# Initial Setup

The following instructions are intended for stable builds of the server. If you feel confident in doing everything yourself, you may be interested in [Manual Setup](./ManualSetup.md).

## Setting Up

1. Get a copy of version `1.52.0.1700` of the game client. This is the final released version of Marvel Heroes, so if you still have the game in your Steam library, you can download it from there. If you do not have the game in your Steam library, you may be able to find an archived copy of it on websites like Archive.org.

2. Install .NET Desktop Runtime 8 if you do not have it installed already. You can download it [here](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/8.0). Download [this version](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/thank-you/runtime-desktop-8.0.20-windows-x64-installer) if you are not sure which one to get.

3. Download the latest [MHServerEmu stable build](https://github.com/Crypto137/MHServerEmu/releases/latest) and extract it.

4. Run the included `Setup` tool and point it to your Marvel Heroes game files. If you have the game on Steam, you can find them by right clicking on the game in your library and choosing `Manage` -> `Browse local files`.

## Running the Server

1. Run `StartServer.bat` and wait for MHServerEmu to initialize. There should be two server windows, one of them should be minimized by default and blank.

2. (Optional) Open [http://localhost:8080/Dashboard/](http://localhost:8080/Dashboard/) and create an account. Please note that this link is going to work only when the server is running.

3. Run `StartClient.bat` and log in with your created account OR run `StartClientAutoLogin.bat` to play with a default account.

4. When you are done, run the `StopServer.bat` file to stop the server.

## Updating MHServerEmu

In most cases you can update MHServerEmu simply by downloading the [latest nightly build](https://nightly.link/Crypto137/MHServerEmu/workflows/nightly-release-windows-x64/master?preview) and extracting it into the `MHServerEmu` directory, overwriting all files.

Your account data is stored in the `MHServerEmu\Data\Account.db` file. You can back up this file to make sure your progress does not get lost.

To avoid losing your configuration changes when you update, we recommend to make all changes in the `ConfigOverride.ini` file instead of modifying `Config.ini` directly. `ConfigOverride.ini` should be created when you start the server for the first time, and it uses the same structure as `Config.ini`.

In rare cases migrating to a new version may require additional steps. These are going to be posted on our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/hjR8Bj52t3) in the #news channel and included in release notes for stable versions.