Server Won't Stay Running
Use this guide when your server starts but crashes, restarts repeatedly, or won’t stay online.
Troubleshooting Steps
Section titled “Troubleshooting Steps”Step 1. Check the console for errors
Section titled “Step 1. Check the console for errors”- Open your server in the control panel
- Go to the Console tab
- Look for red text or error messages
Write down or screenshot the error — this tells you what’s wrong.
Step 2. Did you recently change anything?
Section titled “Step 2. Did you recently change anything?”Common causes of sudden crashes:
- Added new mods or plugins
- Updated an existing mod
- Changed a config file
- Updated the game version
If yes → Undo the recent change and test again.
Step 3. Does it crash immediately (under 10 seconds)?
Section titled “Step 3. Does it crash immediately (under 10 seconds)?”This usually means:
- Config error — A typo or invalid setting in a config file
- Missing file — A required file was deleted or corrupted
- Bad mod/plugin — An incompatible or corrupted mod
Try this:
- Check the console error message for a specific file or mod name
- Remove or fix that file
- Restart and test
Step 4. Does it run for a while then crash?
Section titled “Step 4. Does it run for a while then crash?”This usually means:
- Out of memory (OOM) — Server ran out of RAM
- Memory leak — A mod is using too much memory over time
- Heavy load — Too many players or entities
Check for OOM errors in the console:
OutOfMemoryErrorCannot allocate memoryKilled(Linux OOM killer)
Solutions:
- Reduce view distance or entity limits
- Remove heavy mods/plugins
- Consider upgrading to a higher RAM plan
Step 5. Is this a modded server?
Section titled “Step 5. Is this a modded server?”If you’re running mods or plugins:
- Remove ALL mods/plugins
- Start the server with just vanilla
- If it works → Add mods back in groups of 5 until you find the culprit
- If it still crashes → Continue to escalation
See Mod & Plugin Conflicts for detailed isolation steps.
Common Crash Causes
Section titled “Common Crash Causes”| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Instant crash, “port already in use” | Previous instance still running | Wait 60 seconds, then restart from panel |
| Crash with Java error | Wrong Java version | See Java Version Issues |
| Crash after loading mods | Mod conflict or version mismatch | Binary search mods (remove half at a time) |
| Runs then “OOM” kill | Insufficient RAM | Upgrade plan or reduce view distance |
| ”EULA not accepted” | eula.txt not set | Edit eula.txt, change false to true |
| ”Failed to bind port” | Port conflict | Use the assigned port from your panel |
| ”World corrupted” | Damaged world files | Restore from backup |
Minecraft-Specific Issues
Section titled “Minecraft-Specific Issues”Java Version Mismatch
Section titled “Java Version Mismatch”Different Minecraft versions require different Java versions:
| Minecraft Version | Required Java |
|---|---|
| 1.20.x - 1.21.x | Java 21 |
| 1.18.x - 1.19.x | Java 17 |
| 1.17.x | Java 16+ |
| 1.12.x - 1.16.x | Java 8 |
See Java Version Issues for how to change Java.
Forge/Fabric Loader Mismatch
Section titled “Forge/Fabric Loader Mismatch”Still Not Working?
Section titled “Still Not Working?”Before contacting support, gather these 3 things:
- Server ID — found in your panel URL or dashboard
- What you tried — list the steps you already attempted
- Error message or screenshot — exact text or image of what you see
Then contact us:
- Email: support@mambahost.com
- Discord: Open a ticket in our server