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To move a Minecraft Java Edition single-player world, copy its world folder from %APPDATA%.minecraftsaves into the Linux server directory, set level-name in server.properties to that folder’s exact name, and start a compatible server. Stop Minecraft and the server first, keep a complete backup, and verify the copy before deleting anything.
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This procedure is for Java Edition. Bedrock Dedicated Server uses a different package and world layout, so a Bedrock world cannot simply be dropped into a Java server directory.
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Check edition, Minecraft version and Java before copying anything
The official dedicated-server setup is compatible only with Minecraft: Java Edition. Confirm the edition in the launcher and the version of the world before creating the Linux server. The safest migration runs the same Minecraft version on both sides. If you are moving to a newer version, use a documented upgrade path and make a backup first; opening a world in a newer version can change data in a way that an older server cannot safely reverse.
Java is part of the compatibility check. The server JAR must run on a Java runtime supported by that Minecraft release. Minecraft Java Edition 26.1 requires Java 25. Do not assume that a Java version which worked for an older server will work for 26.1, and do not replace the world files until the Linux host can launch the intended server version.
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- Edition: Java Edition, not Bedrock.
- Server version: the same release as the source world, unless you have deliberately planned an upgrade.
- Runtime: the Java version required by that server release; Java 25 for Java Edition 26.1.
- Storage: enough Linux disk space for the extracted world plus a separate backup.
- Access: permission to upload files and edit the server directory and
server.properties.
Stop the game and make a complete backup
Exit Minecraft before locating the save. If a server is already running, type stop in its console and wait for the process to finish. Copy the entire world folder, not just individual region files. Keep the original Windows folder untouched and retain a second copy, such as a ZIP stored separately, until the Linux copy has been opened and checked.
A complete backup should include level.dat, region data, player data, advancements, dimension data, and any other files inside the world folder. Backing up only screenshots, selected regions, or a folder that is still being written can produce an incomplete migration.
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Find the Java world folder on Windows
- Press
Win+Rto open the Run dialog. - Enter
%APPDATA%.minecraftsavesand press Enter. - Each subfolder is a Java Edition world. Sort by date if you have several saves, then open likely candidates and inspect them.
- Confirm the chosen folder contains
level.datdirectly inside it. The folder name is the name you will use forlevel-nameunless you rename it. - Close Minecraft if it is still open, then copy the complete folder to a safe location.
World names can contain spaces and punctuation. Linux preserves the exact spelling and capitalization, while many Linux filesystems treat uppercase and lowercase as different characters. Record the folder name exactly before uploading it.
Choose a way to transfer the folder
Minecraft does not require a particular cable, drive, cloud service, or transfer protocol. Choose the method that fits your connection and the way you want to retain the backup. Compressing the folder into a ZIP is often practical because it keeps the files together and makes it easier to upload one object, but extraction is required on the Linux host.
| Method | Security | Convenience | Speed and resume | Backup retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFTP | Encrypts the connection during transfer. | Requires an SFTP client and Linux login details. | Suitable for remote uploads; many clients can resume an interrupted transfer. | Keep the original Windows folder or a separate ZIP after the upload. |
| ZIP through a hosting control panel | Protection depends on the panel and its connection; use an account protected by a strong password. | Uploads one archive and extracts it on the server. | Convenient for a remote host; browser resume behavior varies. | The ZIP can remain on your computer as a restorable copy. |
| Cloud storage or removable media | Depends on the account, device and sharing settings. | Useful when the Windows PC and Linux host are not reachable directly. | Speed depends on the upload and download links; a ZIP avoids transferring thousands of small files separately. | Keep an offline or cloud copy until verification is complete. |
| Local-network copy | Use a trusted network and an encrypted transfer method where possible. | Fast when both machines are nearby. | Usually faster than a remote upload; resume support depends on the client. | Retain the original copy independently of the server. |
Create an archive on Windows
Right-click the world folder, choose the Windows archive option, and create a ZIP. Open the archive once to ensure it contains a single top-level world folder and that level.dat is inside that folder. Do not create an archive of an empty parent directory while leaving the actual world one level deeper than expected.
Upload with SFTP
Use the Linux host’s address, account name, port and authentication method supplied by the host. Upload the ZIP or the uncompressed world folder to a temporary location first if you want to inspect ownership and extraction before replacing an existing world. A command-line client can also copy a directory recursively, for example:
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Prepare the Linux server directory
Use a dedicated directory for the server rather than placing the JAR among unrelated files. The following shell sequence illustrates the order; adjust the JAR filename and paths to match the release you downloaded.
- Create and enter a directory, such as
~/minecraft-server. - Install the Java runtime required by the server release. Check it with
java -version; for Java Edition 26.1, the runtime must be Java 25. - Download the official server JAR for the exact Minecraft version you intend to run and place it in this directory.
- Run the JAR once so it creates its initial files. A typical invocation is
java -jar server.jar nogui; substitute the actual filename. - Read
eula.txt. Seteula=falsetoeula=trueonly if you accept the Minecraft End User License Agreement. The server will not continue until this file is accepted. - Review the generated
server.properties. The first run may create a default world; that is expected. Stop the process before replacing that world with your Windows save.
If the JAR exits immediately, read the console output before attempting the migration. A missing or incompatible Java runtime, an unaccepted EULA, a wrong filename, or insufficient permissions must be fixed first.
Install the Windows world on Linux
- Stop the server and wait until the console confirms that it has shut down. Never overwrite a world while the server is saving.
- Move or extract the uploaded world into the directory used by the server process. If you made a ZIP, extract it there and then inspect the result.
- Make sure the layout is exactly
server-directory/world-folder/level.dat. A common mistake isserver-directory/world-folder/world-folder/level.dat; move the inner folder up one level if that happened. - Open
server.propertiesand setlevel-name=to the exact world-folder name. For a folder namedMyWorld, the line islevel-name=MyWorld. - Alternatively, rename the copied folder to the name already present after
level-name=. Do not leave two similarly named folders and assume the server will choose the correct one. - Check that the Linux account running the server can read the folder and write its files. If the upload account differs from the service account, correct ownership and permissions before starting.
- Keep any automatically generated world in a separate backup or remove it only after confirming that
level-namepoints to the copied save. The server loads the folder selected by that property.
Do not edit level.dat or manually rearrange dimension files to make an older tutorial’s diagram fit. Let the matching server version interpret the world in its expected layout.
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Start the server and verify the migration
- Launch the server with the Java command appropriate for its release, such as
java -jar server.jar nogui. - Watch the console for the configured world name and for errors while chunks and data are loaded.
- Join from the same machine or local network first, before opening the server to other players.
- Compare the terrain around a familiar location with the Windows save.
- Check your inventory, player position, advancements, gamerules, and access to the Nether and End.
- Walk into several previously explored areas and confirm that they load without repeated errors.
- Keep the original Windows copy and the uploaded ZIP until all important data has been verified.
A successful login alone is not proof that the correct world loaded. A server can start normally while pointing at a newly generated folder with a similar name, so check landmarks and player data before treating the migration as complete.
Java Edition 26.1 and changed world storage
Java Edition 26.1 requires Java 25 and changes the Overworld storage layout: Overworld data moves from the world root to dimensions/minecraft/overworld. Older guides often show every dimension folder at the world root, so their diagrams may not describe a 26.1 world.
The practical rule is to use the server release that matches the world and allow that release to read its own layout. Do not copy files from a 26.1 world into an older server, or manually move the Overworld directory because an older guide says it belongs elsewhere. If you must change versions, make a restorable backup and confirm the target release’s documented upgrade path first.
Why the server generates a new world instead
The level-name value does not match
Linux uses the exact configured folder name. Check spelling, spaces and capitalization in server.properties, then stop and restart the server after saving the file.
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The world is nested one directory too deep
Open the configured folder and look for level.dat. If you see another folder first, correct the extraction or upload layout so level.dat is directly inside the selected world folder.
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The files are in the wrong server directory
Confirm the directory from which the server process is launched and the working directory used by any service manager or hosting panel. A correctly named folder in a different directory will not be loaded.
The server was not stopped before replacement
Stop it cleanly, wait for the process to exit, restore the backup if necessary, and repeat the copy. Files changed during a live upload can be incomplete or overwritten by the running server.
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Compare the extracted folder with the Windows copy, verify that level.dat and region files are present, and transfer the archive again if the client reported an interruption.
Other common migration failures
The server refuses to start
Read the first relevant error in the console. Confirm the JAR filename in your command, the installed Java version, available disk space, accepted EULA, and read/write access. A world-version mismatch can also prevent loading; return to the backup and use the matching server release rather than repeatedly starting an incompatible one.
The world loads but important data appears absent
First verify that you joined the intended folder by checking recognizable terrain and the configured world name. Then inspect the backup and the copied folder for player, advancement and dimension data. Do not delete the Windows original while investigating.
Permissions prevent saves
The account that launches the server must be able to read the world and write updated chunks, player data and logs. Correct the directory ownership or permissions using the Linux administration method appropriate for your distribution, then restart and test by changing a small area and stopping the server normally.
Java and Bedrock are separate procedures
This guide uses the Java Edition save path %APPDATA%.minecraftsaves and a Java server JAR. Bedrock Dedicated Server has a different package and stores worlds under a worlds/ directory. Its server.properties also uses level-name, but that value must match the Bedrock world folder in that layout.
Do not copy a Bedrock world into a Java server directory, and do not use the Java Windows path to search for a Bedrock save. If the source is Bedrock, follow the Bedrock server documentation for the edition and version you are running instead.
After verification: protect the new server copy
- Keep at least one backup that is not inside the live server directory.
- Stop the server cleanly before taking a new full-world backup.
- Label backups with the Minecraft version and date so you know which Java runtime and server release created them.
- Retain the pre-migration Windows copy until the Linux server has been used long enough to confirm all dimensions, inventories and advancements.
- When upgrading Minecraft later, make another full backup before the first launch on the new release.
The migration is complete when the Linux server runs the intended Java version, level-name selects the copied folder, familiar terrain and player data are present, and an independent backup remains available.
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