Help CenterMinecraft is a constantly evolving game, with new updates that bring things such as new content and gameplay improvements! When attempting to play on a Minecraft server, however, there is a requirement that the players connecting to the server need to be on the same version as the server.
If there is a version mismatch between the server and player, you may get a message that says "Incompatible Client!" or "Outdated Server!" or things similar to that. This guide will show you some methods to fix this issue and make it so that your server is running the same version as the players!
Switching the Version for the Players
If you wish to play on the version currently running on the server, then the players will have to install that version through their Minecraft Launcher application.
Step 1: Open the Minecraft Launcher
First, you will want to open your Minecraft Launcher. When you open it, you should reach a screen that looks like this. Ensure that MINECRAFT: Java Edition is selected on the right side so that we are selecting the right game!
Step 2: Select the Installations Tab
Next, you'll want to click on the "Installations" tab at the top of the screen. This will take you to your currently installed versions of Minecraft.
Step 3: Click the New Installation Button
When on the "Installations" tab, you will see a button named "New installation" click this to be brought to the new installation screen.
Step 4: Select the Version that is Running on the Server
Now that you are at the new installation screen, you can select the "VERSION" dropdown.
Then, in that list of versions, select the version that is currently running on your server. In this case, my server is running 1.21.1, so I will select "release 1.21.1".
Now that you have that selected, you can click the green install button in the bottom right, and it will install and launch that version of the game!
After the game is launched and installed on that version, you should be able to join your server without issue!
✋Note that all players will have to do this to be able to join the server! If any player is on a different version than the server, that player will not be able to join the server!
Switching the Version on the Server
If you wish to switch the version on the server to the version that the players are already using instead, then you can do that with the steps below!
Step 1: Logging Into the SimpleGameHosting Control Panel
First thing's first, you will need to log in to the SimpleGameHosting Control Panel. After you log in, select the server you wish to change the version on.
Step 2: Turn the server off
When you select the server, it should bring you right to the console tab of that server. You can then turn the server off from there by clicking the red "Stop" button.
Step 3: Uninstall the old Version From the Server
❗While it is unlikely that uninstalling and installing versions onto your server will delete any important player or world data, we would still recommend that you backup your server before attempting these steps.
Now that the server is offline, you can select the "Modpacks & Versions" tab at the top. And then click on the "Version Manager" tab if it is not selected already.
From here, you can select the red "UNINSTALL" button to uninstall the version you have currently installed.
👍Note that if you don't see the uninstall button at the top, then don't worry about it! That just means that the version was most likely installed when you purchased the server instead of being installed through the version manager.
Step 4: Install the New Version on your Server
Now that the old version is uninstalled, you can install the new version on your server! In this case, I want to install Vanilla 1.21.4 since that is what my players are running. Select the correct type of Minecraft server in the drop-down, in this case Vanilla, and then select Install on the proper version.
Step 5: Start the Server
Now that the new version is installed, you can start the server again! Click the console tab to head back to the console of your server.
Then, in the console tab, you can select the purple "Start" button and start your server up running the version you installed!
Once it's started up and fully online, you can join your server!