@Friznit Think Sav is confusing things - you only need that if you have a totally separate ArmA3 install which you're using for HC's

I run everything from a single installation of ArmA3. In your case E:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 3

You can run ArmA3.exe -client and arma3server.exe from the same installation quite happily. Only need to install the mods in that folder.

Ok, so I need copies of my mods in what folder?

Because if its pulling from my main Arma game folder..something isn't working because it says I have a version mismatch when the HC joins the server.

What folder should I put copies of the mods I'm using for that mission into so the HC can access them?

Should the bat files and mods all be in the same folder?

Ah sorry was going by what he wrote in a previous post (e:\games\arma3\) which looked like he had a separate install for HC (also would explain the CBA mismatch errors if he had an older version in the HC folder).

edit: ignore the cba mismatch error for now it's probably just cba weirdnes

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_Headless_Client

Where is the HC located? because I put the bat file that worked last night in the Arma3server folder. Should I move it to my main Arma game folder? Create a new sub folder in that one?

From the sounds of it your HC and server are both using the same set of files in \common\arma3

Some people configure the HC as a separate install and use a separate set of files/folders, but it's not necessary.

This is a great tutorial:
https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/178434-arma3-headless-client-guide/

Launch the server instance first...wait 30 seconds.. launch the HC. HC should auto-connect to the right slot under Virtual Entities.

So I have successfully got both HC and HC2 headless connecting to my server, etc.

However, things get weird from that point....

Tanks are stuck buried in the ground halfway, guys are walking in place but going nowhere, and I'm getting verison mismatches like crazy for CBA and ALiVE (only 2 mods I'm running on mission).

Obviously...it's working but needs tweaking. Why am I getting version mismatches if they are all pulling from the same mod folder?

EDIT: Yup, found the problem. I have an older version of ALiVE and Play with Six located on my C: Documents (used those with Play with Six Iron Front conversion)

How can I redirect all of that to go find the mods in the E:??

Tanks stuck in ground is an Arma related glitch as far as I know.. might need to make sure it doesn't with any HC's connected though. Units getting stuck could mean the server crashed.

I figured it out.

I had the bat files in the Armaserver folder. Moved them to the Arma folder.

Everything works great now.

I'm all set. Thanks to everyone who helped a headless client noob out. Gracias!

@dixon13 You could write a simple program in Python. Run it through the command prompt and make it so it asks you for information about what mods to run, what profile name, etc. Input what you want and it makes a bat file on the desktop all nice and pretty. :)

This sounds great.

Similar to TADST I'm assuming except handling your bat files?

Would seem easier than having to manually change your mod settings all the time for different missions with HCs.

Do you have one built?

ALiVE Garbage Cleaner should do the job automatically just fine. The server should be able to delete remove objects just fine though.