Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you administer a Minecraft server that is crashing, start by preserving the logs and making a backup, then use the failure messages to narrow down the cause. The steps below are for troubleshooting your own server—not for deliberately disrupting someone else’s. The specific advice here applies to Paper; other server software, versions, and Java or Bedrock setups may behave differently.
What to collect before changing anything
Before removing plugins, editing configuration, or touching world files, make a backup. Preserve the console output, crash report, and relevant logs so that a change does not erase the evidence needed to diagnose the failure. Paper’s basic troubleshooting guide recommends gathering relevant logs and reports.
Record the Minecraft version, Paper build, Java version, the time the problem occurred, and any recent changes such as plugin updates or configuration edits. Include the exact error text when asking a plugin developer, Paper support, or your host for help.
Use the log to distinguish a crash from severe lag
Watchdog dump: the server tick is stalled
A Paper watchdog dump is evidence that a server tick is taking an unusually long time; it is not, by itself, proof of a software bug or a crash. Paper’s example warning appears when a tick takes 10 or more seconds. The stack trace can help identify what the main thread was doing while stalled. Read the first relevant stack-trace lines and look for an operation or plugin that may be blocking progress.
Paper’s guide explicitly cautions: “DO NOT REPORT THIS TO PAPER – THIS IS NOT A BUG OR A CRASH”. Treat the dump as a sign of severe lag to investigate. If it happens again, collect a profiler report as described below.
A crash report or plugin error
Look for errors around the time of failure and note whether a plugin is named. Check that plugin’s official update and support information, and consider whether a recent plugin change coincides with the problem. A plugin load-order conflict or version incompatibility may be involved, but the log and circumstances are needed to confirm the cause.
The process vanished without a crash report
If the server stopped without producing a crash report, the cause may be outside the Minecraft process. On Linux, Paper recommends checking the system log for evidence that the operating system killed the process. If you only have a hosting panel, send the provider the failure timestamp and available logs and ask them to check system termination records and resource limits. A panel memory limit that is too close to Java’s -Xmx setting is one possible explanation, not a diagnosis on its own.
Profile a recurring Paper slowdown with spark
Paper bundles the spark profiler starting with version 1.21; Paper describes it as the preferred way to profile Paper. When a slowdown recurs, run the profiler from the server console or in-game with the necessary permission:
/spark profiler start --timeout 600This collects a profile for up to 600 seconds (10 minutes). Paper’s troubleshooting guide also shows a 300-second example. Share the resulting report with the relevant plugin developer or Paper support if you need help interpreting it. See Paper’s profiling guide for details.
Check version and world compatibility carefully
Review recent server and plugin changes alongside the logs. Paper advises checking for plugin updates and verifying that a world is not being loaded by an older server version than the one that last opened it. Do not casually downgrade a world: preserve a backup and follow the affected plugin’s or server’s official guidance before changing versions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand Paper’s watchdog setting
Paper documents max-tick-time=60000 in server.properties as the default. The value is in milliseconds: a single tick that exceeds the threshold is treated as a crash, and the watchdog forcibly ends the process through System.exit(1). Paper gives 0.05 seconds as the normal target interval for a server tick.
Setting max-tick-time to -1 disables the watchdog. That is a configuration fact, not a recommended fix: disabling the safeguard does not resolve whatever is blocking the server, and it removes the watchdog’s ability to stop a process after a prolonged tick. Diagnose the stall and use the stack trace or profiler evidence instead. These values are documented for Paper and should not be assumed to apply to other server implementations. See Paper’s server.properties reference.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat join limits do—and do not do
Paper’s max-joins-per-tick setting postpones joins above its configured limit until later ticks; Paper says excess joins are not kicked by this setting. It is a load-management behavior for administrators, not a way to identify the cause of a crash. Consult the global configuration reference before changing it.
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