Minecraft Tutorials

How to Update a Minecraft Modpack

Safely update your Minecraft modpack using the Modpack Manager or manually via SFTP, with backup steps and post-update troubleshooting.

Last updated: February 27, 2026

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Update your Minecraft modpack server-side to keep it in sync with your players’ client version and avoid connection errors. If you haven’t installed a modpack yet, see the Modpack Installation guide first.

Using the Modpack Manager

  1. Take a full backup of your server (all files and folders in the root directory)
  2. Stop your server
  3. Delete the mods folder from the root directory
  4. Navigate to Tools → Modpack Manager in the Game Control Panel
  5. Find your installed modpack and click Install
  6. Select the version you want to install — do not select Format Server
  7. Once the installation completes, start your server
  8. Connect with the updated client modpack to verify

Manually Updating

Use this method if your modpack isn’t available in the Modpack Manager, or if the Modpack Manager isn’t working. You’ll need a “Server Pack” zip file — CurseForge, Modrinth, FTB, and ATlauncher all provide these on their modpack pages.

  1. Take a full backup of your server (all files and folders in the root directory)
  2. Download the Server Pack zip file for your modpack version
  3. Upload the Server Pack via SFTP to your server’s root directory
  4. Delete the mods folder from the root directory
  5. Open the File Manager and decompress the Server Pack archive
  6. Start your server and connect with the updated client to verify

Server Won’t Start After Updating

If your server goes offline or fails to start after a modpack update, check the following:

  1. Check the server logs — the startup log usually identifies the exact cause, such as a missing mod, wrong Java version, or an incomplete file extraction
  2. Check your Java version — modpack updates can require a newer version of Minecraft or Forge, which may mean you need to update your Java version; go to Configuration → Server Options and verify it against the Java version requirements
  3. Re-run the update — if using the Modpack Manager, confirm you did not select Format Server, delete the mods folder, and reinstall
  4. Restore your backup — if none of the above resolves the issue, restore the full backup you took before updating and start over
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