How To Create A Minecraft Server On Your PC
If you've ever wanted to create your very own always-online Minecraft world to share with friends, we've got everything you need to know about how to make a Minecraft server right here.
Servers are important, so why should you bother? Ever wanted to run around a zombie infested island? How about a server full of mini-games? Even better, why not create an enormous player-versus-player hellscape with no rules! The sky is truly limitless!
Or, of course, you may just want to grab a few friends and get to building. You can let them continue their builds while your server is up and running. Nothing beats logging back in the following day to see all the new shacks and gizmos your friends have created. So read on to learn how to make your very own Minecraft server.
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1. Java Update
To get things started, ensure you are running the latest Java version. It's very easy. Click on "verify Java Version" to go to the Java website. This will check which version you are using and update you with the latest version if you are running an older version.
2. Downloading the Minecraft server file
Make a folder on your desktop named 'Minecraft Server'. Next, go to the Minecraft website (opens in new tab) and click on the 'Minecraft_server.1.15.2.jar' link to download the server file.
Move this file to your Minecraft Server folder and double click on it to run it.
Note: If you're on the Chrome browser, it will likely say this is a virus. It is not a virus because it comes from the official Minecraft website. We are.
3. How to create a file in batch to start the server
Upon running the Java file, you should see loads of new files in your Minecraft Server folder. To make everything work, we must first agree to the EULA terms. Open Notepad and search for the file EULA. Search for the line 'eula=false' and change it to 'eula=true' then hit save.
Now for the fun stuff. Open a new Notepad File. Copy the text below, and then paste it into a new empty Notepad file.
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.15.2.jar nogui pause
See that bit in bold? Next, you will need to change the file name to the Java file that you downloaded from Minecraft's website. In our case, it was "server.jar", so our text line would be:
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui pause
Close the Notepad file. Next, rename this Notepad file as 'ServerStart.bat’ (without the quotation marks).
If all went off without a hitch, double-clicking this file should launch your Minecraft server via a CMD window (also known as a command window). To end the server, go into the command window and type 'stop'. Easy, right?
4. Joining the Minecraft server
You can play multiplayer if you are running the server from the same computer. Click on 'direct connect' and you should see a box asking for a server address. This next part is very complicated, so make sure you carefully read it. In that box, enter '0’ and hit the 'join server' button.
5. Everything else you need to know about creating a Minecraft server
Before you begin to build your own online world, here are some things to remember.
If you want to customize your world, the text file 'server properties' in the Minecraft Server folder can be tweaked to your liking.
If you intend to have friends from outside join your server's network, the code they'll need are your IPv4 and some extra digits.
Just search for "what's my IPv4 address?" to find your IPv4 numbers. Google. Each IPv4 number identifies a computer. Yours will be unique.
You should get 100.20.511.329 (I made that one up, by-the-way).
Take your IPv4 and add a colon followed by '25565' so you end with something that looks like the following:
100.20.511.329:25565
Your version of the above number is your server address other players will need to enter when joining.
To allow other players to join, you will need to forward your router ports. Voizdev (opens a new tab) provides a detailed explanation and walkthrough for this procedure.