How to Update Your Minecraft Server to a New Version Without Losing Your World
A new version comes out and your friends already have it in the launcher. Updating the server is easy; what causes trouble is doing it without any preparation. These are the four minutes beforehand that save you from losing the world.
Before touching anything
Take a backup
Updating is one-way: a world saved with a new version doesn't open properly in an older one. If something goes wrong, the backup is the only way back.
Check your plugins or mods already exist for that version
Every plugin and mod states which versions it's for. If the one you can't lose doesn't support it yet, wait: the ones that add content to the world (blocks, dimensions) leave the world tied to them. If you're going from 1.21.x to 26.x, the Java version and the world folders change as well (what changes in 26.1).
Tell your players
Anyone joining with a different game version either won't be able to join or will need ViaVersion on the server (which lets nearby versions in). If you don't need it, it's better for everyone to update their launcher.
Rather not set it up yourself? Minecraft servers from €6 a month, no contract and a full refund within 72 hours. Or create a free Minecraft server, no card needed.
Doing it on NapNodes
Open “Mods & plugins” in the panel
It's in your server's menu. Go to the “Server type” tab.
Choose the new version
With the same type (Paper, Fabric, Forge or NeoForge) and the version you want to update to.
Wait for it to finish
The panel stops the server, makes a backup if your plan has room, changes the version and starts it. The world stays. Anything that doesn't work on the new version is set aside with the name “…-antes-<date>”: it isn't deleted.
Join and check
The first start takes a bit longer. Check the console in case a plugin throws errors and reinstall whichever one needs it from “Mods & plugins”.
What if I do it on my own PC or another host?
The procedure is the same: back up the whole folder, download the new server.jar (from minecraft.net, or Paper's if you use it), replace it and start. With mods, also swap the mods for the new version's before starting.
If something goes wrong
You can't downgrade on the same world: you have to restore the backup you made beforehand (the ways out). That's why the backup is the first step and not the last. If the server won't start after the change, check the console: it's almost always a plugin or mod that doesn't support the version yet; remove it from “Installed” and start again.
Frequently asked questions
Can you update a Minecraft server without losing the world?
Yes, the world is kept when you update. Even so, take a backup first: it's the only way to go back.
Can you downgrade a Minecraft server?
Not on the same world: a world saved with a new version can break on an older one. You have to restore a backup made with that version.
How do I let in players on a different Minecraft version?
With the ViaVersion plugin on the server, which accepts versions close to the server's. The simplest option, though, is for everyone to use the same one.
What do I do with my plugins and mods when updating?
Check that each one has a release for the new version. Leave out the ones that don't until they're updated.
Shall we set it up for you?
Minecraft servers from €6 a month, never oversold: your RAM is yours alone. And if you'd rather start without paying, there's a free Minecraft server, no card needed.
Your server doesn't show up in the game? Check it in a second with “Is my Minecraft server online?”: players, version and MOTD, free. Need a player's UUID for the whitelist or permissions? Look it up here. Handing out enchanted items? Build the command with the /give generator.
Free tool: Which Java do I need?. Type your Minecraft version or paste the Java error and we'll tell you which Java your server or your game needs.
Free tool: Minecraft region file calculator. From coordinates or an area of your Minecraft world to the r.X.Z.mca file and its folders, to delete or regenerate just that piece.
Keep reading
- Minecraft 26.1 on Your Server: What Changes (Version Numbers, World Folders, Java 25 and Plugins)
What changes on a Minecraft 26.1 server: why there's no 1.22, Java 25, the Nether and End inside world/dimensions, and which plugins stop working.
- How to Reset Your Minecraft Server World and Start Over (or With a New Seed)
Start a new map on your Minecraft server without losing the old one: back up, move the world folder aside, pick a seed and what happens to the Nether and End.
- How to Pregenerate Your Minecraft Server World with Chunky
What pregenerating the world is, why it removes stutter when exploring and how to do it with Chunky on Paper, Fabric and Forge: commands, radius, time and disk.