Step-by-Step Guide to Updating Your Minecraft Server

James MorkelJune 21, 2022

32 2 minutes read

Minecraft created a space for gamers where anything is possible; if your imagination can think of it, you can most likely build it in Minecraft. Since the human brain is so complex, constantly coming up with new ideas, Minecraft needs to accommodate the innovation by developing new game features often. If you want to have access to the newest version of Minecraft as updates are made, being able to seamlessly update your Minecraft server is important. It’s not a difficult process, but it can get a bit technical. Here is a step-by-step guide to updating your Minecraft server:

Find your Minecraft server files on your computer and create a new folder titled ‘Backup.’ You can title this folder whatever you want, but this is what we recommend.
Select the ‘world’ folder, the ‘banned-ips’ file, the ‘banned-players’ file, as well as the ‘ops,’ ‘server,’ ‘usercache,’ and ‘whitelist’ files. Then, drag all of these files into the ‘Backup’ folder for safekeeping. These are the files that will stay on your computer when updating.
You’ll be left only with the ‘logs’ folder, ‘eula’ text document, and the main server executable which will either be a JAR file or an EXE file, depending on your operating system. All of these items can be deleted as they will be replaced when updating to the newest server version.
Visit the Minecraft website to download the newest version of Minecraft (Or Spigot/CraftBukkit if you’re using plugins). Again, double-check that you are downloading the version that is compatible with your operating system. Java and Bedrock servers each require a different server executable, so make sure you download the correct version.
Ensure that all downloaded files are moved to the same location as your ‘Backup’ folder from your previous server. This helps keep things organized for future updates.
Run the new server executable JAR or EXE file. Instead of starting, the server will create new files of all the ones that were previously deleted at the beginning of this process.
Click into the text document labeled ‘eula’ and change the line that says ‘eula=false’ to ‘eula=true’ instead. This is the End User Licensing Agreement which must be validated before the server will run.
Now, you can copy the files from the ‘Backup’ folder into the same space as all the new files. It’s best to copy these files rather than simply move them so that you can maintain a backup location if needed.
Now, you should be able to start your server executable file and enjoy the most updated version of Minecraft!

Regularly Update Your Server; You Won’t Regret It

Not only does an updated Minecraft server ensure that you can access all the newest features in the game, but it also leads to a better multi-player experience. In fact, in some cases, if your server hasn’t been updated in a while, you could have trouble using multi-player features at all.