# Force Update option ignored

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/force-update-option-ignored/7883>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Tags:** mender-client, mender-server, deployment\
**Created:** [July 10, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/force-update-option-ignored/7883 "2025-07-10T12:48:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gsimon2000](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/gsimon2000/32/2518_2.png) [@gsimon2000](https://hub.mender.io/u/gsimon2000)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/force-update-option-ignored/7883/1 "2025-07-10T12:48:19Z")

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Hello,  
I’ve noticed that, when trying to re-deploy an artifact already installed to a device, having the “Force Update” option on (in the “advanced settings” of a deployment, in the Web UI) doesn’t do anything: the deployment is still skipped because the artifact is already installed.

For the context, I’m testing an Update Module that remotely reboots my device. For this Module to be useful, I need to be able to re-apply this Module as many times as I need!

(my device is running Mender Client 3.1.0)

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**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 6:51am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/force-update-option-ignored/7883/2 "2025-07-11T06:51:00Z")

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Hi @gsimon2000,

Thanks for reaching out! The forced updates are not available until client version 3.5, see this changelog [Mender Client | Mender documentation](https://docs.mender.io/release-information/release-notes-changelog/mender-client#mender-3-5-0) and ticket [Jira](https://northerntech.atlassian.net/browse/MEN-6129).

Guess you saw it as inspiration, there also is a reboot update module example: [mender-update-modules/reboot at master · mendersoftware/mender-update-modules · GitHub](https://github.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/tree/master/reboot).

What you can do without updating the client is using a _dirty_ Update Module, see the example at [mender-update-modules/dirty at master · mendersoftware/mender-update-modules · GitHub](https://github.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/tree/master/dirty). By putting a reboot in there the device will reboot and mark the update as failed. A failed update is not marked as installed, so you can repeat as many times as you want.

Greetz,  
Josef

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gsimon2000](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/gsimon2000/32/2518_2.png) [@gsimon2000](https://hub.mender.io/u/gsimon2000)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/force-update-option-ignored/7883/3 "2025-07-11T16:18:33Z")

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Hello,  
Thank you very much for your reply! Switching to Mender Client 3.5.0 fixed the problem, the module works like a charm now.  
Best,  
Guillaume