ComfyUI Won't Update: Fix git pull, pip upgrade, and Frontend Dependency Problems

If ComfyUI won't update, first identify which kind of install you have.

Portable, manual Git installs, and Desktop builds update differently. Running the wrong command can leave you with new code, old dependencies, or custom nodes that no longer import.

Quick Diagnosis

Step 1: Identify the Install Type

Do not continue until you know which one you are using.

Portable Windows Update

In the portable package, use the scripts in the update folder.

For normal updates, use:

update\update_comfyui.bat

Use dependency reinstall scripts carefully. The official ComfyUI update guide warns that dependency-heavy update scripts can reinstall many packages and may break custom nodes that depend on specific versions.

Before a major update:

1. Back up the entire ComfyUI folder.
2. Save important workflows.
3. Record custom nodes.
4. Keep a copy of models/ or use shared model paths.

Manual Git Update

For a manual install:

cd ComfyUI
git pull
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py

If you use a virtual environment, activate it first:

.\venv\Scripts\activate

If you use Conda:

conda activate comfyui

The dependency step matters. ComfyUI's official update guide calls out frontend, workflow template, embedded docs, and core utility packages as dependencies that may need to update with the code.

Fix "Your ComfyUI Isn't a Git Repo"

If you see:

fatal: not a git repository

you are not inside a Git checkout, or the .git folder is missing.

Check:

cd ComfyUI
git status

If this fails, do not force Git commands. Your options are:

• use the portable update script if this is a portable package
• download a fresh portable package and move models/workflows carefully
• clone ComfyUI into a new folder, then point it at your existing model folders
• use Wonderful Launcher to preserve the old environment before replacing it

Fix Frontend Package Problems After Update

If the update finishes but the browser UI is missing, old, or broken, check:

python -m pip show comfyui-frontend-package
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

For portable:

.\python_embeded\python.exe -s -m pip show comfyui-frontend-package
.\python_embeded\python.exe -s -m pip install -r ComfyUI\requirements.txt

See ComfyUI Frontend Package for the full diagnosis path.

Fix Custom Nodes After Update

If ComfyUI updates but custom nodes fail:

1. Read the first IMPORT FAILED or traceback in the startup log.
2. Disable the most recently changed node.
3. Update one custom node at a time.
4. Avoid running every requirements.txt at once.
5. Recheck ComfyUI after each change.

For deeper recovery, use Installed Custom Nodes and Broke ComfyUI.

When to Roll Back

Roll back only when you have a Git install or a known backup.

For Git:

git log --oneline
git checkout <commit-hash>

Then reinstall matching requirements if needed.

For portable, rollback usually means restoring a backed-up folder. That is why a full folder backup before major updates is worth the disk space.

When Not to Update

Do not update a production ComfyUI environment right before delivery if:

• a client workflow is already working
• you do not have a backup
• custom nodes are pinned to old package versions
• you only want to install one unrelated node
• the machine has limited internet access and cannot recover dependencies

Create a second test environment instead.

How Wonderful Launcher Helps

Wonderful Launcher is useful when update risk is higher than the update itself:

• preserve working ComfyUI folders before an update
• keep stable and experimental environments separate
• inspect startup logs after an update
• avoid mixing dependencies from unrelated workflows
• recover faster if a custom node update breaks the environment

If your main issue is missing models after updating, see Where to Put Safetensors in ComfyUI.

Related Guides

• ComfyUI Frontend Package
• ComfyUI Dependency Conflicts
• Install Custom Nodes
• ComfyUI Startup Failed

Source References

• Official ComfyUI update guide
• ComfyUI frontend management source
• ComfyUI command-line arguments