Help CenterA new Minecraft version has just dropped, and you want to update your server to it.
With this article, we are going to show you exactly how to update your Minecraft server to a new version using the SimpleGameHosting Control Panel.
It is worth noting that the update process for vanilla servers, servers with plugins, and modded servers are different, so we are going to be looking at each server type in this guide.
❗ Be sure to backup your server before doing any updates. This ensures that if something goes wrong, you can still go back to the old version without losing any data.
🍦 Vanilla Servers without Plugins or Mods
If your server doesn’t have mods or plugins, updating it when a new Minecraft version releases is actually very easy.
Step 1: Login To The Control Panel
First off, you will need to login to the SimpleGameHosting Control Panel.
Once you have logged in, select the server that you want to update to a new version.
Step 2: Finding The “Version selector"
With your server selected, click on the “Version” tab in the menu bar.
On this page, you will see a “Version selector” section. This is what we will be using to update your Minecraft server.
Step 3: Updating Your Server
In order to update your server, select the server software you server is currently running. In most cases, this will be “Vanilla”.
Then, find the version of Minecraft you want to update the server to and click "Install" under that version.
A menu will appear warning that some files will be deleted during the update process.
📝 This does not include your world or player data unless you have mods. Plus, you backed up your server in case something is unexpectedly deleted.
With that in mind, click the "Install" button to install the updated server version to your server.
Step 4: Restarting Your Server
Once your server is updated, click on the “Console” section in the dashboard. Click the "Start" button, and your server will start. It is now updated and can be joined using the version you specified in the previous step.
Make sure that everything is as it should be and on the new version.
🧰 Servers with Plugins (Paper, PurPur, Spigot)
Updating a server with plugins is a bit different than updating a vanilla server because you will also need to update your plugins.
Step 1: Updating Your Plugins
When it comes to updating Minecraft plugins, we find it helpful to make a list of all the plugins your server has.
Then, go through each plugin and ensure that is updated to the version of Minecraft you want to update your server to.
⏲️ Keep in mind that plugins can take a very long time to update. In some cases, we have seen plugins take months to update to new versions.
Step 2: Finding The “Version Selector” Tool
With all of your updated plugins downloaded, make sure to back up your server. Then, stop the server via the "Console" page in the control panel.
Remove the old plugins from your server using SFTP or the File Manager. Just make sure to only delete plugin.jar files and not the folder. Remove the folder will remove all of the data your plugin has stored on the server.
Finally, click on the “Versions” tab in the menu bar. From there, find the “Version selector” section on this page.
Step 3: Updating Your Server
In order to update your server, select the server software you server is currently running from the drop-down menu. In most cases, this will be “Paper” or “PurPur” if you server has plugins.
Then, find the version you want to update your server to. This will most likely be the newest version available.
Click the "Install" button under this version to open a confirmation box.
In this Installation Confirmation box, you will be warned that some files will be deleted during the update process. This is normal. Click the "Install" button, and your server will update.
Now, upload your new, updated versions of the plugins to your server.
🔗 Need help adding plugins to your server? Check out our complete guide!
Step 4: Restarting Your Server
Once your server is updated, click on the “Console” in the dashboard. Click the "Start" button, and your server will start. It is now updated and can be joined using the version you specified in the previous step.
🔨 Servers with Mods (Forge & Fabric)
Updating a modded Minecraft server can be a challenging task due to the compatibility issues that may arise between different mods and Minecraft versions. For this reason, we recommend not updating modded servers in most cases.
A Warning About Updating Modded Servers
Before we go over how to update a modded Minecraft server, we do want to note that updating modded server is extremely difficult.
❗ Because of this, we recommend starting a new server with each major Minecraft version release instead of updating an existing modded server.
Additionally, always back up your modded server before attempting an update as it is not uncommon for modded servers to break and no longer work after attempting to update them.
Step 1: Updating Minecraft Mods
Before updating your server, you must update all installed mods to their latest version compatible with the new Minecraft version. This process may take some time to complete, especially after a new Minecraft version release, as mod authors need time to update their mods.
The easiest way we have found to do this is by making a list of all the mods and checking them off as they are updated.
Then, once everything has updated, you can backup your server, and update the mods by deleting the old mods in your mods folder and add in the new ones. Be sure to wait to update the new mods until after step 3 of this guide though.
Step 2: Going to The "Versions" Tab
Once all of your mods have been updated, we can update your server version. To do this, login to the SimpleGameHosting Control Panel, and select the modded server you want to update.
Then, select the “Versions" tab. On this page, you will see the “Version selector” section. This is what we will use to update the server.
Step 3: Updating Your Server
In order to update your server, select the server software you server is currently running from the version selector drop-down. This will most likely be “Forge” or “Fabric” depending on the mod loader that you are using.
Then, locate the version you want to update the server to and click the "Install" button under it.
A popup will appear warning about files being deleted during the update. This is normal, but it will delete all of your mods. This is okay as you should have local copies of all your updated mods from step 1.
Click the "Install" button, and your modded Minecraft server software will update.
Step 4: Installing the Update Mods
We can now install the updated mods you gathered in step one.
💻 This is just like adding new mods to your server, and we have a complete guide on how to do that.
Step 4: Restarting Your Server
Once your server is updated and your mods are installed, go to the “Console” section in the control panel. Click the "Start" button, and your server will start. It is now updated and can be joined using the version you specified in the previous step.
Step 5: Ensuring Mods Are Updated Locally
Before joining your updated server, ensure that all mods and your mod loader (Forge or Fabric) are updated locally on your computer. This is necessary as you must have mods installed on the server and in your local mods folder in order to join modded servers.
⚠️ If you don't update your mods in your local mods folder, you won't be able to join the server. Any players on your server will have to update their mods as well.