How to back up and restore a Minecraft server
Create a consistent Minecraft server backup, protect worlds and player data before updates, restore a complete server or selected files, and verify every dimension afterward.
A Minecraft backup should capture the world at one point in time. Chunk data, inventories, player positions, plugin databases, and configuration files can change while the process runs. A clean stop gives the archive a consistent copy.
Paper's update guide recommends backing up world folders, server configuration, plugin configuration, and plugin jars before maintenance.
Create a backup on berrybyte
Choose a quiet time
Tell players about the save window. Ask them to leave combat, containers, and active teleports before logging out.
Stop the server
Use Stop in the server sidebar. Wait for the offline state so Java has time to flush world and player data.
Create the backup
Open Backups and choose Create Backup. Name it with the date, Minecraft version, and
reason, such as 2026-09-14-before-26.3.
Wait for completion
Keep the server stopped until the backup reports success. A completed entry can be restored, browsed, or downloaded.
Start and check Console
Start the server and watch for the ready message. Confirm one player can join the expected world.
The general berrybyte backups guide explains retention, downloads, file browsing, and restore controls. The power controls guide covers a clean stop and the limited cases that call for Force Kill.
Back up the complete data set
A full archive should include:
- Every active world and dimension folder.
server.properties,bukkit.yml, Paper configs, and loader configs.ops.json,whitelist.json,banned-players.json, andbanned-ips.json.plugins/,mods/, and each related config directory.- Modpack scripts and server-side data supplied by the pack.
- Proxy configuration when Velocity or another proxy participates in joins.
Logs and cache folders can help diagnose a failed update, though they are less important for world recovery. A full server backup avoids guessing which plugin stores data outside its own folder.
Include every dimension
Vanilla and Paper arrange dimensions differently:
| Software | Overworld | Nether | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | world/ | world/DIM-1/ | world/DIM1/ |
| Paper | world/ | world_nether/DIM-1/ | world_the_end/DIM1/ |
Custom level-name values replace the world prefix. Other server software
and dimension mods can add more folders. Paper documents its layout in the
migration guide.
A backup containing only world/ can omit Paper's Nether and End. Archive the complete server
directory when the folder layout is uncertain.
Back up before risky changes
Create a named backup before:
- Updating Minecraft or changing its Java runtime.
- Moving between Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, or NeoForge.
- Installing, removing, or updating plugins and mods.
- Selecting another modpack or pack version.
- Importing or converting a world.
- Resetting chunks, dimensions, or player data.
The software setup guide explains the loader picker. The modpack guide covers pack changes. Use the world conversion guide for Java and Bedrock format work.
Loading a world on a newer release can upgrade its data before any player joins. Paper's troubleshooting guide states that downgrading upgraded world data is unsupported. A pre-update backup provides the reliable return path.
Create a self-hosted archive
Stop the Java process and wait for it to exit. Archive the complete working directory to storage outside that directory:
tar -czf minecraft-2026-09-14.tar.gz /srv/minecraftStore copies on another disk or remote service. Keep several restore points so a damaged file discovered days later does not leave only damaged backups.
For a live snapshot, run these from the server console:
save-off
save-all flushCreate the filesystem snapshot, then restore automatic saving:
save-onA stopped backup remains the preferred method. The live sequence depends on the archive or snapshot finishing while saves stay disabled.
Restore a full backup on berrybyte
Record the current software
Note the Minecraft version, loader, build, and modpack version. The restored files need compatible software.
Stop the server
Wait for the offline state. Create one final backup of the current files when space and retention permit.
Choose the restore point
Open Backups, select the entry from before the problem, and start the full restore.
Match the server software
Select the version and loader used when the backup was created. Restore the matching mods and plugins with it.
Start and inspect Console
Watch for missing registries, invalid world data, plugin database errors, or a newly generated world.
Restore selected files
Use Browse files on a berrybyte backup when one player, plugin, or config needs recovery. Stop the server first.
Player data normally lives under <world>/playerdata/ with UUID filenames.
Statistics and advancements use matching UUIDs in stats/ and
advancements/. Restore the related files from the same backup timestamp.
Plugin data can span a configuration file and a database. Restore its complete data set from one point in time. Review the plugin's recovery instructions when it connects to an external database that the server backup cannot capture.
Verify the restored server
Join with one trusted player. Check:
- The correct spawn, buildings, and inventory.
- Nether and End portals leading to the expected dimensions.
- Operator and whitelist access.
- Plugin commands or modded blocks central to the server.
- Console output during a save.
Keep the failed-state backup until the restored server has run through a save and restart. Use the connection checklist when software versions match but the test player stays outside. Contact berrybyte support for a restore that reports success while files remain missing.
Frequently asked questions
Which Minecraft server files should I back up?
Back up every world folder, server.properties, access JSON files, plugin or mod folders, and their configuration. A full server backup is safest before changing the version, loader, or modpack.
Should I stop a Minecraft server before backing it up?
Yes. A clean stop gives the archive a consistent copy of chunks, player data, inventories, and configs. A live backup needs save-off followed by save-all flush, with save-on after the copy.
Where are the Nether and End stored?
Vanilla keeps DIM-1 and DIM1 inside the main world folder. Paper commonly uses separate world_nether and world_the_end folders. Include all of them in a backup.
Can I restore one Minecraft player or config file?
berrybyte backup browsing can restore selected files. Stop the server first, identify the matching UUID or config path, restore it, then start and test.
Can I downgrade a Minecraft world with a backup?
Restore a backup created before the world opened on the newer version, along with the matching server software and mods. Opening upgraded world data directly on an older release is unsupported.