Prepare your server environment

1. Prepare the Windows machine

Sign in to your test server with a Windows administrator account. Finish pending Windows updates and restart before installing software. Keep the firewall and User Account Control enabled. This guide prepares the machine and files; database creation and server configuration come next.

2. Install the tools and download SQL Server

1. Install Notepad++ to edit configuration files, then install WinRAR or 7-Zip to open the server archives.
2. Install .NET Framework 4.8. If Windows reports that this version or a newer version is already installed, continue.
3. Install the Visual C++ Redistributable required by your server executables. An x86 executable needs the x86 runtime even on 64-bit Windows. The current IGCN guide lists Visual C++ 2015–2022 x64; that does not establish the requirement for an older Kantru build.
4. Download the SQL Server installer and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). SQL Server runs the database; SSMS manages it. IGCN lists SQL Server 2019 Express and SSMS 18.12 or later. Confirm your Kantru package supports your chosen SQL version and architecture before installation, especially if it uses an MD5 database extension.

3. Download and extract the matching files

Download the complete server package, matching game client and client patch, and the administration tools supplied for your Season 6 Episode 3 release. Keep the original archives. Extract the server to a dedicated folder, for example D:\Kantru\Server, and the client to D:\Kantru\Client. These are example locations, not required paths. Keep the extracted folder structure intact. Open configuration files in Notepad++ and preserve their encoding; the IGCN reference uses UTF-8 without BOM unless a file specifies otherwise.

4. Check that you are ready

Before you continue to database setup, check each item below:

• The server and client archives extracted without errors.
• The server files and client belong to the same Season 6 Episode 3 release.
• Notepad++ opens your configuration files correctly.
• The SQL Server and SSMS installers are downloaded and ready.

5. If something goes wrong

If extraction fails, download the archive again. If a program reports a missing DLL, install its matching runtime rather than downloading individual DLL files. Still need the build requirements? Send support your package name, build number, Windows version, and the exact error message.