How to Host a Minecraft Server on Your Windows PC

Updated: 29 September 2026 · Applies to: Minecraft: Java Edition server 26.3 (Java 25) on Windows 10 and 11, and Windows Server

This guide runs the official Minecraft: Java Edition server on a Windows PC, so you and your friends can play on your own world. The current server version is 26.3, and since version 26.1 Minecraft needs Java 25. Older guides that use Java 17 or 21 no longer work: the server stops with an UnsupportedClassVersionError.

What you need

• A PC with at least 2 GB of free RAM for the server (about right for up to 5 players; give it more for more players or mods).
• For friends outside your home: access to your router's settings, so you can forward a port.

1. Install Java 25

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and install a free Java 25 runtime with winget:

winget install EclipseAdoptium.Temurin.25.JRE

Or download the Temurin 25 JRE .msi installer for Windows x64 from adoptium.net and keep the default option that adds Java to the PATH. On a Windows on ARM PC, use winget install Microsoft.OpenJDK.25 instead. Close and reopen the window, then check:

java -version

It should report version 25.

2. Download the server

1. Create a folder for the server, for example C:\minecraft-server.
2. Download the server from the official page, minecraft.net › Download › Minecraft: Java Edition Server. Save the .jar file in the folder and rename it to server.jar if it has another name.

3. First start and the EULA

1. In the folder, create a file called start.bat with Notepad (choose "All files" when saving) and this content:

   @echo off
   java -Xms1G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar nogui
   pause

2. Double-click start.bat. The first run creates eula.txt and stops with "You need to agree to the EULA in order to run the server".
3. Open eula.txt, change eula=false to eula=true (this accepts the Minecraft EULA) and save.
4. Run start.bat again. The world is created, and the server is ready when it shows Done.
5. Windows Defender Firewall asks whether to allow OpenJDK Platform binary on the network. Allow it on Private networks.

-Xmx2G is the most memory the server may use. Raise it (for example to -Xmx4G) if you have the RAM and more players.

4. Let your friends in: the allowlist

Since version 26.3, new servers start with the allowlist switched on (white-list=true in server.properties). Nobody can join until you add them. Type these commands in the server window:

whitelist add YourName
whitelist add FriendName
op YourName

op makes you a server operator. To let anyone join, set white-list=false in server.properties and restart the server, but for a server reachable from the internet the allowlist is the safer choice.

5. Connect

• On the same PC: in Minecraft, choose Multiplayer › Add Server and use the address localhost.
• On your home network: use the PC's local IP address. Find it with ipconfig (the IPv4 Address line, for example 192.168.1.20).
• From outside your home: forward TCP port 25565 on your router to that local IP address, then give your friends your public IP address (search "what is my IP"). Give the PC a fixed local IP, or the forwarding breaks when it changes.

If friends outside can't connect although everything is set: compare the WAN address on your router with your public IP. If they differ, or the router's address starts with 100.64 to 100.127, your internet provider uses carrier-grade NAT and port forwarding can't work from home. A VPS avoids that problem.

If the firewall prompt didn't appear, allow the port in PowerShell as administrator:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 25565 -Action Allow -Profile Private

6. Settings, stopping and backups

• Change settings such as max-players, difficulty, gamemode and motd in server.properties while the server is stopped. PvP and similar options are now game rules, set in the game with /gamerule.
• Stop the server by typing stop in its window, so the world is saved. Don't just close the window.
• Back up the world folder regularly, with the server stopped.

When a home PC isn't enough

A server on your PC is only online while the PC is on, and your home upload speed limits how many players it can handle. For a server that runs 24/7, a Minecraft VPS starts at $10 a month with 4 GB of RAM; our game VPS plans include DDoS protection, and we install Vanilla or Paper on request. On a Linux VPS, follow how to make a Minecraft server on Linux.

Official documentation: Minecraft: Java Edition server download and Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 changelog.