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Server Update Loop or Restart Loop

Tags: updates, restarts, troubleshooting, server

Update loops usually come from automation scripts re-running SteamCMD or a server failing health checks. Stabilize the update process first.

Check your automation

  • Disable auto-update scripts temporarily.
  • Confirm SteamCMD exits cleanly without errors.
  • Ensure the server start command is correct and not duplicated.

Common causes

CauseFix
SteamCMD update failsFix disk space and permissions before restarting.
Health check too strictIncrease startup wait time before restart.
Crash on bootStart vanilla and review logs.

Stuck on an old build after a branch flip

If you switched branches (for example between the current V3.1 "Henpocalypse" default public branch and an older build pinned via a Steam beta branch) and the server keeps booting the old build, SteamCMD is serving a cached manifest. Updates normally run automatically on restart, but a branch change sometimes needs a forced revalidation. Run server-side:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_info_update 1 +app_update 294420 validate +quit

Here 294420 is the dedicated-server appid, and app_info_update 1 refreshes the branch metadata. Remember the client and server must end up on the same branch, or players get an incompatible/invalid version error - see Version Mismatch.

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