Help Index → Working with starships → Use case 26
Upgrade one ship through the checkbox picker rather than assuming a selected tree row determines the target. The other ownership records are not included unless you check them in the dialog.
Before you start
- Keep a full backup and confirm the loaded slot and Main or Expedition context.
- Complete the preserve-all/one-tab preflight; do not sync inventory Raw JSON. Upgrade preflight checks all editing tabs, not just Starships.
- Before any sync, Pretty Print or structured refresh, copy EACH pending Raw JSON pane’s complete text to a separate external file. Successful tab sync refreshes ALL Raw JSON panes and can erase pending text elsewhere.
- Before opening Upgrade Starships, record each intended zero-based ownership index in the tree. Named picker checkboxes show no visible index: count ALL ownership-ordered rows from one, including unoccupied rows; tree index 0 is picker row 1. Cancel if you cannot identify the row confidently.
Steps
- If several panes contain wanted pending work, preserve ALL before any refresh. If applying it, reapply and verify one non-inventory tab at a time; never simply sync each changed tab. Keep inventory text externally and reproduce supported changes with structured tools instead.
- Open Starships and click Upgrade Starships. (control reference)
- Read the warning: non-Corvette technology items are replaced by the matched reference; Corvette equipment and build parts are preserved with missing-only additions. (control reference)
- Check only the intended ownership-ordered row identified before opening: count from one, including ALL unoccupied rows. The named checkbox does not display its slot index; duplicate names can be identical. Cancel if uncertain. All boxes start unchecked and tree selection is not picker selection. (control reference)
- Click OK, wait for progress to finish, then read that ship’s outcome and any notes in Starship Upgrade Results. (control reference)
Expected result
- A supported selected ship receives validated reference base statistics and S-class settings. Successful technology processing targets sixty enabled tech cells.
- A technology/capacity problem can produce stats/class applied with tech skipped. An unsupported model or invalid stats/class reference rejects that ship without changing it.
What changes, and when to save
Changes stay in the loaded app data until File > Save NMS Save File writes the retained live slot and Main or Expedition context. Close No Man’s Sky and confirm that destination before saving; a green synchronization light alone does not mean the game file was saved. A refreshed pane is not proof that pending text survived; compare the intended values with your external copies before authorizing a live write.
Check the result
- Inspect the selected ship’s class, statistics and technology, not just the completion popup.
- Verify the unchecked ships retain their prior identities, equipment and cargo.
Important details and recovery
- For non-Corvettes, extras, trails, figurines and module seeds in technology Slots may be lost in reference replacement. Cancel or OK with nothing checked performs no upgrade and produces no results dialog.