Sons Of The Forest mod troubleshooting

Identify where the problem happens

Start with the first step that fails. An installer error, a missing Loader download and a crash after loading a mod have different causes.

Manager setup: The installer fails, Manager will not open, or the selected game path is wrong. Start with Manager setup.
Loader availability: The complete Modstoke Loader, SDK and client bundle is not published. Automatic bundle installation is unavailable; reinstalling Manager cannot supply it.
Game or mod behavior: The game fails to launch, a mod does not appear, or a world behaves unexpectedly. Check the exact Loader and mod requirements before changing files.

Modstoke has no hosted mod catalog yet. An empty catalog is not evidence that your game files are damaged.

Protect saves before making changes

Exit Sons Of The Forest and close any mod tools that could change its files. Let any pending Steam Cloud sync finish.
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.
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.
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.

Do not overwrite a valued world while checking whether removed or changed mods caused the problem. Use a separate temporary world if you need to compare behavior.

Resolve Manager setup problems

Compare your Manager version with Releases. Use that page's installer and signing information; do not assume an older or differently branded package has the same behavior.
If Windows warns about the unsigned preview, review the download source. Keep security protections enabled. Cancel setup if you cannot establish that this is the file you intended to download.
If a download seems incomplete, use the optional checksum check before retrying installation.
If Manager cannot find the game, confirm the selected SonsOfTheForest.exe is in the current Steam installation, especially after moving the game to another drive.
For an installer or startup error, save the exact message and note whether it happened before or after Manager opened. Do not change game files to fix an unexplained Manager startup error.

Check Loader and mod requirements

Read the mod author's page for the exact mod version. Record its required Loader, dependencies, supported game build and installation location.
Compare those requirements with what is actually installed. A similarly named Loader or a folder containing a DLL is not enough to establish compatibility.
Check whether the issue began after a game, Loader or mod update. Keep the previous versions and the first error message in your notes.
Use the mod author's supported disable or uninstall process to isolate a suspected mod, keeping its required dependencies in mind. Change one thing at a time and use a separate world with your saves backed up.

Do not combine Loader installations or move plugins between Loader folders unless the relevant authors explicitly support that setup. For multiplayer, check the mod's stated host, client and server requirements separately; a working single-player session does not establish multiplayer support.

Read the project's compatibility notes alongside the mod author's instructions.

Return to an unmodified game carefully

Close the game. Complete the save backup, and preserve mod configuration files and a record of installed packages.
Follow each installed mod and Loader's documented removal process. For deployments managed by another tool, use that tool's supported removal process. Do not delete unfamiliar files by guessing which ones belong to a mod.
In Steam, open the game's Properties, choose Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files. Let verification finish. These steps are documented by Steam Support.
Check the Loader and mod removal instructions for files left behind. Steam verification repairs Steam-managed game files; it should not be treated as removal of every file added by a mod.
Launch the game through Steam and use a separate temporary world to compare behavior. Keep the backed-up worlds untouched. If the problem remains, include that result in your report.

If you cannot identify an added file or its owner, stop removing files and ask the relevant mod or Loader maintainer for guidance.

Prepare a useful problem report

Send the report through the support route linked by the project or mod author responsible for the failing component. Include:

Your Windows version, game version or build, Manager version, Loader name and version, and relevant mod versions.
The exact error text and the relevant log excerpt, including the first error and nearby lines. Remove personal paths, account details and secrets before sharing.
Short steps that reproduce the problem, what you expected and what happened.
Whether it affects startup, a particular world, single-player, hosting or joining; and whether it persists after the supported removal steps.
The last working setup, recent changes, and the steps you have already tried.

For Manager installation help, return to the Windows installation guide. Keep the original backup until the problem is resolved.