Notepad++

Notepad++ is the de facto text editor for editing Unturned™ configuration files. Every item, vehicle, weapon attachment, magazine, and animal in an Unturned mod is defined by a plain-text .dat file. These files use a specific encoding (UTF-8 without BOM) and a key-value structure that the Unturned engine reads at server startup. The default Windows Notepad application can damage these files by silently adding a byte-order mark or by changing line endings, which results in items that fail to load and server errors that are difficult to diagnose.

This section of the 57 Studios™ Modding Knowledge Base walks you through installing Notepad++, opening a .dat file, and saving it with the correct encoding settings. Every step is documented for readers who have never used a text editor beyond the built-in Windows Notepad.

Reading order

Articles in this section build on each other. Start with installation and work through in order.

Articles in this section

1. How to Install Notepad++ — Download the latest release from the official site, run the installer, and verify the installation.
2. How to Open a DAT File — Understand what .dat files are in Unturned, three methods to open them, and the structure of a typical item definition.
3. How to Save a DAT File with Correct Encoding — Configure the encoding menu, understand the byte-order mark problem, and verify line endings before saving.

By the end of this section, you will be able to open, edit, and save any Unturned .dat file without corrupting it.