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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To host a Farm and Far server, download the matching Farm-and-Far-v1.3.1-Server-Pack.zip from CurseForge, run it on a machine with Java 17 and at least 8 GB of RAM allocated to the JVM, start the Forge launch script, accept Minecraft’s EULA, and make a backup before changing the pack or world. Every player must use the same Farm and Far version as the server.
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What you are hosting
Farm and Far is a Forge modpack for Minecraft 1.20.1. Its design keeps a largely vanilla-style progression while adding farming and cooking systems. The pack is described as multiplayer-friendly for one to six players, and the creator’s listing on Modpack Index reports 129 mods. CurseForge’s listing showed the latest file dated July 28, 2026 when checked.
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The number of mods matters because a modded server loads substantially more code, registries, recipes and world-generation data than a vanilla server. A small group can run the pack comfortably, but the server still needs more memory and a stronger sustained CPU than an ordinary Minecraft world.
Server pack versus client pack
Do not copy a player’s installed client folder and try to remove mods one by one. CurseForge provides a separate server archive for the pack: Farm-and-Far-v1.3.1-Server-Pack.zip, approximately 403 MB, labeled for Minecraft 1.20.1 and Forge. Use that archive as the starting point. It contains the server-side files and avoids guesswork about which client-only files should be removed.
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The server archive and every player’s client must represent the same release. A player on a different pack version can see missing-mod, registry, configuration or incompatible-network errors even when the Minecraft version appears identical.
Hardware and software requirements
RAM allocation
Plan for 8 GB minimum assigned to the server’s Java process. A hosting guide from Game Host Bros recommends 12 GB or more for busier servers. Treat those values as practical planning guidance rather than a Farm and Far benchmark: actual use varies with view distance, exploration, farms, chunk generation and the number of simultaneous players.
| Situation | JVM memory plan | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Small, lightly explored world | 8 GB minimum | Starting point for the one-to-six-player audience; leave additional RAM for the operating system. |
| Frequent exploration, large farms or several players online | 12 GB or more | More headroom for chunk generation and modded systems; it does not replace a capable CPU. |
| Client machine guidance | 6 GB on a 16 GB computer; 8 GB on a 24–32 GB computer | CurseForge’s client guidance, not a server requirement. A host running both a game client and server needs memory for both. |
A third-party guide suggests assigning roughly 70–75% of a VPS’s total RAM to the JVM. That is a general VPS rule, not a Farm and Far specification. Keep enough memory for the operating system, file cache, remote-management tools and any other services. Giving Java nearly all available RAM can make the machine swap or become unresponsive.
CPU, storage and network
Minecraft’s main tick loop is sensitive to single-thread CPU performance. Adding cores does not automatically make one overloaded tick run faster, although extra cores help the operating system and background tasks. Use fast local SSD storage for the world and backups; chunk generation and saving create many small reads and writes.
Use a wired connection where possible. Upload bandwidth must cover every connected player’s updates, while latency and packet loss affect movement and block interaction. A home server also needs a router configuration that permits incoming connections, and exposing a service to the internet creates security responsibilities. If you cannot safely configure port forwarding or keep the machine patched, a managed host may be simpler, but this guide does not compare providers or prices.
Java version
Minecraft 1.20.1 with Forge should run on Java 17. Guides disagree about later Minecraft releases, but that uncertainty does not change the requirement for this pack. A Forge forum report documents Unsupported class file major version 66 when a newer JDK 22 was used; switching the launch process to Java 17 fixed that error.
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You do not need to uninstall other Java versions. Install a Java 17 runtime or JDK, then explicitly point the start script to its executable or set JAVA_HOME to the Java 17 installation. Confirm the selected version before troubleshooting Forge.
Download the correct Farm and Far server files
- Open the Farm and Far project on CurseForge and select the files for Minecraft 1.20.1 with the Forge loader.
- Open the matching release’s additional files area. Look for
Farm-and-Far-v1.3.1-Server-Pack.zip, shown at about 403 MB. - Check the version label and date against the release your players intend to install. Do not mix a server archive from one release with clients from another.
- Save the ZIP outside any existing world or modpack directory. Keeping the original archive gives you a clean recovery source.
If the file name or version differs from the one above, use the server pack attached to the exact release your group selected. The principle is more important than the example filename: server and clients must match in Minecraft version, Forge version, pack version and configuration.
Install the server on Windows
Use a dedicated folder such as C:MinecraftFarmAndFar. Avoid installing inside a synchronized cloud folder, a temporary download directory or a path that is regularly scanned and locked by backup software.
- Extract the server ZIP into the dedicated folder. Preserve the directory structure; do not run files directly from inside the ZIP.
- Install Java 17. Open Command Prompt and run
java -version. The output should identify Java 17. If it shows another major version, use the full path to the Java 17 executable in the launch script or correctJAVA_HOME. - Run the Forge-generated Windows launch script, normally named
run.bat. The exact script is whatever the extracted Forge server files provide; do not substitute a client launcher. - Allow the first run to finish creating configuration files, libraries and the world. The process may appear busy while Forge prepares files.
- Stop the server from its console after the first run if it has not already stopped. Open
eula.txt, changeeula=falsetoeula=trueonly after reading and accepting Minecraft’s EULA, save the file, and startrun.batagain.
If Windows hides file extensions, verify that the script is actually run.bat and not a text file named run.bat.txt. Keep the console window visible until the log reports that the server is ready for connections.
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Install the server on Linux
Create a separate account for the server rather than running Minecraft as root. A typical layout is /srv/minecraft/farm-and-far; choose a path appropriate for your distribution and storage policy.
- Install Java 17 using your distribution’s supported package method, then verify it with
java -version. - Copy the server ZIP into the new directory and extract it with your distribution’s archive tool.
- Inspect the extracted Forge files for the supplied Linux launch script, commonly
run.sh. If it is not executable, runchmod +x run.sh. - Start it with
./run.sh. On the first run, let Forge create its libraries, configuration and world files. - Stop the process from the server console, edit
eula.txt, seteula=trueafter accepting the EULA, and launch./run.shagain.
For a remote machine, run the server inside a service manager or a persistent terminal session so it does not stop when your SSH connection closes. Restrict filesystem permissions to the server account, keep the operating system updated, and permit only the network ports you actually need.
Set memory correctly in the Forge launch script
Forge launch scripts normally contain Java arguments with -Xms and -Xmx. Set both values to the same amount so the heap does not repeatedly resize during play. For an 8 GB allocation, the relevant values are typically:
-Xms8G -Xmx8GUse the syntax already present in the supplied script and edit only the memory values unless you understand the other arguments. If you assign 12 GB, use -Xms12G -Xmx12G, provided the machine has enough RAM left for the operating system and other services.
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If the script calls a generic java command and the wrong Java version is selected, replace it with the full Java 17 path or configure JAVA_HOME. On Windows, a path may look like C:Program FilesJavajdk-17binjava.exe; use the actual installation path on your machine. On Linux, confirm the path with your system’s Java alternatives tools and then set the script accordingly.
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Configure server properties before inviting players
After the first successful start, stop the server cleanly and review server.properties. Make one change at a time, restart, and keep a copy of the previous file so you can identify which setting caused a problem.
View distance and simulation distance
Lowering view-distance reduces how many chunks the server sends to each player and can reduce bandwidth and memory pressure. It also shortens the visible horizon. Simulation distance controls how far game activity continues around players and can affect farms and mob behavior. Choose values based on measured performance rather than copying an aggressive preset.
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Set a strong server operator password policy outside the game, enable a whitelist if the world is private, and give operator privileges only to trusted administrators. Share the connection address privately. If your router exposes the server, keep the host’s firewall enabled and forward only the Minecraft port required by your setup.
Watchdog timeout
One third-party guide suggests max-tick-time=-1 to prevent watchdog termination during unusually long chunk-generation spikes. This is low-confidence, generic advice, not a Farm and Far recommendation. Disabling the watchdog can leave a genuinely stalled process running indefinitely, so change it only when you understand the recovery cost and have a monitoring plan. Prefer reducing view distance, pre-generating busy areas or improving hardware before disabling safety checks.
First launch and player connection checklist
- Start the server with Java 17 and the configured
-Xms/-Xmxvalues. - Wait for the console to report that the server is ready. Do not interrupt world generation.
- Stop it once and make a complete backup of the new directory, including the world, configuration, mods and scripts.
- Start it again, connect locally from the host machine if possible, and verify that Forge loads Farm and Far without missing-mod errors.
- Have one remote player connect before inviting the whole group. Confirm that the player’s client uses Minecraft 1.20.1, Forge and the identical Farm and Far release.
- Set the whitelist and grant operator access only after the connection test succeeds.
Backups and safe updates
Back up before changing the modpack, Forge version, configuration, Java version or world-generation settings. A useful backup includes the world directories, server.properties, whitelist and operator files, the mods and config directories, scripts, logs and any custom data packs.
- Announce a maintenance window and stop the server from the console so all region files are closed.
- Copy the complete server directory to storage separate from the live disk. Give the backup a date and pack version.
- Install the new server pack in a fresh directory rather than overwriting the working installation.
- Compare configuration and mod files, then copy the world only after confirming that the target release is compatible.
- Start the new instance, watch the logs for registry or data-fix errors, and test with one player.
- Keep the old directory until the new world has been played and backed up successfully.
Never test an unverified mod update directly on the only copy of a long-running world. A new mod can alter block IDs, recipes or world generation; a backup is the practical way to return to the previous state.
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The server reports an unsupported class-file version
This usually means the launch process is using a newer Java runtime than the Forge/Minecraft combination expects. Run java -version, identify the Java executable used by the script, and point it to Java 17. Do not rely on the version shown by a different terminal or account.
The server starts and then exits asking for the EULA
Open the generated eula.txt, read the license, set eula=true if you accept it, save the file and restart. Editing a file in a different directory will have no effect; use the path printed by the server launch log.
Players receive missing-mod or registry errors
Verify the exact Farm and Far release, Minecraft 1.20.1 and Forge loader on both sides. Re-download the matching client and server files instead of manually copying individual mods. Also compare the server’s config directory with a clean installation if a configuration file was changed.
The server freezes while generating new terrain
Chunk generation can create long ticks, especially when several players travel in different directions. Reduce view and simulation distances, avoid sending many players into unexplored terrain simultaneously, and check CPU, memory and disk activity. If you test the generic max-tick-time=-1 workaround, understand that it removes the watchdog’s automatic stop and can hide a real deadlock.
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Check the actual -Xmx value in the launch script and confirm that the host has additional RAM beyond that allocation. Increase memory only when the machine can spare it; otherwise lower view distance, reduce concurrent exploration and stop unrelated services. Assigning all physical RAM to Java can worsen stability.
Friends cannot connect from outside the home network
Test the server locally first. Then check the host firewall, router port-forwarding rule, public address and whether your internet provider places the connection behind carrier-grade NAT. Do not publish the address until access controls and operating-system updates are in place. A managed host can remove router configuration work, but it does not eliminate the need for matching files, backups or Java compatibility.
Operational routine for a stable world
- Stop the server cleanly before copying world files.
- Keep Java 17 selected explicitly even if another JDK is installed later.
- Watch logs after every modpack or Forge change.
- Make dated backups before maintenance and retain more than one recent restore point.
- Record the pack version, Forge version, Java version, memory allocation and important configuration changes.
- Ask players to report the exact client version and the first error line, not only “it does not connect.”
With the dedicated server archive, Java 17, at least 8 GB of JVM memory, equal initial and maximum heap sizes, and a tested backup, a small group can run Farm and Far without stripping the client pack or guessing which files belong on the server.
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