How to Install DayZ

Posted 10/12/2012 at 10:03am | by Justin Kerr

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DayZ is widely considered one of the best PC mods of all time. Who wouldn't want to be dropped off into a gigantic post-apocalyptic zombie world where death is permanent? Over one million players are having a blast just trying to survive in the game.

While DayZ is amazingly tense and fun, the Arma 2 mod can also be a headache to install. Which version of Arma 2 should you get? Retail? Steam? What patches should you download? Maximum PC's DayZ installation guide will answer all of the questions and address some of the more common issues plaguing the mod.

Buy A Copy of Arma II: Combined Operations

If you own the base version of Arma II, you’ll need to purchase a copy of Operation Arrowhead. If you’re starting from scratch however, we recommend picking up Arma II: Combined Operations. This includes both the base game, and the expansion which are required for the DayZ mod to work. 

While it’s possible to buy Combined Operations directly from the developer’s website, we can’t really recommend this approach considering it currently costs a little more, and is significantly less convenient. If on the other hand you already bought a boxed copy of Arma II, buying Operation Arrowhead from Bohemia will save you $10.

Update: It was pointed out to us by a reader that Arma II Free & Operation Arrowhead can be combined into a working platform for DayZ. While this is technically true, the mod creators note specifically that they “do not recommend it”. Going this route puts you at risk of running into issues with patches both now, and in the future. 

Run Arma 2, and Arma 2: Combined Operations Before Modding

This is by far the most commonly skipped step, and is responsible for a myriad of problems, most of which occur while launching. If you didn’t take this advice and are having issues, check the troubleshooting section below for tips. Launching Arma II and Arma II Combined Operations for the first time updates your system’s registry, and also helps rule out problems with your base Arma II install. You would be surprised how many people we saw on DayZ forums trying to troubleshoot the mod, when in fact the problem was with the Arma II installation.

**IMPORTANT NOTE FOR STEAM USERS**

If you purchased the Steam version of Arma II: Combined Operations, many users have reported issues with “Bad CD Key” when launching the game. In order to resolve the issue, simply close Steam, right click the icon on your start menu or desktop, and select Run As Administrator.  

Install DayZ The Easy Way: Use the DayZ Commander

Installing DayZ used to involve several downloads, manually locating and copying over the mod files, and even adding command lines to the Arma II launcher. For users without a basic understanding of file systems, this is usually where the adventure ends. Luckily, DayZ Commander has taken most of the guess work and frustration out of the process.

This 2.4 MB download is not only a top notch server browser, but it also allows you to automate the DayZ installation process as well. Playing DayZ involves not only having the most recent version of the mod files, but also keeping the base Arma II game up to date. This app not only checks to make sure you are current on both fronts, but even allows you to install older versions should you decide you don’t like changes made in the most recent update. It’s also quite handy to have the ability to easily downgrade for troubleshooting purposes. Running previous versions will severely limit your server choices, but if you hate a new feature, chances are you’ll probably find at least a few likeminded folks to roam with who also aren’t fans of the change.

Here is the step-by-step process:

1.) Download the most recent version of DayZ Commander, double click to install, then launch when ready.

2.) Set your filters so only compatible servers show on the list. We recommend ticking off the boxes for: hide unresponsive, hide empty, hide full, DayZ only, hide locked, hide unofficial, hide wrong Arma2 version, and hide wrong DayZ version. Doing so will make sure that after we finish installing DayZ, you can double click any server shown on the right when you’re ready to play without issue.

3.) Click Install/Update located along the top tool bar.

4.) The slide in menu will let you know if Arma II is up to date, and if the most current version of DayZ is installed. The drop down menu will allow you to pick from previous versions of both, but keep in mind the server needs to be running the same version of both Arma II and DayZ for you to be able to join properly. We recommend using only the most current version of both if you want the greatest number of server options. At press time more than 70% of the servers were running the most current version.

Here is what the installation should look like after clicking Install.

Once the files are download it will decompress automatically.

Here is what you should see when all is said a done. The version numbers may change over time, but the green Reinstall button is an indication that DayZ commander has properly verified both requirements are up to date.

5.) The final step is to close and open DayZ Commander, and allow the server browser to refresh. You may want to initially start out on an empty server just to learn the ropes, but the categories along the top will allow you to sort by settings, time of day, number of players, and ping. From here, just double click your ideal server and prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse.

Click page 2 to learn how to install DayZ the manual way.