Server shows offline and will not start
When a game server stays offline or crashes on boot, the answer is almost always in the Console. Learn to read the crash output and fix the common causes on Victus.
A server that "will not start" is not stuck — it is starting, hitting an error, and stopping again. The control panel Console tab records exactly why. Ninety percent of start failures are diagnosed by scrolling the Console output up to the first red ERROR or the last lines before the process exited.
Step 1 — read the console
- 1Open the server in the panel and go to the Console tab.
- 2Press Start and watch the output as it boots.
- 3Find the first line that mentions Error, Exception, Caused by, or "Stopping server". That line (and the few above it) is the real cause — everything after it is fallout.
- 4Note the exact message so you can match it to a fix below or paste it into a support ticket.
Common causes and fixes
| Console message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "You need to agree to the EULA…" | Minecraft EULA not accepted | Open Files, edit eula.txt, set eula=true, save, restart. |
| "Failed to bind to port" / "address already in use" | Wrong or taken port in Startup | Check the Network tab for your real allocation and set the correct port. |
| "UnsupportedClassVersionError" / "requires Java" | Wrong Java version for the jar | Open Startup and pick the Java version the jar requires (e.g. Java 17/21). |
| "Could not reserve enough space" / OutOfMemory | Not enough RAM for the heap | Lower the memory flag or upgrade the plan; do not set heap above your plan RAM. |
| Crash referencing a plugin/mod file | A broken or incompatible plugin/mod | Remove that jar from the plugins/mods folder and restart. |
Free servers must be renewed
Free Minecraft servers are suspended after a missed renewal and deleted after the retention deadline. If a free server stays offline and Console cannot start it, check its renewal state directly in Victus Panel. Normal idle sleep is different: join through the managed hostname or press Start as a fallback.
Step 2 — if the console shows nothing at all
- Use the power control to Kill the server, wait a few seconds, then Start — this clears a stuck process.
- Confirm the service is not suspended (an overdue renewal or empty credit balance suspends paid services).
- Check status.victuscloud.com for a node incident affecting your location.
- Check the disk is not full — a full disk stops the server writing its files and it fails silently. The panel shows disk usage; delete old backups/logs or upgrade if it is maxed.
Recently changed something?
If the server was fine yesterday, the culprit is almost always your most recent change — a new plugin/mod, an edited config, or a version bump in Startup. Revert that change or restore a Backup from before it, then start again.