What problem does each command solve?
Discovery and execution are different steps. Adding a folder while FXServer is running does not mean its scripts have executed. Conversely, rerunning a resource command does not repair a missing file or an invalid manifest. The official server command reference defines refresh, start, stop, ensure and restart; use it when deciding what your next command should do.
This is an evergreen guide checked on 12 September 2026, written with AI assistance by FiveMCoach. The procedure below is our proposed diagnostic exercise. It does not announce a new artifact, certify framework compatibility or report an FXServer test performed by us.
How can you rehearse the difference safely?
Use an isolated development server. Create a new resource called fmc_command_probe in its resources directory. Do not replace a live resource or paste this manifest over a purchased script. The probe has no database access, network events or player actions; it only writes a recognizable message when its server entry runs.
Directory layout:
resources/
fmc_command_probe/
fxmanifest.lua
server.lua
Put this in the new fxmanifest.lua:
fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
server_script 'server.lua'
Put this in the new server.lua:
print('fmc_command_probe: server entry loaded')
Cfx.re documents the manifest in the resource folder, the game declaration and the server-script entry. The manifest runs separately from your resource scripts. Check the manifest reference and resource directory guide. Keep the folder and file names exact when repeating the exercise.
What should you run in the server console?
On that isolated server, run these commands one at a time and inspect the output after each:
refresh
start fmc_command_probe
ensure fmc_command_probe
stop fmc_command_probe
start fmc_command_probe
Expected observation: discovery is followed by the entry message when the probe starts; ensuring it while running runs it again. Stopping it and starting it gives another explicit startup. These expectations follow the documented command behavior. They are not a captured test result. Do not paste the block as a batch: seeing each transition is the purpose of the exercise.
Now stop the probe before removing its two files from the test environment. If you added it to any test startup configuration, remove that entry too. Leave unrelated resources and their configuration alone.
What if the resource still does not start?
Record the exact command, resource folder, first relevant error and what changed. First check discovery: is the manifest inside the actual resource folder, rather than an unintended archive wrapper? Then check the manifest entries against the filenames that exist. If the loader reaches a named script and reports a file or line, investigate that specific failure rather than repeatedly restarting the server.
A resource dependency declaration requires the named resource to load before the current one. It does not install the dependency or establish compatibility between arbitrary versions. Read the resource maintainer's supported setup before changing dependencies. See the dependency entry. Avoid adding a framework dependency to this standalone probe: it would change the question the exercise is testing.
How do you decide whether a real restart is appropriate?
Before touching a production resource, name the player journey it supports and the state that could be interrupted. Does it handle inventory, a purchase, a job action or a shared interface? Ask its maintainer for supported restart and recovery instructions. A resource appearing started is not evidence that its player-facing behavior or saved data is correct.
Choose one change and repeat the same check in staging. Keep the previous resource and configuration available through your normal recovery procedure. If the change causes a regression, restore the known version and repeat the check before widening the rollout. Do not use a whole-category command when you only intend to operate on one resource.
For runtime performance symptoms, continue with the lag diagnosis playbook. For cross-framework questions, use the framework-fit comparison. If you want structured learning and project guidance, explore the developer path. This guide checks command and manifest syntax against official documentation; the example has not been executed in FXServer during this editorial review.