MINECRAFT · PERFORMANCE
Minecraft server keeps crashing
Read a crash report, tell an out-of-memory crash from a bad plugin, and find the mod or chunk that keeps killing it.
QUICK ANSWER
Console tab, scroll to the last lines before it stopped. That's the cause.
Fact
Out of memory errors are the single most common cause of Minecraft server crashes, ahead of plugin errors and corrupt chunks combined.
Why Your Minecraft Server Keeps Crashing
This document covers reading of crash report, identifying the error, and to fix it.
Before you start
- 1You must have panel access to Console and Files.
- 2Additionally, Backups and Startup access if you need a restore or version change.
- 3Stop your server safely, Learn how?
- 4Restart is needed after every fix, identifying the issue doesn't fix it.
Steps
1. Find the cause
- 1Open Console.
- 2Scroll up from the bottom, check the last 20 lines.
- 3Match what you see:
You see | Cause |
|---|---|
| Out of RAM |
| Watchdog killed a frozen server |
| Plugin or mod error |
| Corrupt chunk file |
| Wrong Java version |
- 4Console empty or cleared? Go to Files → crash-reports/. Open the newest .txt file. Check "Description" and "Cause".
2. Fix it
Out of memory
- 1Open Startup.
- 2Check the Memory field against your plan's total RAM.
- 3Lower it if it exceeds plan RAM.
- 4Remove a memory heavy plugin or upgrade your plan.
Watchdog timeout
- 1Open Files → world/. Check folder size.
- 2Open Startup. Check view distance and simulation distance settings. Lower them both.
- 3Pause any plugin that scans or pregenerates chunks.
Plugin or mod error
- 1Open Files → plugins/ (or mods/).
- 2Move half the files into a new subfolder, plugins/disabled/.
- 3Restart from Console.
- 4Crash gone? The plugin is in the disabled half. Repeat, halving again.
- 5Crash still happens? The plugin is in the active half. Repeat, halving again.
- 6Once found, check that plugin's page for a version matching your Minecraft version.
Corrupt chunk
- 1Open Backups section in side bar.
- 2Restore a backup from before the corruption.
- 3Delete the affected region file under world/region/ through File Manager.
Wrong Java version
- 1Open Startup.
- 2Set the correct Java version.
- 3Save and then Restart
Does a crash delete my world?
No. A crash stops the process. World files stay intact unless the crash itself was caused by a corrupt chunk.
Will restarting the server fix a crash?
Only if the cause was a one time freeze. A repeating crash has a fixed cause (memory, a plugin, Java version, or a corrupt chunk) and returns after restart until that cause is fixed.
