To reinstall a Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server safely, stop it, copy the entire existing server directory to a separate backup location, install the current Windows or Ubuntu/Linux package in a new empty directory, start it once, and then restore your world and configuration files. Put the preserved world folder in worlds/, set level-name to that folder’s exact name, restore permissions, allowlist, packs and settings, and only then let players reconnect.
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This process replaces the server program while keeping your world data. The critical safeguard is a complete, offline copy of the old directory before you change anything.
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A reinstall should replace the executable, libraries and default files supplied by Mojang/Microsoft while preserving the data your community created. Your world is not stored in the executable; it is a folder under worlds/. Server identity, player permissions, allowlist rules, packs and operating-system launch settings are separate files that you must deliberately migrate.
Use a reinstall when the installation is damaged, you need to move to a clean directory, or you are replacing an older server package with a newer one. It is also a reliable way to avoid carrying unknown or obsolete binaries into an update. It does not, by itself, guarantee better performance; official documentation publishes no general success-rate, duration or performance-improvement figure.
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- DELUXE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, three Bedrock add-ons, three exclusive Character Creator items, and 700 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Check the supported platform and capacity first
Download the package that matches the operating system running the server. The official Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server download page currently provides Windows and Ubuntu/Linux builds. Its requirements, accessed October 15, 2026, specify the following:
| Item | Published requirement | Practical implication |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 version 10.0.15063 or later, or Windows Server 2016 or later | Use the Windows archive on a supported Windows installation. |
| Linux | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later | Ubuntu is the officially supported Linux distribution described by Microsoft; use the current download-page requirement when selecting a package. |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | This is the published baseline. Actual needs vary with world size, view distance, packs and concurrent players. |
| Disk space | 180 MB to 1 GB of available HDD space | The package and basic installation fit within this published range, but reserve additional space for worlds, backups, logs and packs. |
Have administrative access to the machine, enough free storage for both the live installation and a complete backup, and permission to change firewall rules. If your server is launched by a service, scheduled task or script, locate that configuration before removing the old directory.
Make a complete backup before stopping for the last time
Microsoft advises backing up worlds and files before modifying them, including when working with experimental Bedrock server scripting. Treat the backup as your recovery point, not merely as a copy of the world.
- Tell players the server is going offline and stop the Bedrock process cleanly. Do not copy a world while it is actively writing chunks.
- Copy the entire existing server directory to storage outside the installation directory. Give the copy a dated name and keep it untouched while you migrate.
- Confirm that the backup contains the
worlds/directory and the world folder you expect. Also check forserver.properties,permissions.json,allowlist.json,behavior_packs/,resource_packs/, launch scripts and any service or scheduled-backup files. - Record the old directory path, the world folder name, the configured ports and the command or service used to start the server. This makes it possible to restore the old installation if validation fails.
- If the backup is on another disk or host, verify that files can actually be opened from it before proceeding. Do not delete the original until the new installation has loaded the expected world and passed your checks.
Install a clean Bedrock Dedicated Server package
Download the official archive
Use the current Bedrock Dedicated Server package for your operating system from Minecraft’s official server download page. Microsoft describes Dedicated Server as a ZIP distribution. Download it to a temporary location, and keep the original archive until the migration is complete so you can extract it again if necessary.
Extract into a new empty directory
Create a new directory rather than extracting over the old installation. A side-by-side directory lets you compare files and roll back without reconstructing the previous server. Extract the ZIP there, preserving its directory structure and file names.
Do not copy the old executable, shared libraries or other program files into this directory. Mixing binaries from different releases can produce missing-library errors, startup failures or behavior that is difficult to diagnose. The new package supplies the program files; your backup supplies only the data and configuration you intentionally restore.
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- Play and share with friends on console, mobile and Windows 10
- discover community creations in the new in-game store
- access new mini games and game modes through servers
Start the new installation once
Run the fresh server with no restored world or custom settings, allow it to create its standard folders, and then stop it. This confirms that the package can start on the host and gives you the expected directory layout before you add old data.
Restore the world and server data
Copy the world into worlds/
From the verified backup, copy the complete world folder into the new installation’s worlds/ directory. Microsoft documents that an existing Bedrock world can be copied into the Bedrock Dedicated Server worlds/ folder. Preserve the folder’s internal structure; copy the folder itself, not just selected files from inside it.
If the backup contains several worlds, copy each one and decide which should be active. Keep names distinct so you can identify them in the configuration.
Make level-name match exactly
Open server.properties in a plain-text editor. The level-name value selects the world folder the server uses or generates. Set it to the exact folder name under worlds/, including capitalization, spaces and punctuation. For example, if the restored path is worlds/Survival_2026, the setting must be level-name=Survival_2026.
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Restore configuration and shared content
Copy the following from the backup only after the clean server has started successfully:
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- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
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server.properties, after reviewing each setting rather than blindly replacing the new file.permissions.jsonfor operator and other permission assignments.allowlist.jsonwhen you use an allowlist.behavior_packs/andresource_packs/, plus the content required by the restored worlds.- Any service unit, launch script, environment configuration or scheduled-backup definition maintained outside the ZIP.
Keep the new executable and libraries from the downloaded package. If you copy configuration files, preserve their plain-text format and check ownership and permissions on Linux.
Review server.properties instead of assuming every old value is right
server.properties is an INI-style text file: one key=value pair per line. A reinstall is an opportunity to check values that affect connectivity and gameplay. The Microsoft properties reference lists these defaults:
| Key | Published default or status | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
level-name |
World-specific; no universal folder name | Exactly matches the restored directory under worlds/. |
server-port |
19132 |
IPv4 clients and firewall rules use the same port. |
server-portv6 |
19133 |
IPv6 clients and firewall rules use the same port when IPv6 is enabled. |
gamemode |
survival |
The intended mode for the restored server. |
difficulty |
easy |
The intended difficulty; do not assume the old setting survived unless you checked it. |
max-players |
10 |
The player limit appropriate for this host and community. |
online-mode |
Not stated in the cited reference | Retain the value your server policy requires and verify that it was restored. |
allow-list |
Not stated in the cited reference | If it is enabled, restore and test allowlist.json before inviting players. |
Keep comments and spelling intact where possible. A typo in a key, an extra character in level-name or an accidental change to a port can look like a world or networking failure when the real problem is configuration.
Start the restored server
Windows
Open a terminal in the extracted server directory and run bedrock_server. If you normally use a Windows service, scheduled task or wrapper script, update it to point to the new directory before starting through that mechanism. Watch the console for startup errors and confirm that it remains running.
Ubuntu/Linux
From the extracted directory, run:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_serverRunning from the extracted directory with the library path set lets the process find the libraries shipped with that package. If you use a service manager, place the equivalent working directory, executable and environment setting in the service definition, then reload the service configuration according to your system’s normal procedure.
Firewall and reachability
Allow the ports configured in server.properties through the host firewall. The documented defaults are UDP port 19132 for IPv4 and 19133 for IPv6. If you changed either value, open the changed port instead of the default. Test from the intended LAN or internet path; a process that starts successfully can still be unreachable when a firewall rule does not match the configured port or address family.
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- The Nether and all its inhabitants. Fight Ghasts and make friends with Pigmen
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Validate before reopening the server
Perform these checks while the old backup remains available:
- The process starts without missing-library, executable or permission errors.
- The console and logs show the intended world loading rather than a newly generated world.
- Several known builds, landmarks and recent changes are present.
- A test account sees its expected inventory and location.
- Operators retain their permissions from
permissions.json. - When
allow-list=true, an allowed player can join and an unlisted test account is rejected as expected. - Behavior packs and resource packs load without errors and appear in the world as intended.
- A client can reach the server over every path you intend to support, with firewall rules matching the configured IPv4 and IPv6 ports.
- You can create a fresh backup of the new installation before normal play resumes.
Have at least one operator perform an in-game check instead of relying solely on a successful process start. A server can be healthy at the process level while pointing at the wrong world or missing a pack.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the common reinstall failures
The server starts a blank world
Stop the server and inspect the path. Confirm that the preserved world folder is directly under worlds/, not nested an extra level, and that level-name matches the folder name exactly. If the original world folder was renamed during the move, change level-name rather than renaming files inside the world.
Linux reports a missing library or will not launch
Run the documented command from the extracted directory: LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server. Check that the new archive was completely extracted and that the process has permission to read and execute its files. Do not solve a package mismatch by copying libraries from the old installation.
Windows launches the wrong copy
Open the terminal in the new directory and run bedrock_server there. Review the shortcut, scheduled task or service path if an automated launcher still points to the old directory. Keep only one installation active until you have confirmed which process owns the configured ports.
Players lose operator status or are denied entry
Restore permissions.json and, if the allowlist is enabled, allowlist.json. Check that the files are in the new server’s root directory, that player identifiers are unchanged and that the active allow-list setting matches your intended policy.
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- Explore randomly-generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armour to fend off the dangerous mobs
Packs do not load
Copy the required behavior_packs/ and resource_packs/ directories from the backup into the new installation, preserving their names and contents. Review the startup log for pack-loading errors and make sure you did not restore only the world while leaving shared pack directories behind.
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Compare the configured server-port and server-portv6 values with the host firewall rules. Test the correct address family and port, and ensure that an old process is not still occupying the expected port. A successful console startup does not open firewall access automatically.
The new installation behaves differently from the old one
Compare the restored server.properties with the backup one key at a time. Recheck game mode, difficulty, maximum players, online mode, allowlist behavior and selected world. Avoid replacing the new program files; differences caused by the new package should be evaluated separately from configuration mistakes.
Manual reinstall versus managed hosting
A self-managed reinstall gives you direct access to files and versions, but you also own the operational work. Managed hosting can move some of that work to a provider. The relevant decision is control versus delegated administration, not a promise of a particular performance result.
| Decision area | Manual server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Files and versions | Full control over the directory, package version, packs and scripts. | Control depends on the provider’s panel and supported versions; exact options vary. |
| Backups and updates | You schedule, verify and retain backups and perform upgrades yourself. | The provider may offer automation, but retention, restore scope and frequency must be checked in its plan. |
| Firewall and networking | You configure host firewall rules and any surrounding network equipment. | Some network work is abstracted; the provider’s included access and port policy must be confirmed. |
| Packs and scripts | You can place supported files directly and troubleshoot their logs. | Installation may be limited by the panel, permissions or provider policy. |
| Recurring cost | No hosting subscription is established by the official server package; you still pay for your own machine and connectivity. | Recurring charges apply, but no particular amount is established here. |
| Recovery | Recovery depends on the complete copies you keep and your ability to access the host. | Recovery depends on the provider’s backup retention and export procedures. |
Choose the manual route when you need filesystem control, custom launch automation or a package version that a panel does not expose. Choose managed hosting only after confirming that you can export the world and configuration files and that its backup policy meets your recovery needs.
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Keep the replacement installation recoverable
After validation, retain the original backup until the new server has completed a normal play session and a fresh backup has been opened successfully. Continue backing up the whole server data set, not only the active world: configuration, permissions, allowlist, packs and launch definitions are part of a usable recovery.
For future updates, repeat the same sequence: stop cleanly, make a complete dated copy, extract the new package beside the old one, start it once, restore only the required data, verify level-name, review properties, test access and create a new backup. Keeping installations side by side makes rollback straightforward and prevents an incomplete update from becoming the only copy of your server.
Quick Recap
The safe reinstall sequence
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Copy the entire old directory to a separate, verified backup location.
- Download the current Windows or Ubuntu/Linux Bedrock Dedicated Server ZIP.
- Extract it into a new empty directory and start it once.
- Stop it, copy the preserved world into
worlds/, and setlevel-nameto the exact folder name. - Restore reviewed configuration, permissions, allowlist, packs and external launch files without replacing the new executable or libraries.
- Start with the platform-specific command, align firewall rules with the configured ports, and validate the world, players, packs and logs.
- Create a fresh backup before reopening normal play.
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