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To update a Windows Space Engineers dedicated server, stop it cleanly, back up its world and configuration folders, run Steam’s update for the installation you actually launch, then restart and verify the game version with a client. For a SteamCMD installation, the standard command is:
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steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir "<server-directory>" +app_update 298740 +quitApp ID 298740 is the dedicated-server package. Re-running app_update is the normal update operation; add validate only when you are diagnosing suspected corrupted files. If the server still reports an old build, the usual causes are an update applied to the wrong folder, a second installation being launched, Steam holding a pending client update, or a workshop-download problem that needs Force Update Check.
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What an update changes—and what it should not change
A dedicated-server update replaces the server program and supporting files with the build distributed through Steam. Your saved worlds, server settings, administrative lists and other instance data are separate from those binaries, but they still need a backup because an interrupted update, configuration mistake or incompatible mod can make a world unavailable.
Keen Software House describes a dedicated server as a host that lets players connect to a third-party machine rather than using a player-hosted peer-to-peer session. That separation is why the server must be updated independently from every player’s game installation. A client on a newer build can be unable to join an older server, while an updated server can reject clients that have not yet updated.
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Before you replace any server files
Schedule a maintenance window
Tell players when the server will be offline and allow enough time for a download, restart and connection test. Do not update while a world is saving or while players are changing important builds. A short, planned outage is safer than forcing a process to close after files have already been replaced.
Stop the server gracefully
Use the dedicated-server GUI’s Stop control, or stop the Windows service through its normal service-management procedure. Keen documents that the following command also performs a normal shutdown and saves the world:
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Back up the instance data
Copy the world and configuration directories to a separate location before updating. Depending on how the instance is configured, Keen documents the dedicated-server data under one of these Windows locations:
AppDataRoamingSpaceEngineersDedicatedProgramDataSpaceEngineersDedicated
Back up the complete relevant directory rather than only a single world file. Include configuration, administrative settings, bans, world metadata and any locally maintained scripts or notes that your recovery procedure depends on. Label the backup with the date and the server build shown before the update. Keep at least one copy outside the installation directory, because an update or reinstallation can affect files stored beside the executable.
Update through the Steam client
The Steam client is suitable when the server is installed and managed as a normal Steam Tools application.
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- Open Steam and select Library.
- Change the library filter to Tools.
- Select Space Engineers Dedicated Server.
- Allow Steam to download and apply the available update.
- Wait for the download queue to finish; a paused or queued download means the files may still be old even if Steam has been opened.
After Steam reports completion, start the server from the same installation that Steam updated. If you use a Windows service, verify that the service’s executable path points to this installation rather than to an older copy in another folder.
Update through SteamCMD
SteamCMD is useful for unattended hosts, service-based installations and scheduled maintenance. Open a command prompt in the SteamCMD directory, substitute the absolute path used by your server, and run:
steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir "<server-directory>" +app_update 298740 +quitWhat each argument does
+login anonymoussigns in with SteamCMD’s anonymous account, which is the normal method for this dedicated-server package.+force_install_dirselects the directory that receives the server files. It must be the same directory used by the executable or Windows service that you later start.+app_update 298740checks the dedicated-server app and downloads changed files.+quitcloses SteamCMD after the update operation finishes.
Running app_update 298740 again is safe and is the normal way to check for a newer build. Add validate only while investigating a suspected damaged installation:
steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir "<server-directory>" +app_update 298740 validate +quitValidation performs a longer file check. It is not a faster update mode and should not be part of every scheduled run unless you have a specific integrity problem.
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- Start
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exeor start the Windows service that owns the instance. - Watch the console and log for a normal startup, world loading and network initialization.
- Record the displayed game/server version after startup.
- Join from a client that has already completed its own Steam update.
- Confirm that the expected world, settings, player access rules and workshop content are present.
A successful SteamCMD exit code is not, by itself, proof that the running server is current. The decisive checks are the version shown by the launched process and a client connection. If clients receive a version-mismatch message, update the client as well as the server and inspect Steam’s download queue for a waiting client patch.
Force an update when workshop items will not download
Keen’s support thread documents a workshop-download failure affecting both vanilla and Torch servers. The documented response was the dedicated-server hotfix 1.206.032 b1 and a request to run Force Update Check on affected servers. Treat that operation as the first documented remedy, not as a guarantee that every later workshop problem will disappear.
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- Open the server management interface.
- Choose Force Update Check.
- Allow the check to complete and apply any requested update.
- Restart the server if the interface asks you to do so.
- Review the startup and workshop-download log entries.
- Join with a client and load a world that uses the affected items.
Later reports in the same support discussion described continued failures, so preserve the exact error text, timestamps, displayed game version and relevant log files if the problem remains. Those details distinguish a stale binary from a workshop service, permission or mod-specific failure when you escalate to Keen support.
Why a server can remain out of date after SteamCMD succeeds
The update went to a different directory
Compare the path passed to +force_install_dir with the executable path configured in the Windows service, scheduled task or launch script. Relative paths are especially risky when a task runs with a different working directory. Use one absolute path in the update job and the start job, then remove or clearly label obsolete installations.
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Search the service list, Task Scheduler and startup scripts for another SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. Stop all instances during maintenance and launch only the installation you just updated. A client can appear to connect normally while actually reaching an older process on the same machine or address.
Steam still has a pending download
For Steam-managed installations, open the Steam download queue and wait for all related updates to finish. A queued client update can create a version mismatch even when the server itself is current.
The command did not complete as expected
Keep the complete SteamCMD output. Confirm that SteamCMD identified app ID 298740, used the intended install directory and reported the files as up to date or downloaded. Run validation only if the output and symptoms suggest corruption; do not interpret a longer validation pass as a newer game build.
Workshop content is the actual failure
If the executable version is correct but mods are missing, separate the binary update question from the workshop-download question. Run Force Update Check, restart when requested, and inspect logs for the item IDs or download errors. A correct server build does not prove that every workshop dependency is available or readable.
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Automatic updates and restart behavior
The dedicated-server GUI includes a Maintenance tab with Auto Update and Auto Restart. Keen specifies that Auto Update works only while that dedicated-server GUI is running. A server launched as a plain console application does not gain this behavior automatically.
If you use the GUI
- Keep the dedicated-server GUI running for the instance.
- Open Maintenance.
- Enable Auto Update and, where appropriate, Auto Restart.
- Choose a maintenance time that gives players notice and leaves time for a restart test.
- Review the GUI and server logs after the first automated cycle.
If you run a console application or service
Use your own script or scheduled task to stop the process cleanly, run SteamCMD, start the service and record the outcome. For a Windows service without the GUI, configure service recovery actions and a scheduled health check. Recovery actions can restart a crashed process, but they do not replace a deliberate update schedule or a backup. Your job should also prevent two update runs from overlapping and should alert you when the expected executable, world or version check fails.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Server requirements and network checks
Keen’s published minimum dedicated-server requirements are a Windows PC, .NET Redistributable 4.8 or higher, Visual C++ Redistributables 2013 and 2017, a 3.2 GHz CPU with three logical cores, 6 GB of RAM and 5 Mbps of bandwidth. These are minimums, not a promise of a particular player count or simulation performance.
For a public server, Keen recommends a 4.5 GHz CPU, 10 GB of RAM and a static IP. A static address makes port forwarding and service monitoring stable; it does not by itself improve simulation speed.
Default port and firewall
The default listen port is UDP 27016. Internet players need that port forwarded from the router to the server’s internal address and allowed through the host firewall. Check both layers:
- The game server is configured to listen on the intended port.
- The Windows firewall has an inbound UDP rule for that port.
- The router forwards UDP 27016 to the correct internal machine.
- The public address or DNS name points to the current connection.
- Your provider is not blocking inbound hosting or placing the connection behind an unreachable carrier-grade NAT.
Local players may connect even when Internet forwarding is wrong, so test from a network outside the host’s LAN after an update.
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Self-hosting versus managed hosting for updates
Updating yourself gives you direct control over timing, files and automation. A managed host can reduce operating-system and network work, but the provider’s panel and maintenance policy determine when and how updates occur. The following comparison uses only the decision factors that matter for this task; a provider’s current plan limits and prices must be checked in its own documentation.
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| Decision factor | Self-hosted Windows server | Managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows PC or server that meets the game requirements | Depends on the provider; PC and Xbox availability are separate offerings |
| Update control | You choose Steam, SteamCMD, maintenance windows and validation | Provider panel or support process controls the mechanism and timing |
| Scripts and plugins | Full access to scheduled tasks, scripts and the files your setup supports | Limited by the provider’s panel, permissions and policy |
| Backups and restore | You design, test and store backups of worlds and configuration | Depends on the host’s backup retention and restore tools; not stated here |
| Location and latency | You select the machine and network route | You select from the provider’s available regions |
| CPU and RAM | You own the hardware capacity | Allocation and oversubscription depend on the plan; not stated here |
| Player capacity | Limited by your simulation performance, bandwidth and configuration | Limited by the purchased allocation and provider policy; not stated here |
| Mod support | You can inspect logs and manage workshop data directly | Panel support, permissions and provider restrictions vary |
| Support response | You diagnose the operating system, SteamCMD and network | The provider handles infrastructure issues according to its support terms |
| Monthly cost | Your hardware, electricity, network and administration costs | Recurring fee varies by provider and plan; no current amount is established here |
For either model, ask where the world files live, how to download a backup, whether you can control the update window, how a rollback works and who can access logs. A managed panel that offers an “update” button is not a substitute for knowing which instance and data directory it operates on.
A safe update and rollback checklist
Before maintenance
- Announce downtime and record the current displayed server version.
- Stop the server without force-killing it.
- Copy the complete relevant
AppDataRoamingSpaceEngineersDedicatedorProgramDataSpaceEngineersDedicateddata. - Confirm the update path and launch path are identical.
- Check that the intended SteamCMD or Steam installation is the one in use.
During maintenance
- Run the normal app update for app ID 298740.
- Use validation only for a suspected integrity problem.
- Keep the command output and timestamps.
- Do not start a second server instance while the first is updating.
After maintenance
- Start the executable or service and inspect logs.
- Record the new displayed version.
- Test a client connection, world loading and workshop content.
- Check UDP 27016 forwarding and firewall rules if remote players cannot connect.
- Retain the pre-update backup until players have confirmed the world is healthy.
When rollback is justified
Rollback is appropriate when the updated process cannot start, the world fails to load, or a required mod is unusable and you need to restore service while investigating. Stop the server, preserve the new logs and data for diagnosis, restore the backed-up world and configuration to the correct instance directory, and avoid overwriting evidence before you know which component failed. Reinstalling or copying old binaries without matching world and mod requirements can create a different mismatch, so record the exact build and restore only from a backup whose contents you understand.
Practical answers to common update questions
Do I need to update every time I run SteamCMD?
No. Running the normal app-update command is a check-and-apply operation. SteamCMD downloads changed files when a newer build is available and otherwise leaves a current installation unchanged.
Should I always use validation?
No. Validation is a longer integrity check for suspected corruption. Use it when the output or symptoms justify the extra time, not as the routine update command.
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Why can players join locally but not from the Internet?
Local connectivity does not test the router or public firewall path. Verify that the server listens on UDP 27016, the host firewall permits it and the router forwards that port to the correct internal address. Test from an external network.
What should I send support?
Provide the exact displayed game version, SteamCMD output, server and workshop logs, timestamps, the installation path used for updating, the executable or service path used for launching, and the steps already attempted. This lets support distinguish a stale installation from a workshop or network failure.
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