To update a Vintage Story server safely, stop it cleanly, back up the persistent data directory, replace only the server application files, and start the intended release with the same data path and configuration. Your world saves, settings, player data, and (where stored there) mods must remain outside the files you replace.
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After the restart, verify the exact client/server game-version match, check the log for asset or dependency errors, test an administrator and an ordinary player connection, and keep the rollback copy until the world and multiplayer access are confirmed.
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What an update changes—and what it must not change
A Vintage Story installation has two different kinds of content:
- Application files: the server executable or .NET assemblies, libraries, bundled assets, launch scripts, and other files delivered by the server release.
- Persistent data: world saves, server settings, player data, permissions, and often the installed mod files.
An update replaces the first group. It should preserve the second. Treating both groups as one folder is the most common way to delete a world while trying to install a newer build.
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The Vintage Story Multiplayer Server guide gives a deliberately strict instruction: remove the old installation files before installing a newer version, because leaving a mixture of old and new files can produce “unforseeable behavior.” The same guidance warns not to delete a data folder located inside the installation directory if it contains save games, settings, or player data. Before deleting anything, identify which directory contains the persistent data and copy it somewhere safe.
Use a separate data path whenever possible
A separate application directory and data directory make updates predictable. On Windows, launch the server with the --dataPath option. On Linux, pass the same option to the .NET server assembly. The application directory can then be discarded and recreated without touching the world.
If your existing server keeps data inside its installation directory, either move the data to a separate location and update the launch command, or make a verified backup and protect that subdirectory while replacing the application files. Do not assume a folder named data is disposable merely because it sits beside executables.
Requirements and figures to check before scheduling maintenance
The dedicated-server guide publishes conservative capacity guidance rather than a performance guarantee. Use it as a starting point and leave headroom for world generation, simulation load, and mods.
| Item | Published guidance | How it affects the update |
|---|---|---|
| Base memory | 1 GB plus 300 MB per player | Reserve enough memory for the server process and the expected concurrent players; mods and busy worlds can require more. |
| CPU | 4 CPU threads recommended | Confirm the host still has those threads available after any hosting or operating-system changes. |
| Game network port | TCP and UDP 42420 | Keep the firewall rule and router forwarding pointed at the updated server process and host. |
| Linux package | “Tar.gz Archive/Linux (server only)” | Download the server-only archive from the Vintage Story account/download area, not a client package. |
| ARM64 status | Experimental support | Re-check compatibility with your operating system, server release, and every mod after updating. |
Record the currently running server release, the intended release, the operating system, the data path, the launch command or service definition, and the public address and port. This record makes a rollback possible even if the update fails before the server can start.
Safe update procedure for every platform
These steps are the operational baseline. Platform-specific details follow, but the order should remain the same.
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- Announce a maintenance window. Tell players when the server will stop and when you expect it to return. Ask players to log out normally so inventories and positions are saved.
- Stop the server cleanly. Use the server console’s shutdown command or the service manager that launched it. Do not replace files while the process is writing a world or configuration. Confirm that the server process has exited before continuing.
- Make a dated backup or snapshot. Copy the complete persistent data directory, including all worlds, configuration files, player data, permissions, and the mod directory if it is stored there. A filesystem snapshot is acceptable when it captures the same content. Keep the current server version beside the backup in a text note.
- Inventory mods and dependencies. Export or list every installed mod, its version, and whether it is server-side, universal, or client-side. Open each mod’s release information and verify support for the intended Vintage Story version. Note required dependencies and load-order instructions.
- Obtain the intended server release. Use the server package for your operating system. Do not mix files from different releases. On Linux, use the server-only
.tar.gzarchive. - Replace application files only. Remove the old installation payload, as the official multiplayer guide advises, then extract or install the new payload. Do not delete the separate data directory. If data is nested under the installation directory, move it first or delete only the known application files.
- Restore the launch configuration. Keep the same
--dataPath, service account, environment variables, ports, and resource limits. Reviewserverconfig.jsonbefore starting; edit it only while the server is stopped. - Start and observe. Watch the complete startup log. Look for successful world loading, migration messages, missing assets, block or item errors, dependency failures, and authentication or network-bind errors.
- Test before announcing completion. Join with an administrator account, inspect the expected world, then connect with a normal player account. Verify movement, inventory, chat, permissions, and a representative mod feature. Keep the backup and the previous application payload until these checks pass.
Updating a Windows dedicated server
Choose and protect the data directory
The Windows setup example in the official guide launches VintagestoryServer.exe with a separate data path. Create a stable directory such as D:VintageStoryData for worlds, settings, player data, and mods, and keep the replaceable server program in a different directory. The exact path is your choice; consistency is what matters.
A launch shortcut, batch file, or service should include the same option on every start:
VintagestoryServer.exe --dataPath "D:VintageStoryData"Before maintenance, stop the process from its console or service wrapper. Confirm it is no longer present in Task Manager, then copy the data directory to a backup location with the date and the old server release in the name.
Replace the Windows payload
- Rename the existing application directory as a temporary rollback copy, or remove only the known application files after confirming the data directory is elsewhere.
- Extract the intended Windows server release into a clean application directory.
- Restore the shortcut, batch file, or service command so it points to the new
VintagestoryServer.exeand the unchanged--dataPath. - Check that Windows Defender Firewall still has inbound rules for the new executable. A new path can cause Windows to request permission again even when port 42420 was previously allowed.
- Start the server and leave the console visible until world loading and mod initialization finish.
Do not launch the new server once with a default data path “just to test” and then switch paths casually. That can create a second configuration and make it unclear which world is being served.
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Use the server-only archive
The documented Linux pattern is to download the current “Tar.gz Archive/Linux (server only)” package from the Vintage Story account/download area, remove the old installation files, and extract the archive. Stop the service first and identify the persistent data path before removing anything.
A typical launch form is:
dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /path/to/dataReplace /path/to/data with the directory that contains your actual worlds and configuration. Preserve the command in your systemd unit, shell script, container definition, or process supervisor.
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Clean replacement with a separate data directory
- Stop the service, for example through the service manager you normally use, and verify that no Vintage Story server process remains.
- Create a compressed archive or filesystem snapshot of the data directory. Include hidden files and the complete mod set.
- Move the old application directory out of the way or delete its application contents. If the data directory is inside it, move that data to a protected location before deletion.
- Extract the new server-only
.tar.gzinto the clean application directory. - Check ownership and permissions so the same service account can read and write the application and data paths.
- Start the service with
dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /path/to/data, then follow its log output.
Keep the previous application directory until the new process has loaded the world and accepted test connections. If the new files fail immediately, stopping the service and restoring the previous directory is faster than trying to repair a mixed installation.
ARM64 servers and the update script
The dedicated-server guide describes an ARM installation script and states that running the script again updates the server to the latest version. ARM64 support is labeled experimental. That status matters during an update: a script can refresh the server files successfully while a particular operating-system image, native dependency, or mod remains incompatible.
Before rerunning the script, make the same data backup and mod inventory used for a manual update. Confirm where the script places application files and where it keeps the data directory. After it completes, verify the server architecture, launch command, world load, and player access. If the script does not preserve your custom data path or service configuration, restore those settings before starting public play.
Mods, clients, and version matching
Match the game version first
Vintage Story clients and servers must run matching game versions. A client on a different release can be refused at connection time even when the server itself starts normally. Record the exact version on the server console and have a test player confirm the same version in the client launcher before troubleshooting anything more complicated.
Validate every mod during the same maintenance window
The official troubleshooting guidance recommends updating mods alongside a game update because outdated third-party mods can cause failures. For each mod, check:
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- Whether its published compatibility includes the intended Vintage Story version.
- Whether it requires another mod or library and which dependency version is required.
- Whether it is server-side, universal, or client-side.
- Whether clients must install the same file or can connect without it.
- Whether the author documents a migration step, configuration change, or world-data warning.
Do not “fix” a startup error by deleting random files from the data directory. Instead, stop the server, move the suspected incompatible mod to a quarantine folder outside the active mod directory, and restart with the rest of the set. If the world loads, test the affected feature before deciding whether to update, replace, or permanently remove that mod. Keep the original mod files in the rollback copy so the previous server can be restored intact.
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Post-update verification checklist
Startup success alone does not prove that an update is complete. Use a short, repeatable acceptance test:
- Read the startup log from the beginning and confirm that the intended release and data path are shown.
- Check that every expected world is listed and that the active world opens without migration or save errors.
- Log in with an administrator account and verify permissions, bans, whitelist entries, and operator commands.
- Connect with a normal player account from the same network, then test from the normal public route if players connect over the internet.
- Walk through a familiar area, open containers, use a tool, and confirm that inventory and player position persisted.
- Exercise major modded blocks, items, machines, or commands that players depend on.
- Confirm that the server is listening on the intended port and that the firewall and router still direct traffic to this host.
- Watch the log while a player joins, changes dimension or area, and disconnects. Address repeated errors before reopening the server to everyone.
Why players cannot connect after an update
Version mismatch
Compare the exact client and server game versions, including the full version suffix if one is displayed. Have the player update or select the same client release, then reconnect. This is the first check because it requires no file changes and explains many immediate refusals.
Incompatible or incomplete mods
If the server starts but logs mention assets, blocks, items, or dependencies, review the mod inventory. Update the named mod and its dependencies, or temporarily remove the incompatible mod from the active set while the server is stopped. Clients may also need a matching universal or client-side mod; a server-only update does not automatically update player installations.
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Firewall rule tied to the old executable
Replacing application files can change the executable path or signature. Confirm that Windows Firewall or the Linux host firewall allows the current server process and that both TCP and UDP port 42420 are permitted as required by the multiplayer guide.
Router forwarding or VPN changes
If local players can join but public players cannot, inspect the router’s port-forwarding rule and any VPN tunnel or overlay configuration. Make sure the rule still targets the server’s current private address and port. A successful local connection does not prove that the public route is correct.
Wrong data path
A server that starts with an empty world or default settings may be using a new data directory. Stop it, inspect the launch command for --dataPath, and point it back to the backed-up persistent directory. Do not generate new worlds or overwrite files while diagnosing this condition.
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Rollback when the new release is not usable
Rollback is safest when application files and data were backed up separately. Stop the failed server, preserve its logs for diagnosis, and restore the previous application payload and the matching data backup as a pair. Starting an older application against data that has already been migrated by a newer release can create additional risk, so use the pre-update snapshot rather than attempting to reverse individual world files.
- Announce that maintenance is continuing and prevent players from connecting.
- Stop the server completely.
- Move the failed application directory and any newly changed data copy to a clearly labeled quarantine location.
- Restore the known-good application files and the pre-update data snapshot.
- Reapply the original launch command, permissions, firewall rule, and mod set.
- Start privately, perform the administrator and player tests, and only then reopen public access.
Retain the failed payload and logs until you understand the cause. They can identify a mod or configuration problem without putting the restored world at risk.
Optional Linux automation
The Vintage Story Mod DB lists a community Linux shell utility named “Server Updater.” Its listing says it was created April 30, 2025 and modified June 3, 2025. The documented workflow stages a server .tar.gz, creates rollback snapshots, preserves server.sh configuration, replaces application files, and keeps the previous payload in a review folder.
That utility expects a replaceable server/ directory beside a persistent data/ directory. This layout mirrors the safest manual arrangement, but the tool is optional community software rather than a requirement of the official procedure. Read its current instructions, inspect the paths it will modify, and test a rollback before using it on a valuable world. Automation should reduce repetitive file work, not remove the backup and verification steps.
Maintenance checklist for future updates
- Application directory and persistent data directory are separate.
- Current and target server versions are recorded.
- Players have been warned and the server has shut down cleanly.
- A complete, dated data backup or snapshot exists.
- Mods, dependencies, and client requirements are inventoried.
- The correct Windows payload or Linux server-only
.tar.gzis ready. - The launch command still specifies the intended
--dataPath. - Firewall, router forwarding, and VPN settings still target the server.
- Logs show a clean world load and no unresolved asset or dependency errors.
- An administrator and a normal player have connected successfully.
- The rollback application files and data snapshot remain available until verification is complete.
This process lets you replace Vintage Story’s volatile server software while preserving the world and the people who play in it. The critical discipline is separation: stop first, protect persistent data, replace only the application payload, and prove the updated server works before discarding the way back.
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