How To Update Your Minecraft Server

If you have a Minecraft server and a new version comes out – you need to update it to that latest version. Why? Because, If the players in your server have the latest version installed and your server is running on an old version, they will not be able to connect (they will get a message, stating that the server is on an older version), therefore they will be forced to search for a new server. Don’t want to lose your server players? Great! Read below how to update your Minecraft server to the latest version!

How To Update Your Minecraft Server?

Go to your Minecraft server folder

Windows computers – Press Win+R, then type %appdata%\.minecraft, then press Ok.
OS X – In the Finder, from the Go menu, select ‘Go to Folder’, then type: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft, and click Go.
Linux – ~ is your home directory, usually /home/YOURNAME, so ~/.minecraft would be /home/YOURNAME/.minecraft/.

Make backups of the essential server files

Make copies of those files:

• banned-ips.txt
• banned-players.txt
• ops.txt
• Server.properties

Make a copy of the world folder too! You don’t want to lose everything your players built and their progress in the game.

Optional: If you use a script to start your server – make a backup of it too and place it with the files mentioned above!

Why make copies? Because, If something with the update of the version happens (for example the server properties have messed up), you can always restore the files, if you have them backed-up.

Delete everything in the Minecraft server folder

After you copied and made backups of your most important server files – delete everything in the server folder! By deleting everything, you protect your server from problems with the new version files and the old ones.

Download the new server files

Go to the official Minecraft website and download the latest server file. Place them in your Minecraft server folder.

N.B. We recommend to download only from the official website, so you can protect your PC from malware.

Rename the updated .jar file to minecraft_server.jar

For example, If the new server file is “minecraft_server.1.16.4”, just remove the number (version numbers) and it should be renamed to just “minecraft_server”. By removing the version number from the file, you will make the old scripts compatible.

Run the new server file

Double-click the new server file or right-click > run, to run the server file. By doing that, it will create all the files it needs.

Stop and close the server

Wait until the files are all created and then stop the server.

Restore the files you backed-up

Copy your configuration files, world, and script (if you use one) from your backup folder and paste them into the server folder.

Open the “eula” file

Change the line “eula=false” to “eula=true”. This way, you agree to the Minecraft EULA (End-user license agreement). This license is a legal agreement between you and Mojang and describes the terms and conditions for using the Game. You can read more about the Minecraft EULA here.

Start your updated server!

The updating is complete. Enjoy the game!

Conclusion

Now, that you updated your Minecraft server to the latest version, you can enjoy the game and play with your friends! Invite them to your server and explore together the endless world of Minecraft!