How to run Day of Defeat: Source as a Windows Service with FireDaemon Pro.


Day of Defeat: Source is a first-person shooter set in World War II.


Day of Defeat: Source can be run as a Windows service using FireDaemon Pro. This allows you to start and run the dedicated server automatically when Windows boots and before login. FireDaemon Pro also allows you to start multiple instances of the game server, monitoring them and automatically restarting those instances in the event they crash. FireDaemon Fusion can also be used to manage your Day of Defeat: Source service, plus other Windows services via your web browser.

Day of Defeat: Source


Day of Defeat: Source screenshot


Day of Defeat: Source Server Setup Under FireDaemon Pro

Please follow the steps below to set up a Day of Defeat: Source as a Windows service with FireDaemon Pro


Step 1: Download and Install SteamCMD for Windows

SteamCMD is a command-line version of the Steam Client. Its primary use is to install and update various dedicated servers available on Steam using a command-line interface.


  1. Create a folder on your system, for SteamCMD, C:\SteamCMD
  2. Download SteamCMD to this folder. A single ZIP file steamcmd.zip is downloaded.
  3. Extract the contents of the ZIP file into the folder. A single program file, steamcmd.exe, is extracted.
  4. Double-click steamcmd.exe. This will download SteamCMD and corresponding support files into the C:\SteamCMD folder.


Step 2: Download and Install FireDaemon Pro

  1. Download FireDaemon Pro installer
  2. Double-click installer and follow the installation wizard to complete the installation.
  3. For more information about installing FireDaemon, see the FireDaemon Pro Users Guide.


Step 3: Download and Install the Day of Defeat: Source Dedicated Day of Defeat: Source Server

Download the Day of Defeat: Source server files via the Steam SteamPipe servers. Go to the directory where you installed SteamCMD and create a shortcut to "SteamCMD.exe". In the shortcut, edit the properties and in the target box, at the end of it (with a space before the following), put:

+login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:\DODS" +app_update 232290 validate +quit
SteamCMD Shortcut PropertiesThe game is currently 1.68GB.


If the server successfully downloads, the command window will close on its own. Otherwise, it will stay open and tell you what went wrong (most likely you don't have enough free disk space).

Step 4: Set Up Day of Defeat: Source as a FireDaemon Pro Service

Double click the FireDaemon Pro icon on your desktop, then click on the New (i.e. +) button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl + N) to create a new service. Enter the information into the fields as you see below. Adjust the path names to suit your installation. Note the required parameters.


FireDaemon Pro Day of Defeat: Source Service Program Tab

The most important field on the tab is the Parameters. The Parameters define the initial setup of your server. The full parameter list should be as follows:

-console -game dod -secure +map dod_anzio -autoupdate +log on +maxplayers 32 -port 27015 +ip 10.0.0.50 +exec server.cfg
  • "-console" enables text base server display. The server can only be automatically restarted in text based mode.
  • "-game" loads the mod.
  • "-secure" enables VAC (Valve Anti Cheat) protection of your server. You can remove this command if you do not want to use VAC.
  • "+map" loads a specified map on server startup. You can change "dod_anzio" to whatever map you want. This command should never be removed.
  • "-autoupdate" Enables auto update of the server. Valve has not implemented this in Windows so you will have to manually update Day of Defeat: Source yourself. It’s here for the sake of legacy support if Valve ever decides to add it.
  • "+log on" Displays the output of information on the screen. You can turn it off (+log off), but keeping it on makes it easier to debug any errors you might encounter.
  • "maxplayers 32" This controls the maximum of amount of players you want your server to run. You can only control the max players on server startup. This command should never be removed.
  • "-port 27015" This is the default server port for your server. You can change it to anywhere from 27015 to 27020. Changing it is generally used when you host multiple servers (as each server has to use its own port when using the same IP). This command should never be removed.
  • "+ip 10.0.0.50" should be the IP of your computer (If your computer is behind a router, then it will be your internal DHCP IP. If its directly connected to internet, then on the go here to get your IP). This command should never be removed.

Next, click on the FireDaemon Pro Settings tab:

FireDaemon Pro Day of Defeat: Source service settings
Enter appropriate values in the fields on the Settings tab as follows:

  • (Required) Job Type:  You must set the job type to "Global Job".
  • (Optional) Logon Account: Enter the Windows account under which the game is to be run, e.g. the current user account.
  • Password / Confirm Password:  Enter the logon account's password twice.
  • (Optional) Interact with Desktop: If this setting is enabled (default), the game server's output messages can be seen in the console window on Windows Session 0. To switch to Session 0, it may be necessary to install FireDaemon Zero and ZeroInput. Alternatively, this setting may be disabled, in which case the game server's messages will be hidden.
  • (Optional) Priority: To allocate more CPU time to the game server, select a higher scheduling priority in this field.
  • (Optional) CPU Bindings: To run the game server on a specific CPU, specify the appropriate CPU in this field.

Next, click on the Lifecycle tab. Set Shutdown By to Forceful Termination and check "Console Program".

FireDaemon Pro Day of Defeat: Source lifecycle settings
Lastly, click the Save and Close (ie. the tick) button on the toolbar. If the service's Startup Type is set to Automatic or Automatic (Delayed-Start), it will start immediately.

Step 5: Verify that Day of Defeat: Source is Running Correctly

The Day of Defeat: Source game server's status can easily be checked on the main FireDaemon Pro Services List - look for a Running Status value and a numeric Process ID (PID) value.

FireDaemon Pro Services list

If the service's Interact with Desktop setting is enabled, the game status can also be verified by switching to Windows Session 0 to view the game's messages.