How to Downgrade a Minecraft Server (and Why Not on the Same World)

Why you can't downgrade without breaking the world

When you open a world on a newer version, the game converts it: blocks, items and sometimes entire folders, as happened with 26.1. An older version can't read what a newer one writes.

Paper says it again with every release: after updating your world, you can't go back to an earlier version. Whatever the old version doesn't know is lost or corrupted, and between 26.1 and 1.21.11 it's worse: 1.21.11 can't even find the overworld, the Nether and the End where it expected them.

That's why the NapNodes panel won't let you pick a version older than your world. If you try, it tells you: “Your world is from…: going down to… would break it”.

Way out 1: let your friends join with their version

If you want to downgrade because your friends are still on the old version, don't downgrade anything. On a Paper server, install ViaVersion and ViaBackwards from “Mods & plugins”: everyone joins with whatever version they have. The ViaVersion guide explains it.

It doesn't work with mods: everyone needs the same modpack on the same version.

Way out 2: restore a backup from before the update

It's the only way to get the world back exactly as it was. You lose whatever was played since you updated.

On NapNodes, look in “Backups” (how to restore a backup). When you change version from “Server type”, the panel first makes a backup if you have room, named “Antes de cambiar a …” (“before switching to …”). Watch out for the “Copia diaria automática” (the automatic daily backup): it's replaced every night, so if you updated more than a day ago it's already on the new version.

To put the server back on the old version with that backup, ask in “Help” and we'll do it with you: the server's version and the backup's version have to match, or the server would convert the world again on startup.

On your PC or another host: stop the server, swap the world folder for the one in the backup and put back the server.jar of the old version, with that version's plugins or mods, before starting it.

Way out 3: a new world on the old version

If you have no backup or don't mind starting from scratch, you can go back to the old version with a new world. The current one stays saved in case you come back.

1. Move the world aside

   With the server stopped, in “Files”, rename the world folder (for example, to world-26-3). It isn't deleted.

2. Choose the old version

   “Mods & plugins” → “Server type” → the same version as before → “Change”. Without the world folder, the panel now lets you.

3. Start it and check

   A new world is created on that version. Check in the “Console” that the plugins load: the ones for the new version may not work on the old one.

For the next update

Before updating, make a backup of your own in “Backups”: the ones you make aren't replaced automatically, unlike the daily one. Also check that your plugins or mods have a release for the new version. If any of them doesn't, wait until it does. The rest of the steps are in the guide to updating the server version.

Frequently asked questions