Restart or version-conflict message
Distinguish a restart requirement from conflicting identities on disk. Restarting cannot fix a disk-content conflict.
Restart requirements and identity conflicts are different
| Observation | Diagnosis and response |
|---|---|
| restart_required: restart needed | An existing service is in use and a newer copy cannot take over now. Save work, exit Blender normally, and restart. |
| provider identity conflict: conflicting identity | Disk copies claim the same identity with different content/interfaces, or have missing or unclear identity data. Have maintainers repair the materials, then restart fully. |
| Missing or incompatible runtime components | This concerns the installed runtime package. Follow Runtime installation guide; it is not the same as a framework-copy conflict. |
Do not compare only displayed add-on versions
Add-on version, embedded framework version, compatibility generation, and shared runtime protocol have different purposes. Different add-on versions do not imply conflict; same-version frameworks may come from different development snapshots. Diagnose actual sources, identities, and service state.
Record original messages and enabled related add-ons. Maintainers check current provider and candidate sources. Do not choose a winner by renaming add-ons, changing enable order, or arbitrarily increasing internal numbers.
Recover according to the cause
- Normal restart requirement: save and exit Blender using the service, then restart. Closing only an example window is not a restart.
- Identity conflict: obtain consistent complete materials from the provider and have identities and companion files checked. Restarting cannot repair disk conflicts.
- Pending file dialogs or operations: finish or cancel normally before replacing services in use.
- After repair, restart and check the original entry. Do not automatically update other add-ons or merge their framework directories.
Do not bypass material validation
If copying or packaging reports stale generated identity, maintainers must regenerate from trusted sources. Do not hand-edit digests, versions, or generations. Hot replacement is unsupported: disk updates, successful page reload, and new running Python are separate facts.
Shared services do not change the requirement for each add-on to carry a complete framework copy. See Version compatibility and upgrades.
Judge by actual results after restarting
- The original identity or restart error no longer appears at the same entry point.
- Windows, application actions, and closing work normally.
- State which real combinations were tested. One successful combination does not prove compatibility with every historical version.
If unresolved, follow Provide useful diagnostic information to prepare a minimal reproduction and original messages for the add-on author.