Questions and answers
What people ask before they install the launcher.
Is Zed Launcher free?
Yes. The launcher is free and there are no paid features at the moment.
Can the launcher get me banned?
The launcher doesn’t touch the game or its memory and starts DayZ with BattlEye, like the official launcher. The crosshair draws in its own window. Some servers ban custom crosshairs in their rules, so check them.
Why does Windows warn me when I install it?
The installer isn’t code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC”. Click More info, then Run anyway. What the warning means and how to check the file
Why does Steam’s Play button open Zed Launcher?
It’s a launcher option and it’s on by default, whether you install with the small installer (ZedLauncher-Install.exe) or the full one. The installer doesn’t ask about it. It only changes DayZ’s launch options in Steam. If Steam is running, the launcher restarts it in the background, not while you play or mods download. To get the DayZ launcher back, turn it off in the launcher’s Settings → Steam and Discord. Install steps
Where do mods go?
Into the Steam Workshop in your Steam library. The launcher only links them into the game folder (the !zed folder) and copies nothing.
Does Steam need to be running?
Yes. Steam downloads the mods and DayZ starts through Steam.
Can I keep DZSA Launcher?
Yes. Zed Launcher keeps its mod links in its own !zed folder, and both launchers use mods from the Steam Workshop.
How is the ranking calculated?
From the average number of players over the last 7 days (168 hours), recalculated every hour. A new server gets a rank after 24 hours. A server with a suspicious player count has no rank. Featured servers keep their real rank too.
Why isn’t my server in the list?
We take the list from Steam every minute. A server that doesn’t answer on its query port or reports a suspicious player count isn’t shown. For server owners
What does the launcher send?
Only what it needs to work: it downloads the server list, ad slots and featured servers from our server, sends a short “still running” signal, asks game servers for their status and ping, checks mod versions on the Steam Workshop and checks GitHub for a new version. It also sends our server the address of a server you add manually or that doesn’t respond – without any data about you. It shows Discord where you play only if you turn that on in Settings. It stores no ID on your PC, and our server doesn’t store IP addresses. Privacy policy
Does it work on Linux or macOS?
No, only on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit).
How do I uninstall it?
Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Zed Launcher → Uninstall. Your mods stay in Steam. More about uninstalling
Where do I report a bug?
By e-mail at info@zedlauncher.com. Tell us the launcher version and what you clicked.