How to change your Minecraft server version safely
Update your server to a new Minecraft version, or switch between Paper, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, without losing your world. With what to check before and after.
Updated 3 November 2026 · 3 min read
A new Minecraft update is out and your friends want to play it. On RexifyHosting you change the version from the Versions page, and your world stays.
Before you start
- Make a backup on the Backups page. See How to back up your server.
- Check your mods or plugins. They need a version made for the new Minecraft release. Big mods and modpacks often take days or weeks to update.
Change the version
- Open Versions in your panel. Currently running shows what you have now.
- Pick the server type, for example Paper for plugins or Fabric for mods.
- Pick the Minecraft version you want.
- Leave Wipe server files off, so your world and settings stay.
- Click Install and wait until it's done.
- Start the server and watch the Console. When it says
Done, it's ready.
The first start on a new version can take longer, because the server upgrades the world's chunks.
After the update
- Tell your friends to switch their game to the same version. Otherwise they see "Outdated client" or "Outdated server".
- Update mods from the Installed tab on the Mods page, and plugins from the Plugins page.
- If the server won't start, look for a red error in the console that names a mod or plugin, and update or remove it.
Don't go back to an older version
Moving a world to an older Minecraft version can corrupt it, because new blocks and items don't exist there. If you need an older version, restore the backup you made before the update, or start a fresh world.
Switching server type
Going from Paper to Fabric (or the other way) is also done on Versions. Plugins don't work on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, and mods don't work on Paper. Read Paper, Fabric, Forge or NeoForge before you switch.