> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.purpify.host/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recover a damaged Minecraft world

> Recognize a damaged Java or Bedrock world, preserve evidence, and restore a safe Purpify backup.

Stop repeated restarts and restore the newest known-good backup when a world is damaged. Chunk or world repair can permanently remove terrain, entities, containers, and player changes.

## Signs of possible corruption

* Startup stops while loading the world or a specific dimension.
* The console repeatedly names a chunk, region, `level.dat`, or database file.
* Entering one area crashes the server or disconnects every nearby player.
* A world loads as new, loses a dimension, or reports unreadable data after an interrupted write.

These symptoms can also come from an incompatible Minecraft version, mod, plugin, or Bedrock add-on. Preserve the first relevant console error before changing files.

## Recover safely

<Steps>
  <Step title="Stop automatic restarts">
    Leave the server offline so it does not keep writing to the damaged world or overwrite useful logs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preserve the current state">
    Download the world and relevant logs. Keep this diagnostic copy even when you plan to restore a backup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the active world">
    Check the selected world name and folder structure. A wrong `level-name` or an extra wrapper folder can look like missing or damaged world data.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restore a known-good backup">
    Choose the newest backup created before the first corruption symptom. Follow [Create and restore backups](/server/backups).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start and test carefully">
    Watch the full startup, then test the affected dimension or area before allowing normal play.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## When only one chunk or region is damaged

A specialist world-repair tool may be able to remove or rebuild only the affected region. Work on a downloaded copy, verify the edition and world format, and keep the untouched original. Removing a region regenerates that terrain and permanently deletes builds and data inside it.

<Warning>
  Do not delete a region, Bedrock database file, `level.dat`, or dimension folder based only on a guessed filename. Restore a backup or ask support to interpret the exact console error.
</Warning>

If corruption returns after a successful restore, investigate disk-space exhaustion, unsafe force-stops, incompatible world-generation content, or a plugin, mod, or add-on writing invalid data.