To change a Valheim Dedicated Server version safely, stop the server, back up its world and launcher, update the dedicated-server files with Steam Library Tools or SteamCMD, select a branch only when you deliberately need one, then restart and test with a client on the same intended build.
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Steam distributes the dedicated server as app ID 896660. The normal update is a validated Steam update; downgrading uses the default_old branch, while testing uses public-test when that branch and its current password are available.
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A Valheim dedicated server is a Steam-distributed application that keeps a persistent world running independently of a player’s game session. Changing its version means changing the files in the installation directory that your launcher starts. It does not mean creating a second world or editing the save itself.
The server and connecting clients must be on compatible builds. A server updated in one directory while the launcher starts another can appear unchanged. Likewise, selecting a testing or rollback branch on the server while clients remain on a different branch can produce an incompatible-version message. Treat the operation as a controlled file update, not as an in-game setting.
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Decide the target before touching files
- Ordinary public build: use the standard update command. This is the normal choice for a live world.
- Explicit public branch: select
publicwhen troubleshooting a branch mismatch or when you need to make the intended branch unambiguous. - Previous stable branch: select
default_oldwhen a rollback is required and your clients are also prepared to use that compatible build. - Public test branch: select
public-testonly when you intentionally want test content and have confirmed the current branch password and availability.
Before choosing a branch, compare client compatibility, stability needs, whether you have a usable backup, and whether the server is managed through Steam’s graphical Tools library or a headless SteamCMD installation. Also verify that the launcher points to the same directory you plan to update.
Back up and stop the server first
Do not update files while the server process is still writing the world. A clean stop gives the save a chance to finish and leaves no running process to hold files open.
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- Stop the server with
Ctrl+Cin its console, or use the service manager that normally controls it. Wait until the process has exited. - Copy the complete world or save directory used by your installation to a separate location. Keep the copy outside the live install so a later verification cannot overwrite both copies.
- Make a separate copy of your customized
start_headless_server.bator shell launcher, along with any configuration values that the launcher contains. - Record the exact installation directory that the launcher starts. This is the directory SteamCMD must receive through
+force_install_dir, or the directory selected in Steam Library Tools.
Keeping the launcher copy separate matters because an update or a file-integrity verification can restore default script contents. Your world backup protects the persistent data; your launcher backup protects startup arguments and other custom settings.
Choose SteamCMD or Steam Library Tools
Use the same distribution path that already manages your installation. A graphical Tools installation can be updated in Steam’s library interface. A headless installation is normally maintained with SteamCMD, either interactively or from a scheduled script.
| Version path | Steam selection | When to use it | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal public build | No beta selector, or -beta public |
Routine updates and a server intended for the ordinary public release | Run only after stopping the server and backing up the world and launcher. |
| Previous stable branch | -beta default_old |
Rolling back to the previous stable branch for client compatibility or recovery | Clients must use a compatible build; branch availability can change. |
| Public test branch | -beta public-test -betapassword yesimadebackups |
Trying the public test build deliberately | The cited password and branch availability are volatile; verify them when switching. |
The dedicated-server application ID is 896660. SteamCMD updates only the directory supplied to +force_install_dir, so a correct command aimed at the wrong directory will not change the files your launcher uses.
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Update a SteamCMD installation
Run the standard public update
Open a terminal in the directory containing the SteamCMD executable, or run the command from your maintenance script. Replace the example install path with the actual directory used by your server:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quit+login anonymous signs in for the anonymously downloadable dedicated-server application. +force_install_dir selects the destination. +app_update 896660 requests the Valheim Dedicated Server files, and validate asks SteamCMD to check the downloaded files. +quit closes SteamCMD after the operation.
Run this only after the process has stopped and the backup is complete. Let SteamCMD finish before starting the server again; interrupting the update can leave an incomplete installation that fails in a different way from a branch mismatch.
Explicitly select the public branch
If you suspect that the installation is on an unintended branch, make the public selection explicit:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta public validate +quitThis still updates app ID 896660 in the supplied directory and validates the files. It is useful when you want the command itself to document the intended branch rather than relying on the install’s previous state.
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Switch to the previous stable branch
To request the previous stable branch, use:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta default_old validate +quitUse this as a deliberate rollback, not as a routine alternative. First confirm that the clients who need to connect can use the same compatible branch. Preserve the current world and launcher backups before switching so you can return to the public build if the older branch does not solve the problem.
Switch to the public test branch
The cited community instructions use this selector and password:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 -beta public-test -betapassword yesimadebackups validate +quitThe password shown above is not a permanent guarantee. Beta passwords and branch availability can change, so verify the current requirement at the time you switch. Back up before every branch change, and tell players that their clients must be on the corresponding compatible build.
Confirm that SteamCMD updated the intended directory
After SteamCMD exits, check the path you supplied against the path referenced by your launcher. The most common false update is a successful SteamCMD run pointed at one directory while start_headless_server.bat or the shell script starts another. Do not delete either directory until you have identified which one is live and confirmed that the backup is safe.
Update through Steam Library Tools
The official Valheim guidance also supports installing and maintaining the Dedicated Server from Steam Library Tools. This is appropriate when Steam’s graphical client owns the installation rather than a separate headless SteamCMD workflow.
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- Stop the running dedicated server cleanly and wait for its process to exit.
- Open Steam’s Library and locate the Valheim Dedicated Server entry in the Tools section.
- Start the available update for that entry and allow Steam to finish downloading before launching the server.
- Keep the copied
start_headless_server.bator shell launcher. If the update replaces it, restore your customized copy or reapply its settings from the backup. - If the download appears incomplete or files seem damaged, use Steam’s Verify integrity of game files operation for the Dedicated Server entry.
- Start the server with the preserved launcher and test a connection from a client on the intended branch.
Verification is a repair step, not a substitute for a backup. It can restore default file contents, including startup-script changes, so compare the resulting launcher with your saved copy before bringing the world back online.
Restart and prove that the version change worked
A successful download is not the same as a successful version change. Use this restart checklist:
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- Confirm that the update or verification completed without being interrupted.
- Check that the launcher still contains the arguments and settings your world requires. Restore the preserved script if an update replaced it.
- Start the server using that launcher, not an alternate shortcut whose target has not been checked.
- Observe the startup output for the expected build information and for errors that indicate missing or damaged files.
- Connect with a client that is on the same intended public, previous-stable, or public-test path.
- Enter the world briefly and verify that the expected persistent save loads. If the world does not appear, stop rather than creating a replacement world over the same live location; recheck the launcher and restore from the backup when necessary.
Keep a note of which branch was selected and which directory was updated. That record makes the next compatibility diagnosis faster, especially on hosts with more than one Valheim installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix an “incompatible version” message
When a client reports an incompatible version after an update, work through the checks in this order. Each check addresses a different failure mode.
1. Verify the client and server branch
Decide whether the server is meant to be on the ordinary public build, default_old, or public-test. A branch mismatch can survive a perfectly completed download because the files are valid but intentionally different. Put the server and the connecting client on the same intended branch, then restart the server after the branch change.
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2. Verify the directory passed to SteamCMD
Read the exact value after +force_install_dir and compare it with the directory referenced by the launcher. If they differ, rerun the update against the launcher’s directory. Updating the wrong copy cannot repair the copy that is actually running.
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3. Check for an old process
Make sure the previous server process really stopped before updating. A still-running process can leave the old files in memory while SteamCMD changes files on disk, producing confusing results. Stop it through the same console or service manager that started it, then perform the update again.
4. Validate or verify the files
For SteamCMD, rerun the normal app_update 896660 validate command, with the correct branch selector if required. For Steam Library Tools, use Verify integrity of game files. Preserve the launcher because either method can restore default script contents.
5. Restart with the preserved launcher
An update can succeed while the launcher still points to a different executable or directory. Start the server from the saved, checked launcher and confirm that its target matches the directory you updated.
6. Test with a client on the intended build
Use one client whose branch choice is known. If that client connects while another does not, the remaining mismatch is on the second client rather than in the server files. If no compatible client connects, repeat the branch and directory checks before changing the world data.
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Downgrading is a branch change plus the same file-safety procedure as an update. Stop the server, copy the complete world directory, save the current launcher, and run the default_old command against the directory that the launcher actually starts. Do not treat the older branch as a separate world unless you intentionally make a separate copy; the important protection is having an untouched backup before the files change.
After the rollback, start the server and connect with a client prepared for that compatible build. If the older branch does not resolve the issue, stop the server and return to the public branch with the explicit -beta public command, using the backup if the world or launcher needs to be restored.
Plan version changes for a persistent world
For a routine public update
- Schedule a maintenance window when players are offline.
- Stop the process cleanly.
- Copy the world/save directory and launcher.
- Run the standard validated update in the live install directory.
- Restart and test one known-compatible client before announcing availability.
For a test-branch trial
- Make a fresh backup rather than relying on an older copy.
- Confirm the current public-test password and availability at the moment of change.
- Tell players that their clients must use the corresponding test build.
- Keep the public-branch command ready for a controlled return.
For an emergency rollback
- Stop the server before changing branches.
- Preserve the current world and launcher in a separately named backup.
- Use
default_oldwith validation in the correct install directory. - Test with a client on the matching build before reopening the server.
This approach separates three decisions that are often confused: which branch you want, which files Steam should update, and which launcher actually starts those files. Keeping them explicit prevents most version-change mistakes.
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