On a DayZ server, you’ll travel through harsh lands covered in zombies. Your goal, survive at all costs, but that’s never easy when there is death surrounding you at every turn. This often requires you and your friend’s full focus to survive these dangers. This can be made worse by a DayZ authentication error, a message that can cause frustration and prevent you from joining the server. Thankfully, there are an assortment of ways to diagnose and fix this error. In this guide, we will cover those methods to get you back onto your server to enjoy some hardcore zombie survival!

Although this error occurs on both PC and consoles, it seems more prevalent on PC. If you are on DayZ for PC and are experiencing this error, here are some ways you can resolve this:
If you’re playing on official DayZ servers, one of the primary causes of Error 0x000400e1 results from the servers being down. If you encounter this error, it is always worth checking to see if the servers are online or not. You can check the server’s current state using a variety of methods. If you don’t follow DayZ on Twitter to get notified of server outages, you can use a site such as Downdetector to see whether the servers are working or not. If the servers are down, you’ll need to wait until they are fixed and then you’ll be able to reconnect to the official servers.

DayZ is an online game, which means you’ll need to be online to play. If your internet connection is throttling or is offline, you will receive an unexpected authentication error message. To restart your internet, turn off your router and wait a few minutes before turning it on again. Try to reconnect to the game and you should be good to go. If the issue persists, please check with your ISP to ensure that there is no issue with the internet from the provider’s end.

The online game requires a data transfer between your computer and the game’s server. If you are playing with a guest account, it is possible that there may be restrictions on access to data transferring, resulting in the DayZ authentication error. If you have administrator rights, play the game as an administrator by running Steam as an administrator. Right-click on the DayZ icon and select the Run as administrator option. The error should subside if you run DayZ as an administrator.
Steam servers don’t usually have outages but they can sometimes be down or slow. If you are consistently experiencing issues with unexpected authentication errors and have tried all the steps listed above, Steam might be the problem. You can go to the Steam Twitter page to get regular updates regarding Steam’s services and if there is an outage.
The integrity of the files can also result in DayZ experiencing an authentication error. To check this, go to your Steam Library, right-click on DayZ, and select properties. On the left, navigate to the “Local Files” and select “Verify integrity of game files”. This will take a few minutes, most likely somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. Thereafter, Steam will repair any corrupted files it finds and will replace missing files if needed. Now, you should be able to play DayZ.

If nothing thus far has fixed the error for you, the next best thing is to restart your computer. It is possible that certain cache files or redundant software may be contributing to the persistent occurrence of the error. To do so, just exit the game and restart your PC. After relaunching DayZ, you should not receive the error again.
Even though the unexpected error is more common on PC, it can happen on both PlayStation and Xbox. You can do the following to look into this DayZ authentication error further!
Your console will need to be able to properly access the Xbox Live or PlayStation Network to play DayZ online. If these services are down, this can result in the authentication error. You can find out if the PS Network and Xbox Live are working by checking a website like Downdetector. If the Xbox or PlayStation Network is down, you’ll need to wait until they’re back online to play.
If you’re facing the dreaded DayZ authentication error, you’ll now know how to repair that! Even though it is hard to pin the error down, with the steps included in this guide, we hope this helps track down the issue. With the error fixed, you and your friends can focus on the zombie dangers ahead on your own DayZ server!
Other DayZ Error Guides
DayZ Server is Crashing/Restarting
Being Kicked from a DayZ Server
DayZ Server is Lagging
DayZ Authentication Error – Introduction
DayZ Authentication Error – PC Fix
- Check the DayZ Server Status
- Restart Your Internet to Repair the DayZ Authentication Error
- Run DayZ as an Administrator
- Check the Steam Server Status
- Verify your Game Files Using Steam
- Restart Your PC to Fix the DayZ Authentication Error
How to Fix DayZ Authentication Error on Xbox & PlayStation
- Check if Xbox Live & PS Network Are Online
Fix the Error and Have Fun on Your DayZ Server