Fixing Windrose Version Mismatch Errors
Resolve version mismatch errors when players cannot connect to your Windrose server after an update.
What Causes Version Mismatch
Version mismatch occurs when the Windrose client version and the server version do not match. This happens after a Windrose update when either the server or the clients have not been updated yet.
Windrose does not support cross-version play. The client and server must be on the exact same version to connect.
Fix: Update the Server
If the server is on an older version than the clients:
1. Open the Admin tab and look at the Game Updates card. If an "Update available" badge is shown, press "Update now". Restarting the server does NOT fetch a new build.
2. Wait. The update backs the server up, stops it, moves it onto the new build and starts it again, and the card reports the outcome on its own. It usually takes several minutes.
3. Players should now be able to connect.
This is the most common scenario: clients auto-update on Steam, and the server only moves when the update is applied. If "Automatically apply game updates" is on — it is on by default — that happens by itself shortly after the build is detected, so this case is usually a matter of waiting rather than acting.
Fix: Update the Client
If the server is on a newer version than the clients:
Players need to update their Windrose client on Steam. Steam should auto-update the game, but if it hasn't:
1. Open Steam and go to the Library.
2. Right-click Windrose and select "Properties".
3. Go to the "Updates" tab and ensure "Always keep this game updated" is selected.
4. Click "Verify integrity of game files" to force Steam to check and download any missing or outdated files.
5. Launch Windrose and try connecting again.
Preventing Version Mismatch
To minimize version mismatch issues:
Leave "Automatically apply game updates" on, on the Admin tab. Left on, your server moves to a new build shortly after it is detected, which is the shortest possible window in which a mismatch can exist.
Communicate with your players when you update the server so they know to update their clients.
If you need to delay a server update — for example, to wait for a Windrose Plus release that works with it — switch auto-update off first, and tell your players not to update their clients yet. Switch it back on, or press "Update now", when you are ready.