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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →You can automate a Valheim Dedicated Server update without surprising players by wrapping the maintenance in one controlled sequence: post a Discord warning, wait for a configurable grace period, stop the server cleanly, back up the Valheim directory, run SteamCMD with app ID 896660, start your preserved launch script, verify that the process is ready, and report success or failure to Discord. The server still has to restart; the goal is predictable downtime, not zero-downtime patching.
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This guide covers Linux services, Windows Task Scheduler, and container deployments, plus Steam-backend versus Crossplay networking. It also shows how to keep Steam updates from erasing custom launch arguments and how to leave a failed update safely stopped for operator review.
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A reliable maintenance job performs these actions in order:
- Send a pre-maintenance Discord webhook message, for example, “Valheim server update begins in 5 minutes.”
- Wait for the warning interval you choose so players can log out.
- Stop the Valheim process cleanly and confirm it is no longer running.
- Create a dated backup of the Valheim server directory, including world saves and configuration that you need to restore.
- Run SteamCMD:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quit. - Start the copied startup script, not the Steam-managed original.
- Wait for the service or process to become ready, then post a success message.
- If SteamCMD or startup returns a non-zero status, post an error and leave the server stopped until you inspect the logs or restore a backup.
Every step should be logged with a timestamp. A failed update must not automatically launch an unverified binary while players are connecting.
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Decide your network mode before scheduling restarts
Steam-backend servers
Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guide says a normal Steam-backend server uses ports 2456–2457 and needs internet-accessible port forwarding for players outside the local network. Forward the same protocol and port range through your router and host firewall, and keep the forwarding pointed at the machine that runs the server. A restart does not change the required ports, but players will be disconnected while the process is down.
Crossplay servers
Crossplay sends traffic through a relay, so outside-LAN access does not require port forwarding. You still need a running server and outbound internet access. Do not remove firewall rules blindly: local-LAN policy, host security, and the server’s own listening configuration still matter.
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Choose the mode deliberately and document it beside your maintenance script. A port-forwarding fix for Steam-backend play will not solve a problem caused by a stopped process, and adding forwarding is unnecessary for Crossplay’s outside-LAN relay path.
Preserve the startup script Steam can overwrite
Iron Gate’s official dedicated-server guide, dated 11 April 2024, warns: “We recommend that you make a copy of this file and enter the required information in the copy instead of the original, since the original file will be reset each time it is updated in Steam.” Treat that as a prerequisite, not an optional precaution.
Create a private launch copy
- Locate the startup file supplied with the dedicated server.
- Copy it to a separate name such as
start_valheim_custom.sh(or an equivalent PowerShell or batch file on Windows). - Put your world name, password, public visibility, Crossplay or Steam setting, and any other custom start arguments in the copy.
- Make your service manager, container, or scheduled task call the copied file.
- Keep the copy outside any directory that Steam may replace, or restore it from version control after an update.
Do not edit only the original and assume the change is permanent. Steam can reset that file during an update, causing the next automated restart to lose your world selection or other launch arguments.
Build the maintenance wrapper
The wrapper is the single entry point used by cron, a systemd timer, Task Scheduler, or a container’s scheduled job. It should fail closed: a failed stop, backup, update, or startup check ends the run and sends an error notification.
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Store the webhook as a secret
Use a Discord webhook created for a private maintenance channel. Put the URL in an environment variable, a root-readable secret file, or your container secret store. Never commit it to a public script, paste it into a support ticket, or print it in command output. Rotate the webhook immediately if it leaks.
A minimal shell notification function can look like this:
discord_notify() {
curl --fail --silent --show-error -X POST
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-d "{"content":"$1"}" "$DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL"
}Quote the message and URL correctly, enable shell error handling, and write curl errors to a protected log. If Discord is unavailable, the maintenance job should still record that notification failure and alert you through whatever secondary monitoring you operate.
Use an explicit sequence
Adapt the following outline to your service names and paths rather than copying unknown stop commands into production:
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set -eu
: "${DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL:?missing webhook}"
# 1. Warn players
discord_notify 'Valheim server update begins in 5 minutes.'
sleep 300
# 2. Stop the service cleanly
systemctl stop valheim
# 3. Back up the complete server directory
# Use your backup tool here and verify its exit status.
# 4. Update the dedicated-server files
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quit
# 5. Start the preserved script
systemctl start valheim
# 6. Check readiness using your service/log health check
discord_notify 'Valheim server update completed and the server is online.'The outline intentionally leaves the backup and readiness commands deployment-specific. Your backup tool must return a failure when it cannot read or write the archive; your readiness check must distinguish “process exists” from “server is accepting players.” If any command fails, send an error notification and do not run the success branch.
Back up worlds and configuration before every update
The Valheim update instructions say to stop the server and create a backup of the Valheim folder before running the update. Do this on every scheduled run, even when the patch looks small. Include world files, character or server-side data that your installation uses, the copied startup script, and any mod or configuration files needed to reproduce the current launch.
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Make backups recoverable
- Use a timestamped directory or archive name so one bad update does not overwrite the last known-good copy.
- Keep at least one backup outside the live installation directory; otherwise a damaged disk or mistaken cleanup can remove both.
- Check the archive exit status and, where supported, list or checksum the saved files.
- Retain enough generations to cover the period in which you might discover a corrupted world.
- Record the server build, mod set, launch arguments, and update log alongside the backup.
SteamCMD updates server files; they do not replace a world-backup policy. Preserve custom arguments and world data separately from files Steam is allowed to overwrite.
Run SteamCMD safely
The documented update operation is:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quit896660 is the Steam app ID for Valheim Dedicated Server. +force_install_dir must point to the directory you actually back up and launch. The validate option asks SteamCMD to verify installed files while updating; it can redownload damaged files and therefore may take longer than a routine patch.
Check the result before restarting
- Capture SteamCMD’s exit status and output.
- Do not start the server when the command returns non-zero.
- Inspect disk space, permissions, network connectivity, and SteamCMD logs before retrying.
- If a retry is appropriate, keep the same pre-update backup; do not create a new backup over the only known-good copy.
There is no documented promise that SteamCMD can fetch an arbitrary previous Valheim build on demand. For rollback, restore the complete server files and world data from a known-good backup, then start the preserved script after checking compatibility.
Restart only after a readiness check
Starting a process is not the same as bringing the server online. After launching the copied script, wait for the health signal appropriate to your setup: a systemd service reaching active, a container health check passing, or a known ready message in the server log. Set a timeout. If readiness is not reached, stop the process, send a Discord failure message, and leave the server stopped for investigation.
On success, include the completion time and the updated build information available in your logs. On failure, include the failing phase (stop, backup, SteamCMD, or startup) but never include the webhook URL or other secrets.
Choose how Discord messages are generated
| Approach | Best fit | Event detail | Operational notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell or service wrapper | Linux or Windows administrators who want full control | Exactly the pre-warning, failure, and post-start messages you script | Requires secure secret storage, scheduler configuration, backup logic, and readiness checks |
| Container hook | Administrators already running a community Valheim container | Pre-restart hook plus the container’s update and restart lifecycle | The community Docker project documents PRE_RESTART_HOOK with curl -X POST; verify image maintenance, permissions, and secret handling |
| Discord Connector mod | Servers wanting in-game lifecycle integration | Configuration can route serverLifecycle and launch, start, stop, or shutdown events |
Set the webhook URL and enable the individual message toggles; selecting an event route alone does not enable every message |
| ServerManager mod | Operators preferring mod-managed status notifications | Webhook-based game-to-Discord notifications and server status events | Verify compatibility with the current Valheim and mod-loader versions before deployment |
Use one authoritative notification path for maintenance. If a wrapper and a mod both announce restarts, players may receive duplicate or contradictory messages. Mods can add useful game-level events, but a wrapper remains the reliable place to gate backups and SteamCMD exit codes.
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Schedule updates on each operating environment
Linux with cron
Run the wrapper from a protected absolute path and choose a time in the server’s documented timezone. For example, a Sunday 04:00 entry is:
0 4 * * 0 /usr/local/sbin/valheim-maintenance.sh >> /var/log/valheim-maintenance.log 2>&1Use a lock so overlapping runs cannot stop a server twice or start two SteamCMD processes. Test the script interactively under the same account and environment cron will use; cron often has a smaller PATH and no interactive shell profile.
Linux with systemd
A systemd service is useful when it already owns the Valheim process: the wrapper can call systemctl stop and systemctl start, and the timer can enforce one run at a time. Set the service user, working directory, restart policy, and log destination explicitly. Do not let the service’s automatic restart policy immediately relaunch a process after the wrapper has deliberately stopped it for an update; coordinate the unit’s stop and start behavior.
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Windows Task Scheduler
Create a task that runs under the account owning the server files, select “Run whether user is logged on or not,” and start it in the directory containing SteamCMD and the wrapper. Configure a weekly or daily trigger, enable “Do not start a new instance” to prevent overlap, and capture PowerShell’s exit code. The task should call a copied launch script and stop the existing server process gracefully before backup.
Containers
Use the image’s documented update schedule and hook variables rather than replacing its entrypoint blindly. The community Docker project’s PRE_RESTART_HOOK can run a curl -X POST request before restart. Mount backups outside the live data volume, inject the webhook as a secret, and confirm that container recreation does not discard world saves or custom start arguments.
Set a warning window players can act on
There is no universal countdown specified by the official guides. Five minutes is a useful example, not a requirement. Choose the interval based on your community’s session length, then test it during a quiet period. A longer warning is appropriate for cooperative events or players with slow save-and-exit routines; a shorter one may be adequate for a private server.
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Send one message before stopping, then a clear result after startup. If the update is postponed, say so instead of allowing an old “starting soon” notice to remain unexplained. Do not promise uninterrupted play: the documented procedure requires a stop and restart.
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- Run the wrapper manually with a test Discord channel and confirm that the warning arrives.
- Have a player connected, verify that the stop phase lets the process shut down cleanly, and confirm the player sees the expected disconnect.
- Inspect the backup archive and restore a copy to a separate directory to prove that it is usable.
- Run SteamCMD and record its exit status and duration.
- Confirm that the copied startup script still contains your world and network arguments.
- Check the server log or service health signal before sending the success message.
- Simulate a failed SteamCMD or startup step and verify that the wrapper sends an error and leaves the server stopped.
- Test a leaked or revoked webhook by rotating it and confirming that the script reads the replacement secret without code changes.
Troubleshoot common failures
Players cannot reconnect after the update
First determine the network mode. For Steam-backend servers, check forwarding for ports 2456–2457, host-firewall rules, and the server’s public setting. For Crossplay, forwarding is not required for outside-LAN access; focus on process readiness, outbound connectivity, and the relay-compatible launch configuration.
The server starts with the wrong world or settings
Steam likely reset the original startup file. Point the service at your preserved copy, restore its custom arguments, and keep that copy outside Steam-managed files.
The update reports success but the process never becomes ready
Treat this as a startup failure, not a successful maintenance run. Review the server log, permissions, free disk space, mod compatibility, and launch arguments. Stop the process, notify Discord, and restore the last known-good files if the new installation is incompatible.
Discord notifications fail
Check DNS, outbound HTTPS access, the webhook’s validity, and the JSON payload. Keep the maintenance decision independent from a cosmetic notification failure, but record the failure prominently and use a secondary alert channel if operators could otherwise miss an outage.
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Disable the mod’s notification integration, retain the wrapper-based warnings, and verify the mod and game versions before re-enabling it. Discord Connector’s event list and ServerManager’s status hooks depend on compatibility that can change with game or loader updates.
Quick Recap
Operational comparison
| Criterion | Shell or service wrapper | Container hook | Notification mod |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating systems | Linux and Windows | Any host supported by the container runtime | Any supported Valheim mod environment |
| Scheduler | Cron, systemd timer, or Task Scheduler | Image-provided schedule or external scheduler | Usually reacts to lifecycle events; pair with an external update scheduler |
| Backup handling | Fully scriptable before SteamCMD | Depends on mounted volumes and image behavior; configure explicitly | Not a substitute for a filesystem backup |
| Rollback | Restore files and worlds from your own backup | Restore the data volume and image-compatible files | Rollback requires game/mod files outside the mod’s event system |
| Discord granularity | Any message and conditional branch you implement | Hook-level pre-restart and container lifecycle messages | In-game lifecycle events, subject to enabled toggles and compatibility |
| Port forwarding | Required for outside-LAN Steam-backend access; not required for Crossplay relay access | Same network-mode rule; containerization does not change it | Same network-mode rule; notifications do not provide game connectivity |
Recommended production checklist
- Copied startup script is the one your service actually launches.
- Webhook is stored as a secret and absent from source control and logs.
- Warning interval is documented and tested with real players.
- Server stops before backup and SteamCMD.
- Backup is timestamped, readable, and stored outside the live directory.
- SteamCMD uses app ID
896660and a verified install path. - Non-zero update or startup status sends an error and prevents automatic launch.
- Readiness is checked before the success message.
- Steam-backend forwarding uses ports 2456–2457; Crossplay relies on its relay for outside-LAN access.
- Mod integrations are version-checked and do not duplicate wrapper announcements.
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