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PLAYER GUIDES

How to install Modstoke Manager on Windows

A step-by-step guide to the Modstoke Manager preview: save backups, official download, optional SHA-256 check and game selection.

Before you start

This guide covers the Windows Manager preview. Have your Steam installation of Sons Of The Forest available, and close the game before setup. The current download is Manager 0.2.1-preview.4.

The published preview installer is unsigned. Windows may show a warning because it cannot verify a publisher signature. Review the source and release details before deciding whether to run it. Do not disable Windows security protections to install it. If you are unsure, cancel and wait for a signed release.

Installing Manager does not install the game or establish that mods work. The complete Modstoke Loader, SDK and client bundle is not yet published, so automatic bundle installation is unavailable.

1. Back up your saves

  1. Exit Sons Of The Forest and close any mod tools that could change its files. Let any pending Steam Cloud sync finish.
  2. In File Explorer, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Endnight\SonsOfTheForest into the address bar. For a normal local player installation, this is where the Saves folder lives. If it is absent, confirm the Windows account and the save location used by your installation before continuing.
  3. Copy the entire Saves folder to a separate, dated backup folder outside the game and its save directory. Copy it; do not move or delete the original. Keep all account and world subfolders.
  4. Open the backup and confirm the expected subfolders and files are present. Keep this copy untouched while making changes. Steam Cloud is not a substitute for a separate backup.

For a dedicated server or saves stored elsewhere, back up that server's configured save location separately. Before restoring an older copy, also preserve the current saves so you can undo the restore.

2. Get the official preview download

  1. Open Modstoke Releases and locate the Manager download.
  2. Read the version, preview status, signing information and recorded checks. For this guide, the installer filename is Modstoke-Manager-Preview-0.2.1-preview.4-x64-setup.exe.
  3. Download the installer using the link on that page. Keep the release page open if you want to compare its checksum.

A Manager installation check is not a game or multiplayer compatibility result. Those checks are marked not applicable for this Manager release.

3. Check the download, if you want to

Optional: open PowerShell in the folder containing the downloaded installer and run:

Get-FileHash -LiteralPath '.\Modstoke-Manager-Preview-0.2.1-preview.4-x64-setup.exe' -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the returned Hash with the SHA-256 on the release page for the same version. For Manager 0.2.1-preview.4, the recorded value is:

48891806E6E20CDA1B957739F922F913A30D94BADDF5F44D54BB171CE3656B18

If it differs, do not run the file. Download it again from the release page and check again. A matching hash confirms the bytes match the published checksum; it does not prove publisher identity or make an unsigned installer signed. See Microsoft's Get-FileHash reference.

4. Install Manager and select the game

  1. If you choose to proceed with the unsigned preview, run the downloaded installer and follow its setup prompts. Record any error message if setup stops.
  2. Open Modstoke Manager after installation.
  3. If Manager asks for the game executable, select SonsOfTheForest.exe from your actual Steam game installation. You can find the installed folder through the game's local files in Steam. Select the game executable, not the Manager installer or a shortcut.
  4. Read the status shown for that installation. If the game cannot be found, confirm the selected file still exists and belongs to the intended Steam installation.

The screen wording can vary between preview versions. Follow the prompt shown in your installed version rather than guessing at a missing control.

5. Check requirements before adding mods

Modstoke does not currently host a mod catalog or publish a complete Loader, SDK and client bundle. A missing bundle is a publication limit, not something reinstalling Manager will fix.

For a mod obtained elsewhere, read the author's requirements and installation instructions for its exact version. Confirm the supported game build and Loader before changing files. Do not assume a mod written for a different Loader will work with Modstoke.

Continue with Sons Of The Forest mod troubleshooting if you encounter a problem, or read the player documentation.