might correspond to that attempt. Ask what they checked and which server session they watched. Do not assume every server setup logs every connection stage or that a console line will include the player’s identity. This guide has no verified log path that applies to every installation, so have the operator use the files and console their setup actually provides.
If the operator sees activity at the matching time, keep the relevant lines around that event and note whether the server process remained responsive. If they see no matching activity, write “no matching entry found in the checked console/logs” and name what was checked. That is more precise than “the request never arrived.” Logging may be incomplete, the wrong session may have been watched, or the attempt may have stopped elsewhere; absence of a line does not prove which explanation is right.
Do not send an entire configuration directory or unredacted logs to a public forum. The official Project Zomboid FAQ asks support requests to include logs.zip and mod information. For a public troubleshooting post, share only the relevant excerpt after removing passwords, tokens, addresses, player details, and unrelated private data. Keep the original files private in case the operator or official support needs them. For a fuller review process, use this server log privacy and report checklist.
Check the exact build, branch, and recent changes#
Compare the full client and server version, branch, and storefront with the people who can join. “Build 42” alone is not precise enough to show that two installations are on the same release. The developers’ 42.21 Stable announcement identifies 42.21 as Stable; it does not announce a fix for every Getting Server Info... hang. Capture what each side reports instead of assuming a number from an old forum answer is current.
| Record | What to write down | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Full version/build, branch, and Steam or GOG where applicable | It lets the operator compare the actual client with the running server. |
| Server | Full running version/build and branch, if the operator can confirm it | A plan or installer setting does not prove which build is running now. |
| Other players | Whether they reach the same server, with their build and route | One player’s result may differ from the rest of the group. |
| Recent changes | Updates, branch changes, server restart, mods, or network changes | It gives the operator a focused before/after timeline without guessing at a cause. |
If one player gets a version-mismatch message, follow that explicit message rather than changing connection modes. If all you know is that versions differ, record the difference and ask the operator to confirm the running build before anyone updates or rolls back. Do not switch a valuable world between branches as a diagnostic experiment; build compatibility can affect saves.
Follow only the next explicit connection message#
The stage or next message can tell you what to inspect next, but it does not prove what caused the original stall. Use this small routing table to keep the checks separate:
| What the client shows next | Record and ask about | What not to infer |
|---|---|---|
Trying direct connection... or Trying Steam connection... |
Which mode the client selected and whether the server operator observed the timed attempt | The label alone does not prove the direct route or Steam is broken. |
Authorizing with Steam... |
The full resulting message and whether this affects one account or everyone | Do not treat it as a server-port diagnosis. |
| A version mismatch | Exact client and server build and branch | Do not change the world or branch before confirming the running versions. |
| A mod or Workshop message | Exact text, affected player, and recent mod changes | Do not remove a world or assume the earlier stage identified a mod. |
Failed to establish P2P connection with server |
Preserve that complete message and route it to a P2P-specific Steam check | Do not collapse this explicit error into the generic stuck-stage symptom. |
| No new message | Timed attempt and what the operator could observe | The lack of a new label still does not identify a cause. |
The word “next” matters: use the first specific message that appears, not a list of every possible server failure. If the client remains at the same stage and the evidence points to general reachability, continue with the broader server response diagnostic path. That guide compares process readiness and connection paths; this page stays focused on capturing one stalled-stage attempt.
Compare connection modes only when available#
Some setups may offer Steam and direct connection options, and the official UI strings name both stages plus a Use Steam Relay option. Availability depends on the connection context. Do not assume every player sees the same controls or that a specific Relay setting is a universal cure. An AI Overview and several unofficial guides recommend turning Relay off or deleting a client file, but the current official sources reviewed here do not verify those as fixes for this exact symptom.
If the client and server operator can safely compare modes, change one option only after recording the original selection. Use the same client, server session, and approximate conditions for each attempt; record the time and final message for both. Then restore the original setting if the test is over. A result that changes between modes is useful evidence to report, but it still does not establish which service or network component caused the difference.
Preserve the world and hand off a concise report#
Keep the save and server configuration unchanged while you collect the connection evidence. Do not delete ServerList.txt, a character, or the world as a first test; no official source reviewed here confirms those steps as a fix for this symptom. A connection problem is not evidence that the save is corrupt. Ask the operator to create or verify a backup before any later change that could affect world data.
Send the operator a short report with the exact stage and message, local time plus time zone, elapsed time, selected route if visible, exact client/server builds and branches, whether other players connect, what recent change preceded the issue, and what the operator saw in the checked console/logs. Include only the relevant redacted lines. If the operator cannot access the server-side evidence, say so; do not fill the gap with a guessed port range or a claimed fix.
If the next message names a distinct issue, follow that branch. If the client only remains at Getting Server Info…, the server-side evidence is unknown, and nobody has completed a comparable connection check, the honest conclusion is that the cause is not identified yet. Use the broader diagnostic path linked above when the operator can check server readiness and general reachability. This guide does not promise that managed hosting will resolve a client build, account, mod, or connection-mode problem.
Quick answers
How long should Getting Server Info take?
There is no supported universal time limit in the sources reviewed here. Record how long your attempt remains on that exact stage and whether it advances; do not treat an invented number of seconds as a diagnosis.
Does no matching server log mean my request never arrived?
Not necessarily. Logs and console output vary by setup, and a missing entry does not locate where the connection stopped. Record what you checked and leave the route unresolved until the operator can compare more evidence.
Should I delete ServerList.txt or my save?
Do not delete a save to test a connection. This guide found no official confirmation that deleting ServerList.txt fixes this symptom; preserve the world and collect the exact message first.
Should I turn Steam Relay off?
Do not change Relay as a universal fix. Compare connection modes only if the game offers them for your setup, and record the before and after results.