Setup & servers
Restore ZombieBuddy after a game update or Steam verification
Check the ZombieBuddy loaded indicator before reinstalling companions. If it is absent, compare the selected launch method, loader files and agent setting with your last working setup. If it is present but one mod stopped working, check that mod's current requirements and Java approval instead. Steam verification does not automatically mean every installation must be redone.
On this page
Keep the evidence from the first failed launch
Note whether the change was a game update, Workshop update, Steam file verification or a different launch method. Copy the failed run's log before another launch overwrites it. Record the game build and loader/mod versions; keep your world and launcher backups.
The author FAQ says ordinary updates or verification do not require a blanket reinstall when the default launcher and Steam agent option still work. It also says to rerun setup if loading stops. Treat the indicator as your branch point rather than repeating all install steps after every download.
If the loader indicator disappeared
- Locate the actual Steam installation with Browse local files. Compare its runtime files with your recorded setup.
- Check how you launched: normal Steam, Alternate Launch, or native macOS/Linux. An alternate-launch BAT and the normal Steam option are different inputs.
- Use the original installer's Install or update option for the intended method and read its preview before applying the changes.
- Retain unrelated launch options and edits. Use the matching platform branch if you need to compare the documented argument.
- Restart through that same method and confirm the loader indicator and intended version before enabling extra features.
The inspected latest loader release is v2.3.4, released October 3, 2026. The Windows installer has its own version; a different installer number alone is not evidence that the loaded agent is wrong.
A pending JAR is not a reason to add another agent
The versioned Windows native-loader instructions describe ZombieBuddy.jar.new as a pending update promoted on a subsequent start. Compare the version actually shown after launch. Do not append a second Java agent simply because you see both filenames.
If startup fails before the indicator appears, preserve the exact file paths, launch mode and log for the author. Do not use an old temporary-fix archive from a comment as an assumed current update, or delete all approvals and saves to silence the error. Native macOS/Linux uses a different branch; the Windows pending-file behavior is not a universal platform recipe.
If the loader works but Viewpoint or a companion fails
A new JAR fingerprint can require a new approval. Inspect the actual file state and review the approval flow if it was denied. Keep the current required-items list and game build together with that observation.
- Confirm base Viewpoint camera switching on a separate world.
- Test one affected companion's own action with the same working baseline.
- For a server, compare each client's versions and approvals with the server list.
- If the file loaded but the feature still fails, report the shortest reproduction and failed-run log.
Success means the expected loader starts and the specific feature responds in your test. It is not a guarantee that the old world, all companions or every GPU remain compatible. Use the version checklist before changing game branches.
Sources & version
Based on author documentation and community instructions, not our own gameplay test. Later updates may change defaults.