Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Symptom-first fixes for common Watchtower problems.

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Can't log in

Default password doesn't work

Try watchtower / password. If someone already changed it, use that password or ask an admin to run /watchtower dashboard reset-password (OP 4).

Forgot password

2FA on?	Fix
No	/watchtower dashboard reset-password → back to password
Yes	Recovery code at login, then change password in Settings → Security
Lost 2FA device	/watchtower dashboard reset-password clear-2fa (OP 4)

Too many wrong attempts

Wait 15 minutes (5 tries per IP).

Stuck on "Checking session…"

Hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+Shift+R) after updating the mod. Use Watchtower 1.0.0+.

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Dashboard looks empty or stale

Overview / Issues empty

Usually: no full health report yet.

Fix: Click Run Report or /watchtower run. The full Issues list needs a report; some other tabs update from background scans sooner.

Crashes tab empty

Run a report, or open Crashes and click Refresh (background folder scan).

Activity tab has few events

Turn on Scheduled Reports and run reports regularly. Refresh on Activity helps without a full report.

Live numbers work but charts are blank

Update to 1.0.0+, replace the mod JAR, hard-refresh the browser.

Charts slow on 90-day range

Normal — long ranges refresh less often. Try a shorter range if needed.

Session tab empty

Server must be online. Run a report for historical playtime stats.

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Reports

Report stuck or failed

• Check server console for errors
• Ensure enough disk space
• Very large logs may need longer timeout in TOML (reportTimeoutMinutes)

/watchtower diagnostics fails

Run /watchtower run successfully first.

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Backups

Always says "not configured"

Set backup location — Backups tab or Settings → Backups.

Backups not found after choosing folder

• Path must be readable by the server process
• Click Rescan
• Archives should be .tar.gz, .zip, or similar

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Network and security

Yellow exposure banner

Dashboard may be reachable from outside. On public hosts, bind to localhost and use SSH tunnel — Security and Access.

Can't reach port 8787

• Check firewall and panel port settings
• Confirm dashboard is enabled in TOML
• On the server itself, try http://127.0.0.1:8787

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Server won't boot (recovery)

CLI can't find server folder

Run from mods/ or use --server /path — DR CLI Reference.

Can't write zip on panel

java -jar watchtower-cli-*.jar dr --out /tmp

DR viewer blank

Open via a web server (HTTP), not file:// — DR Viewer.

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Mods and hosting

Wrong hosting panel shown

Set PANEL=none or the correct panel in config — Hosting Panels.

Temperature missing on Live tab

Normal on VPS/containers.

Health still "critical" after fixing crashes

Mark crashes as reviewed on the Crashes tab.

Client mod warnings

Often harmless — Keep on server on Mods tab or remove client-only mods.

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Installation

Crash on boot: QrGenerator / TOTP error

Update to 1.0.0+ JAR (TOTP libraries included).

CLI JAR in mods folder?

Yes — recommended. NeoForge does not load it as a mod.

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Still stuck?

1. /watchtower diagnostics — share zip (redact secrets)
2. GitHub Issues
3. Include: NeoForge version, host type, relevant log excerpt

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See also

• Security and Access
• Health Reports
• Disaster Recovery