SteamCMD Error 0x402 After Update Job: What It Means and How to Fix It

Error! App '<id>' state is 0x402 after update job means SteamCMD started downloading an update but could not finish talking to Steam's content servers. It is a connection problem, not a broken install: the usual causes are a Steam outage, DNS trouble, a firewall or proxy blocking the content servers, or a flaky network on the host. Wait a few minutes, check the machine can reach Steam, clear the partial download and run the update again.

Reading the state code

The hex number is a sum of status flags, not a single error:

Put together, 0x402 says "the update began but never completed". The LinuxGSM error list describes it as a connection issue with Steam, where you need to wait for Steam's servers to recover. That fits what most admins find: it comes in waves on big patch days, then clears up on its own.

Step 1: check whether Steam itself is struggling

Before you change anything, rule out the simple case. On Tuesdays Steam runs routine maintenance, and right after a large game patch thousands of servers hit the content servers at once. If several people in your game's Discord or on its Steam forum are seeing failed updates at the same moment, wait 15 to 30 minutes and try again.

You can also run a tiny test from the same machine:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_info_update 1 +app_info_print 740 +quit

If that prints app information for app 740 (the CS:GO dedicated server, a small public app), SteamCMD can reach Steam. If it hangs at Logging in user 'anonymous' to Steam Public... or prints FAILED, the problem is the connection.

Step 2: test DNS and outbound access

Content comes from Steam's content delivery hosts over HTTP and HTTPS. A host that cannot resolve or reach them will start an update and then stall.

On Linux:

getent hosts steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net
curl -I https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

On Windows PowerShell:

Resolve-DnsName steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net
Test-NetConnection steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net -Port 443

If DNS fails, switch the machine to a reliable public resolver, or fix the resolver your provider gave you. If DNS works but the connection does not, something on the path is blocking it.

Step 3: look for something blocking the download

Things that commonly break SteamCMD downloads on servers:

• Outbound firewall rules. Some hardened servers only allow a list of outbound ports. SteamCMD needs outbound TCP 80 and 443, plus UDP 27015 to 27050 for talking to Steam.
• Antivirus scanning downloads on Windows. Windows Defender or another scanner can lock files mid write. Add an exclusion for the SteamCMD folder and the server folder.
• Corporate or school proxies. SteamCMD does not handle authenticating proxies well. Run it on a network without one.
• Broken IPv6. If the machine has an IPv6 address but no working IPv6 route, downloads can stall. Test with curl -6 and, if it fails, disable IPv6 on that interface or fix the route.
• VPN or tunnel software on the host that drops long downloads.

Step 4: clear the partial download and retry

A failed connection leaves half written chunks behind. Clean them up before trying again:

1. Stop the game server.
2. Delete steamapps/downloading/<appid> inside the server install folder.
3. If the error repeats after a retry, delete steamapps/appmanifest_<appid>.acf too. Worlds and configs are not affected.
4. Run the update again:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/valheim +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit

That example is the Valheim dedicated server (app 896660). The validate pass will check every file, which is slower but makes sure nothing is left half downloaded. You only need it once after a failure. Our guide to app_update validate explains when else it is worth running.

Step 5: wrap updates in a retry

Even a healthy host loses a download now and then. If your start script updates the server automatically, retry a few times before giving up, so one blip does not leave the server offline:

for i in 1 2 3; do
  steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/server +login anonymous +app_update 896660 +quit && break
  echo "Update failed, retrying in 60 seconds"
  sleep 60
done

SteamCMD returns a non zero exit code on most failures, so && break stops the loop once an update succeeds.

When it is not the network after all

If the connection checks all pass and 0x402 keeps coming back, look at the other usual suspects:

• Disk space. A full disk usually shows as 0x202, but a disk that fills mid download can leave you with 0x402 or 0x602 instead. Run df -h or check the drive in Explorer.
• A corrupt SteamCMD install. Delete the SteamCMD folder (not your server folder) and download it fresh. It updates itself on first run.
• Clock skew. A machine with a badly wrong system clock can fail TLS checks. Sync the time with timedatectl set-ntp true on Linux or the Windows time settings.

Let someone else babysit updates

Patch day failures are the most annoying kind because they hit exactly when your group wants to play the new content. With a GamezServers server the game is installed for you, you have a live console to see exactly what happened, and our support team answers by email 24/7 at support@gamezservers.com if an update will not go through. Browse all the games we host to see whether yours is on the list.

FAQ

Is 0x402 my fault or Steam's?

Usually Steam's or the network's. It appears in waves when Steam's content servers are busy or down, and fixes itself after a short wait. If it never clears, check DNS and firewalls on your host.

Will running the update again lose my world?

No. SteamCMD only touches the game's program files. Saves and config files are not part of the download, although validate can reset some default config files that ship with the server, so keep a backup of anything you edited.

Why does 0x402 happen only on big updates?

Larger downloads take longer, so there is more time for a connection drop or a busy content server to interrupt them. Small hotfixes often finish before anything goes wrong.

Can I use a different download region in SteamCMD?

SteamCMD picks content servers automatically and there is no simple, supported switch for it on dedicated servers. Fixing DNS and the network path is the reliable route.