Fix the Minecraft “Outdated server!” error

Wispdock’s control panel isn’t built yet. Where a step says “in your control panel”, use whatever your host gives you for files, the console and start/stop. The Minecraft side works the same everywhere.

Read the message

Older Java versions had separate “Outdated server” and “Outdated client” messages. Current vanilla says “Incompatible client! Please use …” whichever side is newer. Paper and Spigot can still show the old wording, because they take it from the messages section of spigot.yml. Whatever the wording, the version in the Java message is the one the server runs. In the multiplayer list, the same server shows that version in red.

What actually has to match is the protocol number, not the version name. A few releases share one, so a 1.21.1 client joins a 1.21 server, and 1.20.3 and 1.20.4 mix freely. Most pairs don’t.

Java or Bedrock first

Work out which game is talking to which server before changing anything:

• Java player, Java server. A plain version mismatch. Carry on with the next sections.
• Bedrock player, Bedrock Dedicated Server. Client and server have to be on the same Bedrock release. See the Bedrock section.
• Bedrock player, Java server with Geyser. Geyser has to support the player’s Bedrock version. Also the Bedrock section.
• Bedrock player, Java server without Geyser. Not a version problem. Bedrock can’t join a Java server at all without Geyser, and the Geyser guide covers the setup.
• Java player, Bedrock server. Not a version problem either. If both groups need to play together, run a Java server with Geyser.

Find the server’s exact version

Don’t go by the jar’s file name or a label in a panel. The server prints its version near the top of every start:

[12:00:01] [Server thread/INFO]: Starting minecraft server version 1.21.4

To find it in the current log, from the server folder:

grep "Starting minecraft server version" logs/latest.log

On Paper and Spigot, typing version in the console also shows the build. The server logs guide explains where latest.log lives.

Switch the client to the server’s version

On a vanilla or plugin server, the quickest fix is on the player’s side. In the Minecraft Launcher, open Installations, click New installation, pick the server’s version under Version, click Create and play with that installation. Snapshots and pre-releases almost never match a release server, so use a release.

If most of the group is already on the newer version, update the server instead. Back up first: a world saved by a newer version can’t go back to the older one, and every plugin needs a build for the new version. The backups guide covers what to copy. Wispdock’s Minecraft Java hosting isn’t open for orders yet, so for now all of this happens on whatever host or PC you already use.

Let other versions in with ViaVersion

On Paper, Spigot and Purpur, plugins can bridge the gap so nobody has to switch versions:

• ViaVersion lets newer clients join an older server.
• ViaBackwards, installed together with ViaVersion, lets older clients join a newer server.
• ViaRewind, on top of both, adds 1.7 and 1.8 clients.

Download them from Hangar or Modrinth, put the jars in plugins and restart the server. Use a full restart, not /reload. The Paper plugins guide walks through the install.

A newer client on an older server still only gets the server’s blocks, items and mobs. After every new Minecraft release, ViaVersion needs an update before players on that release can join, so the error comes back until you install it. ViaVersion also runs on Velocity and BungeeCord proxies, and as ViaFabric on Fabric. It does nothing for Forge or NeoForge.

Modded servers need an exact match

Forge, NeoForge and Fabric servers need the client on the same Minecraft version and the same loader. Any mod that adds blocks, items or entities has to be on both sides, in the same version.

With a modpack, compare the pack version, not only the Minecraft version. Two releases of a pack can both be on 1.20.1 and still disagree about mods. The CurseForge app, the Modrinth App and Prism Launcher let you pick a specific pack version in the profile settings. Use the one the server was installed from. The modpack guide covers keeping client and server in step.

Bedrock: auto-updates and Geyser

Most Bedrock players have no version picker. Phones, consoles and the Microsoft Store update the game on their own, so a Bedrock server that worked yesterday can turn everyone away today with “Outdated server!”. Bedrock Dedicated Server only accepts clients on its own protocol version, which in practice means the same release. The fix is updating the server: download the new build from minecraft.net, stop the server, replace the program files and keep worlds, server.properties, permissions.json and allowlist.json. Copy those somewhere safe before you start.

Players on Minecraft Preview, the beta app, can’t join release servers. They need the normal app.

Bedrock players who join a Java server through Geyser depend on Geyser supporting their Bedrock version. After a Bedrock update, install the latest Geyser, and Floodgate if you use it, from the Geyser download page. Geyser also targets the newest Java version. If your Java server is older, ViaVersion on the server bridges that gap. The Geyser guide covers the full setup.

Test the permitted client versions

A successful start is only the first check. Join with an ordinary player account from each version you intend to allow, then test inventory movement, containers and required plugin commands. Check ViaVersion’s supported range rather than assuming every old and new pair works. For modded servers, use the exact pack release. Keep the working jars and configuration for rollback.

Bu rehberi Türkçe oku

Wispdock’s draft plans are 4 GB for vanilla and plugins and 8 GB for modpacks. The pricing page has the details; prices are drafts and ordering isn’t open yet.

Still stuck? Send us the details and your latest.log.