Stop the running Conan Exiles server, back up the installation and ConanSandboxSaved, then update the existing folder with SteamCMD using dedicated-server app ID 443030. Restart the server only after SteamCMD finishes, and update Workshop mods separately if the server uses them. The procedure below also covers file validation, launcher alternatives, firewall checks and the causes of “incompatible version” errors.
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Before you update
An update replaces server binaries and may alter files that your instance depends on. Plan the change while no one is playing and keep a recoverable copy of both the program files and the persistent data.
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- Warn players and stop the server from its normal console or control panel.
- If it was started with
StartServer.bat, close that batch-file session after the server has shut down. - If it runs directly, stop
ConanSandboxServer.exe. Do not run SteamCMD against files that are still being written by the server.
Back up the right folders
Copy the complete server installation directory to a dated backup location. Also copy ConanSandboxSaved, which contains the world, configuration and other persistent data. A separate backup lets you restore the save even if the update itself succeeds but a mod or setting causes a later startup problem.
Confirm the installation path
Use the folder that already contains the dedicated-server files. The examples below use C:Exiles; substitute your actual path. Do not point SteamCMD at a new empty directory unless you intend to create a second installation.
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- EXPLORE A VAST WORLD: Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- SURVIVE: Stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- BUILD: Harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more, then deck out your creations with a wide variety of different furniture, crafting stations, and NPC guards
- DOMINATE: Wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage fury in violent and brutal combat
- BUILD AN ARMY OF THRALLS: Capture NPCs, drag them back to your base, and use the Wheel of Pain to break their will. Turn them into archers, crafters, entertainers, and more for your settlements
Standard SteamCMD update
SteamCMD is Valve’s distribution utility for Steam dedicated servers. Funcom’s dedicated-server instructions identify app ID 443030 for Conan Exiles. From a Windows Command Prompt, run this command with the server stopped:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir C:Exiles +app_update 443030 +quitThe force_install_dir value must be the folder you backed up and normally launch. Anonymous login is the documented method for this dedicated-server download. SteamCMD will inspect the existing files, download changed content and then exit when the command reaches +quit.
What a successful run looks like
- SteamCMD reaches the
app_update 443030step without an error. - It reports that the app is installed or already up to date after checking the depot.
- The command returns to Windows after
+quit, with no process still holding the server files.
Do not infer success from a launcher button alone. If the server later presents an old build, repeat the update interactively and use the validation procedure in the next section.
Validate files when the normal update is not enough
A launcher can report completion while a download is incomplete, pointed at the wrong directory or affected by a damaged file. SteamCMD’s interactive mode exposes each step and adds file validation.
- Open Command Prompt and start SteamCMD.
- Set the existing installation directory:
force_install_dir C:Exiles- Log in anonymously:
login anonymous- Update and validate the dedicated server:
app_update 443030 validate- Wait for validation to finish, then leave SteamCMD:
quitValidation compares local files with the depot and reacquires files that do not match. It can take longer than a normal update because unchanged files are checked as well. After it completes, start the server from the same folder and check its log before allowing players to connect.
Updating through Steam’s Library
Funcom also documents installing the Conan Exiles Dedicated Server tool from Steam Library > Tools. This method is useful when you prefer Steam’s interface to a command window.
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- Dominate the Exiled Lands - Carve out your piece of the Exiled Lands, taking it from other players if you must! Build siege weapons and use explosives to break down the walls of your enemy’s city.
- Survive in a Savage Land - Dress well or light a campfire to stay warm and make sure to cool yourself down in the heat. Hunt, cook, eat, and drink to stay alive. Build a shelter to weather scouring sandstorms.
- Brutal, Bloody Combat - Fight vicious monsters and other players using an action-oriented, combo-based combat system. Dodge, block, and learn to master the true art of combat to become the greatest fighter in the Exiled Lands.
- Play Together or Alone - Play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you in a world where you have full control of the rules and settings. Want to play with just handful of friends? Try co-op mode!
- Open the Steam client and switch the Library filter to Tools.
- Find Conan Exiles Dedicated Server and install or update it.
- Confirm that Steam is using the same library folder as the server you launch. Multiple libraries can leave an older copy in place.
- After Steam finishes, start the server executable or your existing batch file and perform the restart checks below.
The Steam Library method does not remove the need for backups, mod updates or firewall administration. If the installation path is ambiguous, SteamCMD’s explicit force_install_dir command gives you clearer control.
Choosing an update method
Manual SteamCMD offers the most explicit control, while the Library tool is simpler for a single Windows installation. Funcom’s Dedicated Server Launcher can automate SteamCMD and numerical mod-ID updates, but launcher behavior and available versions can change. Managed hosting shifts maintenance to a provider; you trade direct control for less work on updates, backups, restarts and network configuration.
| Approach | Install-path control | File validation | Mod handling | Backups and restarts | Firewall and OS responsibility | Branch compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual SteamCMD | Explicit with force_install_dir |
app_update 443030 validate |
Run Workshop downloads yourself | You schedule and verify both | You manage Windows firewall and the operating system | Check the current Conan Exiles branch before updating |
| Steam Library tool | Controlled by Steam library locations | Steam’s interface; use SteamCMD validation for a stubborn install | Usually a separate task | You remain responsible | You remain responsible | Confirm that the installed tool matches the branch your players use |
| Funcom Dedicated Server Launcher | Depends on launcher settings | Depends on the launcher’s current implementation | Can automate SteamCMD and numerical mod-ID updates; behavior is version-dependent | May automate parts of the workflow, but keep your own backups | You still need network access and firewall rules | Verify the launcher’s current support for the branch you run |
| Managed hosting | Provider-controlled or panel-controlled | Depends on the provider | Depends on the provider’s Workshop tools | Often includes scheduled operations, but policy varies | Provider normally handles host firewall; you handle server settings | Confirm support for the current Conan Exiles/Enhanced branch before migrating |
Depot contents are not static: app 443030 had recorded depot activity on 14 October 2026 UTC. Treat launcher labels and branch support as time-sensitive and verify them immediately before a planned maintenance window.
Update Conan Exiles mods in the correct order
A client/server mismatch can come from the base server build or from a different mod set. Update the base dedicated server first; only then download the Workshop items required by that build.
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The documented batch-file pattern uses Workshop app 440900 and one numerical item ID per mod:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 443030 +workshop_download_item 440900 <workshopID> +quitReplace <workshopID> with the actual ID for each required item. Add another +workshop_download_item 440900 <workshopID> segment for every mod, or run the command once per item. Keep the resulting files in the location expected by your server’s mod configuration.
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- Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the South to the snow-capped mountains in the North
- stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece
Confirm the mod list before starting
- Compare the server’s enabled-mod list with the collection and load order used by the connecting clients.
- Check that every required Workshop item finished downloading rather than leaving a partial directory.
- Remove obsolete entries only after confirming that no save or configuration depends on them.
- Start the server after the base update and all required mod downloads are complete.
Updating a mod while leaving the base server on an older build can produce the same “incompatible version” message as an outdated server. Treat the base depot and Workshop content as two separate update operations.
Restart and verify the updated server
When SteamCMD or Steam finishes, launch ConanSandboxServer.exe or your normal StartServer.bat. Then verify the instance from the outside, not just from the launcher’s status message.
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Watch for a clean startup and network bind. A failed bind, missing file or mod-load error should be fixed before players connect. Keep the log from the update alongside your backup notes so you can identify which change introduced a problem.
Check the documented network ports
Funcom’s server documentation identifies UDP ports 27015 and 7777 as the defaults. Ensure the server’s firewall exception and any router forwarding still point to the machine running the updated instance. If you changed either port, test the actual configured values rather than assuming the defaults.
Verify the configuration paths
On Windows, server configuration is under:
ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServerEngine.ini contains server name and password settings documented by Funcom. ServerSettings.ini contains the in-game administrator password. Confirm that the updated process is reading this folder; launching a second copy from another directory can make a correctly edited configuration appear to have been lost.
Perform a client connection test
- Connect with a client that has the same game build as the server.
- Confirm the expected server name and player limit.
- If mods are enabled, test with a client carrying the complete, matching mod set.
- Check that the server appears in the Steam browser or connect directly using the configured address and port.
Troubleshooting common update failures
“Incompatible version” appears immediately
First confirm that the client and server were updated from the same current branch. Then stop the server, run app_update 443030 validate against the correct folder, and restart. If the server uses mods, compare the enabled IDs and load order after the base validation. A single outdated or missing mod can block a client even when the base build matches.
Rank #4
- Explore a vast world: explore a giant world, from the Burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- Survive: stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- Build: harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a Small home to entire cities. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more
- Dominate: wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage Fury in violent and brutal combat
- Play together or alone: play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you
The launcher says updated, but the server is still old
This usually indicates a wrong install path, an interrupted depot download or stale files. Run SteamCMD interactively, set force_install_dir to the folder that contains the executable you actually launch, and use the validate option. Check the executable’s directory and the startup log after restarting; do not assume the launcher updated every copy on disk.
SteamCMD completes without changing files
An unchanged result can be correct when the installation already matches the depot. If the client still rejects the server, verify the branch, path and server process, then run validation. Also make sure the server was fully stopped before the command began; locked files can prevent a clean replacement.
Workshop content fails to load
Update app 443030 first, then rerun workshop_download_item for every required ID. Check the downloaded item names and the server’s enabled-mod list. Remove a mod only as a deliberate compatibility decision, because changing the active set can affect an existing save.
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Inspect the startup log for a successful bind, confirm UDP 27015 and 7777 (or your custom ports) in the firewall and router, and verify that the server is not running behind a second network layer that blocks incoming traffic. A server can be fully updated yet invisible when its network rules are wrong.
Settings appear to reset after the update
Check that you edited ConanSandboxSavedConfigWindowsServer rather than a client configuration folder or a different server copy. Verify the name and password in Engine.ini and the administrator password in ServerSettings.ini, then restart only the intended instance.
Make future updates safer
Keep the update command, installation path, launch command, port numbers and mod IDs in an administrator-only maintenance note. Before each update, record the current mod list and create a dated copy of ConanSandboxSaved. After SteamCMD exits, retain the startup log until a client has connected successfully. This gives you a repeatable rollback point without relying on a launcher’s single success message.
For a small private server, manual SteamCMD is usually the clearest approach because every path and validation step is visible. If you do not want to maintain backups, firewall rules and restart procedures, a managed service can reduce that operational work; verify its current Conan Exiles branch and mod support before moving an existing save.
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