Installing Your IW4x Dedicated Server on Windows

Installing Your IW4x Dedicated Server on Windows

IW4x is an open-source modification for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) that restores full dedicated server support, adds modding capabilities, and provides a public server browser through the AlterWare network. This guide walks through a complete Windows installation from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• A copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) — this is the original 2009 release (Steam AppID 10190), not the 2022 remaster. Purchase it on Steam if you don't own it.
• Visual C++ Redistributables — you need both the 2010 (x86) and the 2015–2019 (x86) packages. Download them from Microsoft's official site. Even if you have newer versions installed, the 32-bit 2010 redistributable is a separate package that IW4x specifically requires.
• About 12 GB of free disk space for the game files.

Step 1: Copy the MW2 Game Files

IW4x runs on top of the base MW2 installation. The cleanest approach is to copy your Steam MW2 folder to a dedicated server directory rather than running directly from the Steam folder.

1. In Steam, right-click Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 → Manage → Browse local files. This opens the game folder (usually something like C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2).
2. Copy the entire folder to a dedicated server location, for example:

   C:\GameServers\MW2-Server\
   

3. Confirm the copy contains iw4mp.exe, the main/ directory, and all the .iwd pack files.

You can also use SteamCMD to download the files directly to any location, which avoids copying:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:\GameServers\MW2-Server" +app_update 10190 validate +quit

Note: Anonymous login will not work for MW2 since it's not a free-to-play title. You'll need to log in with your Steam account credentials if using SteamCMD.

Step 2: Download and Run the AlterWare Launcher

The AlterWare Launcher is the official distribution tool for IW4x. It downloads and keeps iw4x.dll up to date.

1. Go to https://github.com/mxve/alterware-launcher/releases and download the latest alterware-launcher.exe.
2. Place alterware-launcher.exe inside your MW2 server folder (e.g., C:\GameServers\MW2-Server\).
3. Open a Command Prompt, navigate to that folder, and run:

   alterware-launcher.exe iw4x --update
   

   This downloads iw4x.dll and any supporting files into the game directory. The process may take a minute or two depending on your connection.

Step 3: Download the Server Config Template

The IW4x project provides a reference set of server configuration files:

1. Download the configs from https://github.com/iw4x/iw4-server-configs (use the green "Code" button → Download ZIP).
2. Extract the contents into your MW2 server folder. You should now have:
   • DedicatedServer.bat — the main launch script
   • DedicatedServerLAN.bat — a LAN-only variant
   • userraw/server.cfg — the main server configuration file

Step 4: Edit server.cfg

Open userraw/server.cfg in a text editor. At minimum, set these values:

set sv_hostname "My IW4x Server"   // Name shown in the server browser
set sv_maxclients "18"             // Max 18 players
set rcon_password "changeme"       // Change this to something secure
set sv_lanonly "0"                 // 0 = public server
set g_log "logs/games_mp.log"      // Log file path
set g_logsync "2"                  // Required for IW4MAdmin
set logfile "2"
set sv_maprotation "gametype war map mp_rust gametype war map mp_highrise gametype dom map mp_terminal"

See the full IW4x server.cfg Configuration Guide for every available option.

Step 5: Configure DedicatedServer.bat

Open DedicatedServer.bat and verify the launch line. It should look similar to:

@echo off
iw4x.exe -dedicated +set fs_game "" +set sv_lanonly "0" +set net_port "28960" +exec server.cfg +set party_enable "0" +map_rotate
pause

Key parameters:

• -dedicated — required to run as a dedicated server
• +set net_port "28960" — default game port; change if hosting multiple servers
• +exec server.cfg — loads your config from userraw/server.cfg
• +set party_enable "0" — keeps the server in match mode (recommended)
• +map_rotate — starts the map rotation on launch

Step 6: Open the Firewall

Windows Firewall will block incoming connections unless you create an inbound rule. Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security and add an inbound rule allowing UDP port 28960 (or whichever port you set in net_port). If you're on a dedicated server host, you may also need to configure your hosting provider's firewall — see the IW4x Port Forwarding Guide.

Step 7: Launch the Server

Double-click DedicatedServer.bat (or run it from the command prompt). The server console will open. A successful start looks like:

------- Game Initialization -------
gamename   : IW4
gamedate   : ...
...
Hitch warning: ...
------- Initializing Renderer -------
...
Opening IP socket: 0.0.0.0:28960

The server will cycle through its map rotation. Players can find it in the IW4x server browser or connect directly with connect [your-ip]:28960 from the IW4x console.

Keeping the Server Running

For a production server, run IW4x inside a tool like FireDaemon, NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager), or a simple batch-based watchdog so it restarts automatically if it crashes. You can also configure automatic restarts at scheduled times in your batch script.

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Related

• IW4x server.cfg Complete Configuration Guide
• IW4x Server Port Forwarding and Firewall Setup
• Host an IW4x (MW2) server with DustBowl.Games