Why does openclaw update delete all my cron jobs?

The update command runs npm install -g without stopping the LaunchAgent service first. This causes file conflicts that delete the cron jobs.json file, permanently losing all scheduled tasks.

How to safely update OpenClaw without losing cron jobs?

Manually stop the OpenClaw service before updating: run launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.openclaw.plist, then npm install -g openclaw@latest, then launchctl load the plist again.

Can I recover OpenClaw cron jobs after running openclaw update?

No. Once jobs.json is deleted by the update process, the cron jobs are permanently lost. Back up ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json before any update as a precaution.

Does openclaw update also crash the gateway?

Yes. The Gateway receives SIGTERM during the npm install process and fails to restart properly. Feishu channel connections are also disrupted with abort signals.

Is the openclaw update data loss bug fixed?

As of April 14, 2026, the bug is reported in GitHub issue #66401 and #66390 but not yet fixed. The recommended workaround is to manually stop the service before updating.

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openclaw update Destroys All Cron Jobs and Crashes Gateway: npm Install Runs Without Stopping Service

Running openclaw update causes Gateway crash, Feishu disconnection, and permanent loss of all Cron jobs because npm install -g runs without stopping the LaunchAgent service first. The cron jobs.json file is deleted during the update. 100% reproducible data loss.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI tool that validates an OpenClaw upgrade against your specific provider, channel, and service configuration before applying it

115 ▲

Every OpenClaw point release ships regressions that silently break production setups. v2026.4.14 alone introduced Cloudflare 403 blocks on Codex providers, chat-triggered tool dispatch failures in Telegram and Slack, installer crashes, and cron job deletion during updates. The pattern repeats across every version. This CLI reads your running OpenClaw config (active providers, channel bindings, cron jobs, installed skills), downloads the target release, and runs a provider header check, channel dispatch smoke test, service lifecycle simulation, and cron persistence validation against the new version. It outputs a pass/fail per component with specific issue references so you know exactly what will break before you upgrade.

CLIDEVTOOLTESTINGRELIABILITYOPEN-SOURCE

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