When a mod is updated it is mandatory that the new version of the mod is installed on the server promptly. This is the way Steam works and server owners have no way to get around that. If you want to have mods then you have to live with Steam's update policies.

When an update is released the clients (your PC) will download the new version automatically - typically the next time you open the server launcher/browser. If the server is not updated promptly then players who DO have the update will not be able to join the server.

The server must be shut down to install the update. Before I shut the server down I check the player list.

Here is MY procedure - the way I do it on The Network servers:

If there are no players in game, it's easy. I just shut down the server and install the update. After the update is installed I will typically announce that the server has been updated and let everyone know which mod needs to be updated.

If there are players on the server I will send out an in-game Admin notification informing everyone that the server will shut down for mod updates. I watch the player list to see when all players have logged off. If everyone logs off right away, I shut the server down immediately and install the update. If the players don't acknowledge the message, I wait a few minutes and repeat the alert message. One of several things can happen from there:

- A player might ask to wait until they get to a safe location. They might type this in-game or they might type it in discord. If someone asks for a delay I am more than happy to wait a few more minutes.
- If players remain on the server I will send a final warning. After the final warning the server will be shut down regardless of players still being in-game or not. Why would I do this? Here's a list of reasons:

1. Often I do not have the luxury of time to wait for everyone to finish playing. If the players don't acknowledge my alerts I have to assume that either they aren't reading the messages, they are AFK and not actively playing or they simply don't care and will just allow themselves to be kicked.
2. Until the server is updated the players that are not already on the server won't be able to join. It's not fair to make others wait.
3. The players who read the warning and logged off promptly now have to wait for the players who did not log off promptly. Again, this is unfair to the players who logged off when asked.
4. The sooner everyone gets off the sooner the update can be installed and everyone can resume playing.

Normally, after the update is installed I will make an announcement telling everyone that the server will come up soon. You can also see the Bot messages in the Discord chat when the server has restarted. To those of you who log off promptly - some of you even tell me in Discord that you've logged off - I greatly appreciate this. It makes my job much easier.