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To change a Valheim dedicated server version safely, stop the server, back up its world and launch files, update the Valheim Dedicated Server installation through Steam Library Tools or SteamCMD, select a branch only when you deliberately need one, then restart and test with a client on the same build.
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The SteamCMD application ID is 896660. A normal update retrieves the current public files; default_old selects the previous stable branch, while public-test installs the testing build when that branch and its password are currently available.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat changing the server version actually does
Valheim Dedicated Server is distributed through Steam as the server application that keeps a persistent world available. Changing its version means changing the files in that Steam installation, not editing the world by hand. Steam downloads the build associated with the selected branch and replaces or verifies the installed files.
Most administrators should stay on the ordinary public build. A version change becomes necessary when an update has reached the public branch, when every connecting player must use an older compatible build, or when you intentionally want to test unreleased content. The client and server must be on compatible builds; updating only one side can produce an incompatible-version message.
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Choose the right branch before you update
Decide which build your players need before touching the installation. The branch names below are the selectors shown in the documented SteamCMD instructions. Branch availability and any password can change, so treat the public-test details as time-sensitive rather than permanent settings.
| Target | SteamCMD selector | Best use | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current public build | No selector, or -beta public |
Normal operation and the widest client compatibility | A client that has not updated may temporarily fail to connect |
| Previous stable branch | -beta default_old |
Short-term rollback when your player group still uses the prior stable build | It may stop matching clients after they move to the current public build |
| Public test build | -beta public-test -betapassword yesimadebackups in the cited command |
Testing new content with a willing, backed-up group | The password and branch can change, and test builds can be less stable |
Use the branch that matches the clients you intend to support, not simply the newest label. If you are unsure, choose the ordinary public build and update every client before troubleshooting anything more exotic.
Prepare the server so you can recover
A version change is low risk when you can restore both the world and the launch configuration. Perform these checks while the server is still running normally:
- Identify the exact installation directory used by the launcher or service. SteamCMD updates only the directory supplied to
+force_install_dir. - Stop the server cleanly with
Ctrl+Cin its console, or use the stop action supplied by your service manager. Do not update files while the process is writing a save. - Back up the complete world/save directory used by this server. Keep the backup outside the installation directory so an update or reinstall cannot overwrite it.
- Copy the customized
start_headless_server.bator shell launcher, along with any configuration files and service definitions. File verification can restore default script contents. - Record which branch you are currently using and which branch your players expect. If the server has already been changed, note the last known working state.
- Tell players when the server will be offline. A clean stop avoids a second process locking files during the update.
Do not delete the world to solve a version mismatch. The usual cause is that the server files, client files, or launcher directory are on different builds; removing saves can turn a fixable update into permanent data loss.
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Update through Steam Library Tools
The graphical Steam method is appropriate when the dedicated server was installed and is maintained from a Steam Library Tools entry. It normally follows the public branch and is the simplest route for a standard update.
- Stop the running Valheim server and wait for the process to exit.
- Open Steam and switch the Library filter to Tools if the dedicated server entry is not visible under Games.
- Open the Valheim Dedicated Server entry. Steam will show an Update action when newer files are available; start that update and wait for the download to finish.
- If Steam reports damaged or incomplete files, open the entry’s Properties, select Installed Files, and run Verify integrity of game files. This checks the installation and replaces files that do not match Steam’s copy.
- Restore your saved launcher copy if verification replaced a customized
start_headless_server.bator shell script. Check paths and arguments before starting. - Start the server with the preserved launcher, wait for it to finish loading the world, and test a connection from a client that has the intended public build.
Steam Library Tools is suitable for an ordinary update or repair. For an explicit rollback or public-test selection, use SteamCMD so the branch is written directly into the update command.
Update with SteamCMD
SteamCMD can update a headless installation without opening the Steam desktop client. Run the command from the directory containing the SteamCMD executable, or from a script that invokes it. Replace the example path with the directory that your server launcher actually uses.
Install or update the normal public build
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quitThe sequence logs in anonymously, directs SteamCMD to the specified installation directory, updates application 896660, validates the downloaded files, and exits. Run it only after the server process has stopped. The validate argument asks SteamCMD to check the installation instead of assuming every existing file is correct.
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On Windows, use the actual Windows path accepted by your SteamCMD setup; on Linux, use the server’s real absolute or relative path. Do not leave /path/to/valheim-server unchanged. A successful download in the wrong directory does not change the files your launcher starts.
Explicitly select the public branch
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta public validate +quitThis is useful when you are diagnosing a branch mismatch and want the intended public selector to be unambiguous. It still updates only the directory supplied to +force_install_dir.
Switch to the previous stable branch
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta default_old validate +quitUse default_old for a deliberate rollback to the previous stable branch. Back up first, and tell players to use clients compatible with that branch. A rollback is not a permanent guarantee that old files will remain available; branch maintenance is controlled by the game publisher.
Switch to the public-test branch
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta public-test -betapassword yesimadebackups validate +quitThe documented community command uses yesimadebackups as the beta password. Verify the current password and confirm that public-test is still offered when you perform the switch; both the password and branch availability are volatile. Treat this build as a test environment, keep a separate world backup, and expect that players may need matching test clients.
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Restart and confirm the version change
After SteamCMD or Steam finishes, use the launcher you backed up rather than creating a new one from memory. A launcher can point to a different directory, pass different world arguments, or start a second copy of the server.
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- Start the server through the service manager or preserved batch/shell launcher.
- Wait until the server reports that it has loaded and is accepting connections.
- Connect with a client on the same intended branch. Use a test account first if the world is important.
- Watch the server console for connection errors, then make a harmless in-game action and confirm that the world saves normally.
If the client connects and the world loads, the version change is complete. Keep the backup and the previous branch choice until you have operated successfully for at least one normal save cycle.
Fixing an incompatible-version error
An incompatible-version message means the client and server do not agree on a compatible build. Work through the checks below in order; changing branches repeatedly without checking the path can leave the server in the same state.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server updated, but players still see the old version | SteamCMD updated a directory different from the one used by the launcher | Compare +force_install_dir with the executable path in the batch file, shell script, or service definition. Update the directory that is actually started. |
| Only some players can connect | Those clients are on different public, old, or test builds | Have every player use the same intended branch, then restart the server after its update has completed. |
| Steam reports missing or corrupt files | An incomplete download, changed file, or interrupted update | Stop the server and rerun the normal command with validate, or use Steam’s Verify integrity of game files operation. |
| The server starts with default settings after verification | The customized launcher was replaced by a default copy | Stop the server, restore your saved start_headless_server.bat or shell launcher, check its paths, and start again. |
| The public-test command fails at the branch or password step | The password changed or the branch is unavailable | Check the current branch instructions before retrying. Do not guess a new password, and do not leave the installation half-switched. |
| The server will not start after a rollback | The branch files and launcher configuration do not match, or the update did not finish | Stop all server processes, run the selected branch command again with validate, then start using the preserved launcher. |
Check for a second running installation
It is possible to update one copy while a service continues launching another. Stop the service, close any manually started server window, and identify the executable path referenced by the service configuration. Start one known copy only, then test again.
Check client timing
Steam may update a client automatically while another player is offline. If the server remains on default_old and that player’s client has moved to public, neither side can be made compatible by restarting alone. Choose one branch for the group and update both server and clients to that branch.
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Rollback is a file-operation decision, not a world conversion. Keep the world backup made before the change, select default_old with SteamCMD, and test the result with a compatible client. If the older branch does not work, stop the server and return to the public command; do not overwrite the only backup while experimenting.
For a cautious test, duplicate the server installation and use a copy of the world rather than exposing the production world to a test branch. This separates branch experiments from the persistent world that regular players use.
Operational practices for future updates
- Keep the launcher under version control or retain dated copies so a verification never removes the arguments you rely on.
- Use a maintenance window: stop, back up, update, validate, start, and test in that order.
- Record the selected branch alongside the server’s installation path. Those two details resolve most later mismatch investigations.
- Require a fresh world backup before every move to
public-testordefault_old. - After major client updates, test one connection before announcing that the server is available to everyone.
The safest default is therefore straightforward: stop the server, preserve the world and launcher, run app_update 896660 validate against the directory your launcher uses, restart, and confirm a client on the same branch can connect. Add a branch selector only when compatibility or testing gives you a specific reason.
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