How to Automatically Update Your Games in 5 Minutes

The tool (it's free!): rugbugredfern.itch.io/update-...
Making a larger commercial game? Use the Advanced version: rugbugredfern.itch.io/advance...
Google drive download link generator: sites.google.com/site/gdocs2d...
Support me on Patreon for the source code: / rugbug
Join the discord: / discord
Music by Stevia Sphere: steviasphere.bandcamp.com/
0:00 Introduction
0:23 File hosting
2:00 Other config preferences
3:00 Updating

[@RugbugRedfern]

This works with all applications, not just unity games! You can use it with Unreal, Godot, or anything else that uses a .exe file to start. If you have any more questions, feel free to comment them and I'll be sure to respond!

[@Toff654]

OMG i love you

[@codewithme_-_1619]

is there any chance that this works on mac?

[@RugbugRedfern]

@@codewithme_-_1619 nope, the graphics library is WPF which is windows only

[@techcom3791]

@@RugbugRedfern can you make it for mac??? please

[@ender_mite8675]

hey How do we add a .ico file to the .exe if we dont unity or somthing

[@vaqquixx8620]

this is WAY better than remote config, you can ACTUALLY update games with new content AND don't have to create a variable in the Unity Editor for every possible aspect of you game that can change

[@belesisgia4485]

This is so useful especially because it's so easy to use! Thank you!

[@Gejam_GameDev]

GOD so much so much thank you. I appreciate you more than ever. i was making a multiplayer game and i didn't know how to make it auto update and while other tutorials are complex, this one is really easy even i can follow. thanks

[@hoodtpanda]

게잼 어서오고

[@VyvyanTheGreat]

Seriously incredible. Thank you! EXACTLY what I needed!

[@rangergamestudios3353]

Im making a video game company and i didnt even know how to update my game so thank u so much your a lifesaver

[@bumba5727]

I was just thinking how updating games work amd this helped very much. Thank you

[@kolixq]

Wait what? This is amazing. Thank you sososo much!!

[@yangez93]

Thank you very much :) I really appreciate your help, it is incredible stuff for project updates :)

[@legomotion77]

This is incredible! Thank you so much for this! Incredibly generous

[@ScriptLineStudios]

Wow, this looks awesome! Thanks for making it free! :)

[@RugbugRedfern]

You're welcome! I was originally going to make it a Patreon asset but thought this would be useful to a lot more people.

[@jamado9067]

I CANT DISCRIBE HOW GOOD THIS IS!!!! THANK YOU!!! You are a diamond that is not found yet! Keep doing what you do and you will be found! AMAZING!

[@tylervh2877]

Thank you for this amazing tool, and that you even made it free! This tool is exactly what i was looking for.

[@CodingKricket]

I’ve been looking for a tutorial like this for years

[@RugbugRedfern]

Awesome! Glad it's useful :)

[@emilio2934]

thank you for making this tool you just maked my life so much easier

[@bradleygodfrey]

thank you so much im making a game and i used patch kit for my updating system but then my family couldnt afford it im so thankfull

[@iceman95val]

Awesome mate, god bless you

[@Kenji_195]

Bruh... this is literally what I was looking for I found 3 solutions talking about Remote Config, which is nice and all but VERY limited to just some variables instead of actually *changing the game* Thank you so much for this, can't thank you enough ;-;

[@eboatwright_]

That's pretty cool! :O

[@brennancoughlin541]

Ive been looking for some way to make a game launcher for so long, and this works!!! Thanks :D

[@RugbugRedfern]

Glad I could help!

[@kayraavc6891]

Bro PLEASE help it is extracting and create data folder but dont open game and when i trying open .zip in data folder it says its empty

[@tiffjam]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@RugbugRedfern]

You're welcome!

[@svedzo]

Im making a survival multiplayer game and this is just what I needed Thank you so much!!! If you want i can put ur channel link in in about section of the game once again thank you so much

[@officialploxed]

Amazing. Just Amazing.

[@boxitor9355]

thanks man

[@debjoybhowal1952]

Seriously bro. I have been trying to find a updater client which just patches the system, but couldn't. With your version.. i can just zip and upload.. which reduces my game size from 900mb to 300mb.. which is much much better. Thanks for this tool man.

[@debjoybhowal1952]

@@Akyet Noice!!! XD

[@elmetiu]

Ty man i subscribed 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@MAzefuhd]

love u bro

[@greenonions6149]

very nice video Poggers

[@king_muellwurst2197]

Hey bro, thank you so much. The video is just amazing! I have subscribed to you with my two accounts 😀. have a nice day!

[@CreativeUI]

Hey....I am a huge fan of yours Pls finish the multiplayer fps series.... waiting for those awesome tutorials.....Completed all that has already been done Waiting eagerly for the next one

[@RugbugRedfern]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGK1qpqmpKyHq6M ;)

[@shellypeng8855]

Great video! Does it also work for Mac OS X unity games?

[@RugbugRedfern]

No, sorry. It's windows only at the moment

[@zetianlu5463]

Is it possible to only update one or two folders in my game folder? Instead of deleting the whole game and download the updated version. (It is ok if you tell me that I have to be a Patreon to do this) :)

[@RugbugRedfern]

That's called a "Patcher" and I'm working on one in my spare time, but I don't have an estimate on when it will be completed. It's a lot more work than a simple updater.

[@not_even_tim]

Genius!

[@beweldadon]

Hey, everything I try to use it, it says that my zip file is invalid, I did everything right and don't know what to do?

[@xzippyzachx]

I'm ready to crack this thing open and study its insides. lol!

[@andrews4208]

i see you here as well lol

[@niracaldwell]

Pog!

[@loghanveilleux5614]

why this is not working at the end of the update it says error starting application ComponentModel.Win32 exception the file cannot be found

[@parallel15]

Thx!!! I supported you 3$ =)

[@RugbugRedfern]

Awesome, thank you!

[@epich307]

hello, what do I do when the download page says the file is too big for verification?

[@samohickey]

You. Are. A god! :D

[@EyupJohn]

If i become a patron, can i edit the code and use it in my project as it's mine? (i mean, without quote)

[@RugbugRedfern]

Yep! You can do whatever you want with the source code. Thanks for becoming a Patreon, btw :)

[@goodknight3659]

Yo he straight up got you with the mike hawk shit hahahah

[@RugbugRedfern]

If he's paying me to say it, imma say it for him lol

[@Exzyte]

The 1st ever mod to auto-update in Friday Night Funkin' , the mod that i am working on is gonna be the one, aah i can't wait!!

[@krabbyPatty824]

Amazing. Thanks Hey, do you think you could make a login and register tutorial? Thanks!

[@RugbugRedfern]

No, but my friend xzippyzachx www.youtube.com/@xzippyzachx/videos has some

[@Brick69]

How do i download this, it shows me an installer but it doesnt install anything help

[@MrRickDamas]

Hi Quick question, is there any reason why after the game is updated dosent extract all files?

[@roygzerbel913]

Gotta love Mike Hawk 4:45

[@bnok5237]

when updating does it delete the entire game and download it from scratch or does it update the modified files ?

[@RugbugRedfern]

deletes the entire game and downloads from scratch. if you only wanted it to update modified files, I'd search for a patcher

[@Farid-hp9ql]

Nice my friend 🌹 but i have a question , working android games or just for pc games ?!

[@RugbugRedfern]

Just PC

[@plumedemouton2085]

Hello, thank you for this cool tutorial ! I know it's quite old, but I do hope that you are still around to help. When I execute your utility, it just creates a "Data" folder with a file "Application .zip" that cannot be opened/extracted. I edited the config.txt right, with working links that I tested beforehand. My game .zip is 28 Mo. Could it be my antivirus ? If so is there a way to bypass it or notice the user that it is the cause ?

[@RugbugRedfern]

You could try using Dropbox instead (it's also free). Some people have had issues with Google Drive

[@plumedemouton2085]

@@RugbugRedfern Alright, I tried OneDrive and it works like a charm ! Thanks for your help and good content

[@tristankubih]

I had the same exact problem...

[@tristankubih]

@@RugbugRedfern Do the link converters work with google drive too or do I have to find one for dropbox?

[@RugbugRedfern]

@@tristankubih try this zapier.com/blog/generate-direct-dropbox-link/

[@jodietheshovel]

it doesn't work when it tries to open the exe file, it gives me a error that says that the exe file doesn't exist, even tho I copy pasted the name of it. (I didn't forget to add .exe at the end) Idk what the problem is so if you can help, I wold be happy. In rest, it works great

[@jeffreyhuang7539]

I also had this issue, it was bugged for me because my game files were in a folder in the .zip file. So make sure if you open your .zip file you are directly in your game files without you need to go to a folder in the zip

[@jodietheshovel]

@@jeffreyhuang7539 thanks, this fixed my problem :3

[@genius-b1180]

Hi, is it suitable for mac builds?

[@DrakonFirestone]

I made *.zip File, followed the steps and it still is downloading the Application.zip in data/ folder and its not launching :( Can it be because my application is over 25MB and the link leads to a button with "File is too large to scan" and it require to click the button?

[@loghanveilleux5614]

yes

[@Gejam_GameDev]

i have the same issue. anyone know how to solve that problem?

[@Panggu_PE]

게잼이닼​@@Gejam_GameDev

[@expenedict]

I tried using it when it gets to the point of launching the game it gives me a error

[@MJTSgamer]

I've got a question, I made a game in html, but is that possible to run to, or is .exe the only executable file it can run?

[@RugbugRedfern]

It should work just fine with html. It's free, so you can always just download and test it.

[@gohelboy]

Hey man i got issue about photon pun and this issue face lots of ppl I am using joystick to control my player when in room have only 1 player then all works fine but when when 2nd player comes to room then joystick stop working and this problem is globle hope u have any solution for this issue

[@RugbugRedfern]

If you have an issue like this, ask in the #help channel on my discord server, not on an unrelated video. discord.com/invite/RdHyPc4

[@andrews4208]

yo mate: when uploading the launcher to somthing like itchio. do i upload just the launcher or the config aswell?

[@RugbugRedfern]

unless you purchased the source code, you need to upload both

[@andrews4208]

@@RugbugRedfern thanks mate

[@SuperNidey]

I have a question. Will this work If my game is installed inside the 'Program Files' folder? I'm afraid the launcher might request 'admin access'. (Which is a hassle for my clients who aren't tech savvy).

[@RugbugRedfern]

It might not. I'd install it in AppData instead as that doesn't require Admin access.

[@ketchupyx]

insane

[@Brick69]

where can i find the file to run

[@fv4202x]

How did you made a launcher that selecting resolution and graphic settings? I couldnt find how. 2:48

[@robylplays]

that comes automatically with unity u can enable it if u want from the project settings lol also it can edit keybinds but it's bad if u plan ur game to be popular

[@fv4202x]

@@robylplays Thanks but I couldnt find the setting. Do you know where its?

[@kyandesutter1364]

@@fv4202x its not there in modern unity versions

[@bazingalen]

hahahhahaha "mike hawk" so funnie!!11!!!11

[@GamerReality]

This wouldn't work for Oculus Quest would it? What if I used Oculus Link?

[@forbiddenbox]

I don't understand, like after all this what files do I give my customers, great video

[@RugbugRedfern]

Send the TXT and the EXE file. Alternatively if you pay for the source code then you can embed the TXT into the EXE and only send the EXE

[@eqisfree9195]

Hi, i wrote everything correctly and it still dosent work, what can i do????

[@uber6604]

Can i change the tools name for my own name or just "Game Launcher"?

[@RugbugRedfern]

You can change the name to anything

[@ritchiecoleman2813]

i cant find config.txt

[@alexmixvids]

Which part of the source code opens the .exe file after downloading the update? It isn't really working and I don't need it so I wanted to remove it. Thank you for your help though, it is a great tool. I donated 1$ to you.

[@alexmixvids]

Never mind, I found it.

[@RugbugRedfern]

Hi, join the discord server if you need additional help as I don't usually see comments

[@GlaciaGalaxy]

Will this work if the players files are encrypted but the build files are not??

[@RugbugRedfern]

Can you elaborate?

[@evolight6319]

what if you have a 10gb game, and you make some changes, will it have to reinstall the whole game when launching the updater?

[@RugbugRedfern]

yep. im working on a patcher which only downloads the changed files, but its not out yet

[@RomanUnreal]

спасибо

[@DJSchuhKay]

Hi, first of all, thanks for this awesome tool! For me, it downloads the application.rar - however it doesnt start it afterwards. i double checked that i wrote the correct .exe name, it just download the content of application.rar and doesnt extract it..

[@DJSchuhKay]

Problem was, i made a .rar not a .zip Thanks for helping out on discord Rugbug! :)

[@andrews4208]

yeah same Edit: wait no, its still aint work for me. it still is zip so im confused

[@mrredogaming8885]

I have set force update false and there is no popup like in your video.

[@Afd.Dieter]

it's not working with google drive or Dropbox

[@TheKub4_]

Hint : don't try it with .rar files. It doesn't work for some reason.

[@RugbugRedfern]

.rar files are not a native compressed file type. windows doesn't know what to do with .rar files because it's specific to WinRAR (third party software!). if you REALLY wanted to use .rar you would have to find a library that supports it like www.nuget.org/packages/nunrar/ and modify the source code.

[@rdude6543]

Do you think you will make a Mac version?

[@RugbugRedfern]

No, sorry :/ WPF is for windows applications only (which is what I used to write it) and porting it over to mac would require a lot of work and a different UI library. At the moment I also don't have a mac to test on, so it would be difficult to create.

[@g5haco]

broke :(( EDIT: OH WAIT ITS FREE OHHHH

[@kmfam8176]

When i put both files on itch.io, when you download it, it becomes a random file, "unconfirmed 448590 .crdownload" help! please

[@RugbugRedfern]

All files you download to your computer with chrome start as .crdownload files, then eventually turn into the actual file you downloaded. Chrome is probably taking a while to scan the file. Just wait a few minutes after it says it's finished downloading to open the folder and you should be good.

[@gamerlate8streaming298]

could you make a better version of it?

[@decinbr]

My game has 500 MB, everytime when i want to update new files i have to update my entire game again? Is there a way to not delete the files when update?

[@epich307]

doesn't it says that the file is too big for verification?

[@PreslavKolev]

With which programming language did you make this

[@RugbugRedfern]

C#

[@onslaught2dsurvivalshooter86]

will the config.txt still work if I encrypt it?

[@RugbugRedfern]

No, but if you want, you can buy the source and incorporate the config.txt into the exe rugbugredfern.itch.io/update-utility

[@jeffreyhuang7539]

What’s the difference between the paid version and the paid demo?

[@RugbugRedfern]

The demo is an example of the final, exported product. The demo can't be modified.

[@michaelong348]

google site link is dead. are there any alternative site we can visit for the same purpose?

[@RugbugRedfern]

You can just use the normal google drive link and it should work, you don't need an actual download link

[@alainabramo4905]

Hello, is there a way to download only the updated files instead of the whole application when we update?

[@RugbugRedfern]

That's called a "Patcher" and I'm working on one in my spare time, but I don't have an estimate on when it will be completed. It's a lot more work than a simple updater.

[@bgungtu]

@@RugbugRedfern Have any updated on how the patcher is going? Really need one for my game and will pay for it

[@RugbugRedfern]

@@bgungtu It's been put on hold while I work on more important projects. I probably won't revisit it for a year or so. I'd recommend using Steam for patching as it works seamlessly and extremely well, and gives you a good platform to get new players. It's $100 though.

[@bgungtu]

@@RugbugRedfern Hmm, alright, for now I’ll just make games for fun and once I get a community wanting a game I will consider using steam.

[@bgungtu]

@@RugbugRedfern Also do you need a company or a lawyer or anything like that to upload on steam? I’m not a adult and I don’t wanna risk it.

[@drag-reel_studios]

I tried this and the game.exe didn't not run. Also because it didn't give me an error I cant tell what I did incorrectly. If you have insight on how to make this work please let me know

[@Afd.Dieter]

i have the same. it's not working with google drive or Dropbox

[@saveyourtears664]

its not working dont know why. when i click on the exe file it shows checking for updates and then it vanished after creating an empty data folder

[@RugbugRedfern]

Sounds like your antivirus might be acting up. Which antivirus do you have?

[@khaledmukhtar1843]

@@RugbugRedfern yo i got the same issue and mine is wisecare365.

[@gadoneitor15]

how i can make that the people dont have acces to the links

[@RugbugRedfern]

If you support me on Patreon (www.patreon.com/rugbug ) you get access to the source code. The minimum tier is $1 a month. With that, you can embed the config file into the .exe file so that people can't view or tamper with it.

[@Sandflowgames]

what about a mac and linux version?

[@RugbugRedfern]

not available

[@kas-lw7xz]

Version.txt systems are kinda unreliable, I would've done it by creating a hash, and comparing that to the newest hash that's online or something, if they mismatch, check if its due to mods, and if that's not the case, update

[@RugbugRedfern]

If you support me on Patreon, you can edit the source code to include your own system. (www.patreon.com/rugbug )

[@RugbugRedfern]

You were right, and I made it: rugbugredfern.itch.io/advanced-update-utility

[@jarno2427]

Does it work with .net framework ? Visual studio

[@RugbugRedfern]

.NET Core. You might be able to port it to .NET Framework, but I wasn't able to get it to work with my ZipFile nuget package.

[@codewithme_-_1619]

Is there any chance that this works on mac?

[@RugbugRedfern]

Nope, sorry it's windows only

[@turotuwan7542]

Hi. Is there any possibility to make it run on Android to update game? There is no tutorials about that at all :(

[@RugbugRedfern]

Use Google Play Store

[@EmuTheEmo]

When you say find a place to host the files online, would this work with sites like Gamejolt or Itch.io?

[@TheBidnessmanHimself]

Yes It does i am using this for my itch page and all it takes is to zip the updater and the config files and upload it to the itch page that you want.

[@RugbugRedfern]

You can upload the updater to those websites to distribute your game and it works fine, but you cannot use those websites as file hosting services (for downloading updates) because they do not provide direct download links.

[@jamado9067]

Where does the update saved?

[@RugbugRedfern]

In the same folder as the launcher

[@uber6604]

Error starting application: system.componentmodel.win32exeption(2): cant find a file at System.Diagnositcs.process.startwithceateprocess(ProcessStartinfo.startinfo) at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start() at System.Diagnositcs.Process.Start(ProcessStartInfostartinfo) at RedlabsUpdateUtility.MainWindow.StartApplication()

[@CyberStudios]

I am also getting this error :(

[@FreddySenpai]

Wow

[@crazyunitylaboratory1607]

it is giving me error messegas pop up windows and doesn't download.

[@RugbugRedfern]

Join my discord server discord.gg/RdHyPc4 for help :)

[@nemesiser89]

I bought the advanced version and am oddly missing the publish option and the build results in a fail due to NuGet Package Restore

[@RugbugRedfern]

If you join my discord server discord.gg/RdHyPc4 I can help you in more detail.

[@nemesiser89]

@@RugbugRedfern thanks for the response - I'll do that as I've got a different issue but for anyone that has my issue I was opening the folder not the file lol. So look for the .sln

[@RugbugRedfern]

@@nemesiser89 ah, well I'm glad you got it fixed :) feel free to ask me on discord if you need any more help/have more questions, I'm not as quick to respond to KZbin comments

[@andrews4208]

@@RugbugRedfern that's a smart way of promoting the discord lmao

[@RugbugRedfern]

@@andrews4208 i guess