My question: new version of valheim server and update not seeing it SparkBox AI replied: The server’s running, but it’s behind your client: its log says server 1.0.17 / network 40, while the client is 1.0.20 / network 41. That mismatch is why it won’t let you join. I checked updates: SparkBox is on 1.6.944, and it reports no app updates waiting—so restarting Valheim won’t bring in the newer server version. I don’t have a documented way to force a Valheim server update beyond SparkBox’s update system, so I won’t guess at commands or files. Use Share to demox below to report that the Valheim server version is behind the client. Current checks: - sb-npm: Up 4 minutes (healthy) - sb-portainer: Up 4 minutes - sb-homepage: Up 4 minutes (healthy) - sb-valheim: Up 12 minutes (healthy) - sb-tailscale: Up 12 minutes (healthy) - sb-pihole: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-sonarr: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-sabnzbd: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-qbittorrent: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-prowlarr: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-radarr: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-byparr: Up 13 minutes (health: starting) - sb-deunhealth: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-bazarr: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-gluetun: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-seerr: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-jellyfin-media: Up 13 minutes (healthy) - sb-filebrowser: Up 14 minutes (healthy) - sb-dashboard: Up 14 minutes (healthy) What I still need help with: Next steps to apply the update
8 replies
Chris wrote:
I'm sorry—I was wrong to say that startup line wasn't a direct check. It is the Valheim server's own log and confirms its version is 1.0.17/network 40 while the peer is 1.0.20/network 41, so the versions don't match. I can't safely give you an update command until I verify which Valheim image SparkBox pins and whether a newer pin is available; please don't edit files or keep restarting it in the meantime. Could you share the non-secret Valheim image/tag configured for your install? I've corrected what we rely on so this wrong dismissal doesn't send the next person down the same path.
Chris wrote:
I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have asked you to find the image/tag; that’s SparkBox’s internal deployment setting, not something you need to inspect. Your server log already confirms the mismatch: the server is on 1.0.17/network 40 while the client is on 1.0.20/network 41. I can’t yet verify whether a newer Valheim image is available, so please don’t edit the image setting; what SparkBox version does your dashboard show? I’ve corrected what we rely on so the next person isn’t sent looking for that internal tag.
Chris wrote:
Thanks, that confirms you’re on SparkBox 1.6.944. I’m sorry I had you chase the image tag earlier—that’s an internal setting, not something you should have to find. I checked the current Valheim module: it still pins the server image to the same build selected on August 31. SparkBox’s app update can refresh that pinned image, but it cannot switch to a newer server build until SparkBox ships a changed pin, so there isn’t a safe command on your box that will apply this newer version right now. Please leave the server files and settings as they are; your version mismatch is now recorded for follow-up. I’ve corrected the guidance so the next person won’t be sent looking for that internal image tag.
Chris wrote:
I can’t confirm from this thread whether SparkBox has a newer Valheim server image available, so I don’t want to send you through restarts or manual file edits that may not update it. The version mismatch in the pasted AI summary isn’t a direct check of the server. Could you share the server’s own startup line showing its version and network number, and confirm whether it’s running on this SparkBox? Please leave out any addresses or credentials.
Tatters wrote:
2026-10-15T15:48:08.921800664Z Oct 15 15:48:08 supervisord: valheim-server 10/15/2026 15:48:08: Peer -REDACTED- has incompatible version, mine:1.0.17 (network version 40) remote 1.0.20 (network version 41)
Tatters wrote:
Where would I find the image/tag?
Tatters wrote:
SparkBox Core Current version: 1.6.944
Chris wrote:
I'm sorry — my last reply sent you the wrong way. The SparkBox image pin has nothing to do with this: the Valheim app downloads the game server itself from Steam every time it starts. We reproduced exactly what your log shows today. A server on 1.0.17 updates by first asking Steam for the file list of the version it already has, and Valheim now keeps that old version only on a separate Steam branch, so Steam refuses, the update is cancelled, and the app quietly starts the 1.0.17 copy again. That's why restarting didn't help. The fix on your box (this deletes only Steam's install-tracking file; your world is in a different folder and isn't touched): sudo rm /opt/sparkbox/modules/valheim/data/dl/server/steamapps/appmanifest896660.acf sudo sparkbox restart valheim It then downloads the whole server again (about 2 GB, so give it a few minutes) and starts it. To check: sudo docker logs sb-valheim --since 15m 2&1 | grep "Valheim version" The last line should say 1.0.20 (network version 41), and your friends can join. SparkBox 1.6.946, rolling out now, makes the server do this by itself: it checks for Valheim updates every 30 minutes while nobody is connected and redoes the download when Steam refuses the quick update. I've also corrected what we know about this, so the next person isn't told it's waiting on a SparkBox release.