Knowing how to handle updates for a GMod server is essential for keeping your Garry’s Mod server stable, secure, and playable after game patches.
Updates ensure your server files match the newest Garry’s Mod version, prevent server browser errors, and reduce issues with addons, maps, or gamemodes failing to load.
In this guide, we will walk through how to update a Garry’s Mod dedicated server, including updating server files with SteamCMD, validating local files, and restarting the server properly.
We will also cover where your server directory and addons folder are located, how workshop items are handled during updates, and what to do if an error message appears after updating.
By the end of this article, you will know how to update your GMod server cleanly, avoid breaking addons or gamemodes, and keep your game server running smoothly for players.
Updating your Physgun Garry’s Mod Server
Updating your Physgun-hosted server is incredibly simple. All you have to do is navigate to your panel, restart your server, and the latest version of Garry’s Mod will be installed. Physgun handles all updates automatically, so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary downtime or struggle.
Updating your Garry’s Mod Dedicated Server
Updating a Source Dedicated Server (SRCDS) is a little trickier than one hosted by Physgun. You’ll have to install the Steam Console Client (SteamCMD) if you don’t already have it and apply the update through there.
To update your dedicated GMod server:
-
Run SteamCMD.
-
Type “login anonymous” and hit enter.
-
After you’ve logged into Steam, locate the root folder of your dedicated server. For example, it should look something like C:/SRCDS/steamapps/common/MyServer, but every directory will be different depending on how you installed it. If your path is incorrect, SteamCMD will create a new directory and server when you run these next few commands.
-
Type “force_install_dir” followed by your server’s location and hit enter.
-
Type “app_update 4020”. This will update Garry’s Mod at your specified location to the newest version. 4020 is the app ID for GMod. Sit tight because, depending on your internet connection, this may take a while.
-
Once the update is installed, type “app_update 4020 validate”. This will verify that all of the files are up to date, mostly as a double check.
-
Once it’s done, type “quit” to close SteamCMD.
-
That’s it! Your dedicated server should be updated.
-
Make sure to connect to your server and troubleshoot any addons or features to make sure nothing has broken.
Handling Errors Caused by Updates
There is a slight chance that updating your server may have caused some errors in out-of-date code. If you connect to your server and find script errors, you’ll need to address them before players start joining and noticing them, too. These errors are likely caused by addons that rely on a feature in Garry’s Mod that’s been changed or is no longer available.
The most common and recommended way to handle this issue is to disable the addon until an update is rolled out for you to download. Keep an eye on their GMod store page so you can download the new files as soon as they’re released. If the developer doesn’t update their addon, it may no longer be supported, and you might have to take matters into your own hands to repair the script.
If an addon isn’t updated and contains broken code, the best thing for you to do is locate the error message in your console to find exactly what’s broken and modify it. This varies in success rate, especially if you aren’t proficient in Lua. If all else fails, consider finding a replacement for the addons that broke.
With that, you now know how to update your Garry’s Mod server on both a Physgun server and a Dedicated server whenever Facepunch pushes out a new version!