How to Migrate a Minecraft Server Without Losing Data

Migrating a server to a new host can be terrifying. One wrong move, and your players' inventories are wiped, or chunks of your world get corrupted.

Follow this guide to safely transfer your files using SFTP with zero data loss.

Warning: Never attempt to migrate files while either server (the old or the new one) is actively running. This will cause file corruption!

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1. Prepare and Backup

Before touching the new server, you need to lock down the old one.

• Announce the Move: Give players a heads-up and whitelist the server.
• Stop the Server: Hit the "Stop" button on your old panel and wait for the "Server marked as offline" message.
• Create a Backup (ZIP): Compress your entire directory (world files, plugins, server.properties) into a single .zip or .tar.gz archive. Moving one large file is 100x faster than moving thousands of tiny chunk files via FTP.

2. Transfer via SFTP

You will need an FTP client like FileZilla or WinSCP.

1. Download the backup archive from your old host to your desktop.
2. Log into your new host's SFTP (you can find these credentials in your new panel under Settings).
3. Upload the archive into the root directory (/home/container or similar).

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3. Unpack and Test

Once the file is uploaded to the new host:

• Unarchive: Use the panel's file manager to Unzip the archive.
• Verify Software: Ensure the new server is set to run the exact same Java version (e.g., Java 21 for 1.20+) and software (Paper, Forge) as the old one.
• Start the Server: Boot it up and watch the console closely for missing dependencies or plugin errors.

4. Point Your Domain (DNS)

Your new server has a different IP address. If you use a custom domain (play.yourdomain.com):

1. Go to your domain registrar (Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.).
2. Update your A Record to point to the new numeric IP.
3. If your port changed, update your SRV Record.
4. Wait 15-30 minutes for DNS propagation.

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