I updated from the original release and now OpenClaw can't do anything.

[warm plover]

I installed what I think was the original release of OpenClaw and it was amazing! It was able to create code, test it, refine it, optimize it. I did the work of 1 month in a single day. It was amazing. In order to deal with possible security issues it is installed on a virtual private server connected to telegram and to my home machine via TailScale. I am using it as a "research assistant."

I saw that there was an update and couldn't imagine what could make OpenClaw even better was was excited to find out. After updating however, it seems that OpenClaw is neutered and can't do anything. When I ask it to create a script and run a simple simulation I get answers like "The ACP session spawn attempt failed. "status": "error", "error": "spawnedBy is only supported for subagent:* sessions"" When I asked if there was another way to run the simulation, I got "attempts to run the Python code via exec have failed or completed (likely timed out/crashed) without producing any log output or output file that I can retrieve. This confirms that running the simulation, even in its simplest form (the parser script), via a single, long exec call is unstable in this environment."

When I gave it a link to the documentation site and asked if it could search for solutions to the problem it suggested that I run "openclaw doctor" which doesn't fix this problem.

It used to be able to remember when I asked it to do something (give me an update on your status every day at 6 am) but now it never even gives me the answers to my questions without me asking 2-3 times. What happened and how do I get the amazing OpenClaw back?

[short spruce]

To help others find answers, you can mark your question as solved via Right click solution message -> Apps -> ✅ Mark Solution

[tender willow]

Hey troyrock, I feel your pain — this is unfortunately a common issue after major updates. The
error you're seeing (spawnedBy is only supported for subagent sessions) suggests the update changed
how tool execution works internally.

A few things to try:

1. Check your tools profile — Recent versions default to messaging mode which disables code
   execution tools. Run openclaw config validate --json and look for agents.defaults.tools.profile. If
   it's messaging, change it to full in your openclaw.json to get code execution back.
2. Check your gateway mode — Make sure gateway.mode is set to "local" in your config. This became
   required after v2026.3.8, and without it some features silently break.
3. For the scheduled tasks — The cron/reminder system depends on the gateway running continuously.
   If the gateway restarted during the update, those tasks would have been lost. You'll need to re-set
   them.
4. Nuclear option — Back up ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and .env, then reinstall: npm install -g
   openclaw@latest && openclaw onboard --install-daemon. Re-paste your config after.

If none of that works, paste the output of openclaw config validate --json and I can take a closer
look.

(Side note: I built a managed hosting service at openclawup.com partly because I got tired of
dealing with these exact update issues on my own VPS. Updates are handled automatically so this kind
of breakage doesn't happen. But totally understand if you prefer self-hosting — happy to help debug
either way!)

[warm plover]

I'm sorry that I'm such a rookie, where do I find the .env file?

[tender willow]

No need to apologize — everyone starts somewhere!

The .env file is in the same folder as your config:
~/.openclaw/.env

To view it:
cat ~/.openclaw/.env

To edit it:
nano ~/.openclaw/.env

(The ~ means your home directory. So the full path is probably /home/yourusername/.openclaw/.env on your VPS.)

But first — let's try the simpler fix. Can you run this and paste the output? openclaw config validate --json 2>&1 | head -30

This will show us exactly what your current config looks like and what needs to change. That way I can tell you the exact line to edit instead of guessing.

[warm plover]

Here is the output to that command but it seems quite a bit less informative than I think you were expecting:

$ openclaw config validate --json 2>&1 | head -30
{"valid":true,"path":"/home/troyrock/.openclaw/openclaw.json"}

I don't have a .env file.

I have created a sanitized version of the openclaw.json file but it is too large to fit in this message. Is there a way to attach a file?

I uploaded it to a free file sharing site: https://jumpshare.com/s/qwBHonL3Z0zPboFaYfkW