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This guide walks you from a blank Windows machine to a running Minecraft server managed by ServerPilot. The whole process takes under 10 minutes if you have a decent internet connection. You’ll install Java, download a Paper server JAR, initialise the server files, optionally set up Playit.gg for public access, and then register and start the server inside ServerPilot.
You must accept the Minecraft End User Licence Agreement before your server will start. Step 3 below covers exactly how to do this. Skipping it causes the server process to exit immediately with no obvious error message.
1

Install Java 17 or newer

Modern Minecraft servers require Java 17 at minimum. ServerPilot does not bundle Java, so you need to install it separately.Check whether Java is already installed by opening Command Prompt (Win + R → type cmd → press Enter) and running:
java -version
A successful response looks like this:
openjdk version "21.0.5" 2024-10-15 LTS
OpenJDK Runtime Environment Temurin-21.0.5+11 (build 21.0.5+11-LTS)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Temurin-21.0.5+11 (build 21.0.5+11-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)
Any version number 17 or higher is compatible. If the command returns 'java' is not recognized or shows a version older than 17, install a new Java runtime.Recommended distribution — Eclipse Temurin:
  1. Go to https://adoptium.net/
  2. Download the Temurin 21 (LTS) Windows x64 installer (.msi)
  3. Run the installer — the default options are fine
  4. Open a new Command Prompt window and re-run java -version to confirm the install succeeded
Alternatively, Oracle Java is available at https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/.If Windows still cannot find java after installing, you can provide the full path to java.exe directly in ServerPilot. It is typically located at:
C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-21...\bin\java.exe
2

Download Paper and create your server folder

Paper is the recommended server software for most users. It is fast, stable, compatible with the Bukkit/Spigot plugin ecosystem, and receives frequent performance patches.
  1. Go to https://papermc.io/downloads/paper
  2. Select your target Minecraft version from the version list
  3. Click the Download button next to the latest build number
  4. Create a dedicated folder for your server. Keep the path simple and avoid spaces or special characters:
D:\MineCraft\Server
  1. Move the downloaded JAR into that folder
  2. Rename the JAR to paper.jar so it is easy to reference later
Your server folder should now look like this:
D:\MineCraft\Server\
  paper.jar
You can name the folder and JAR file anything you like. The name paper.jar is just a convention used throughout this guide and in the default ServerPilot configuration. Whatever name you choose, use that same name when adding the server in Step 5.
3

First run to generate files and accept the EULA

Before ServerPilot can manage the server, Minecraft needs to generate its initial configuration files — including the eula.txt that you must accept.Open Command Prompt, navigate to your server folder, and run the server once manually:
cd D:\MineCraft\Server
java -Xmx2G -Xms2G -jar paper.jar nogui
The server will start, print some log lines, then stop automatically because the EULA has not been accepted. After it exits, your folder will contain several new files:
D:\MineCraft\Server\
  paper.jar
  eula.txt          ← open this file
  server.properties
  logs\
Open eula.txt in any text editor (Notepad works fine) and change:
eula=false
to:
eula=true
Save the file. The EULA is now accepted and you do not need to repeat this step.
If you skip this step and start the server from ServerPilot before accepting the EULA, the server process will exit almost immediately. The integrated console will show the EULA warning in the log output.
4

(Optional) Set up Playit.gg for public access

Playit.gg gives your server a permanent public address so friends can connect from anywhere — no port forwarding or static IP required. Skip this step if you only want to play on your local network.
  1. Go to https://playit.gg/download and download the Windows version
  2. Place the executable somewhere easy to locate, for example:
D:\MineCraft\playit_gg\bin\playit.exe
  1. Run playit.exe once. It will open a browser window and walk you through claiming your tunnel on the Playit.gg website
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure your tunnel (Minecraft TCP, port 25565)
  3. Note the full path to playit.exe — you will enter it in ServerPilot in the next step
Once configured, ServerPilot can start and stop Playit automatically every time you start or stop your server, using the autoStartPlayit setting.
5

Add and start the server in ServerPilot

With Java installed, your server folder prepared, and the EULA accepted, you are ready to add the server in ServerPilot.
  1. Open ServerPilot (the Onboarding Wizard will appear on first launch, or click Add Server in the sidebar on subsequent launches)
  2. Fill in the server configuration fields:
FieldValue
Server nameAny descriptive name, e.g. My Paper Server
Folder pathFull path to your server folder, e.g. D:\MineCraft\Server
Server JARThe JAR filename, e.g. paper.jar
Java executablejava if Java is on your PATH, or the full path to java.exe
Min RAM2G (ServerPilot default)
Max RAM4G (ServerPilot default)
JVM argumentsOptional — see tip below
Playit executableFull path to playit.exe (optional)
  1. Click Add Server (or Finish in the Onboarding Wizard)
  2. Select the server in the sidebar and click Start
The integrated console will begin streaming server log output. Once you see a line similar to Done (Xs)! For help, type "help" in the console, your server is live and accepting connections on localhost:25565.
Do not put a full Java launch command in the JVM arguments field. ServerPilot automatically constructs the complete command using the Java executable, -Xms, -Xmx, -jar, the JAR name, and nogui. The JVM arguments field is only for additional flags inserted between the RAM settings and the -jar flag, for example:
-XX:+UseG1GC
Putting something like java -jar paper.jar in that field will cause the server to fail to start with a Could not find or load main class java error.

​
Example Server Configuration

Here is a complete example of the values you would enter when adding a Paper server: 
Server name: My Paper Server
Folder:       D:\MineCraft\Server
JAR:          paper.jar
Java:         java
Min RAM:      2G
Max RAM:      4G
JVM Args:     -XX:+UseG1GC
Playit:       D:\MineCraft\playit_gg\bin\playit.exe  (optional)
These values match ServerPilot’s built-in defaults (defaultRamMin: '2G', defaultRamMax: '4G', defaultJavaPath: 'java') defined in backend/defaults.js, so you only need to change what differs from your own setup.

​
What Happens Next

Once the server is running you can explore the rest of ServerPilot’s features from the sidebar:
  • Dashboard — live CPU, RAM, TPS, uptime, and player count charts
  • Console — send commands like op <username>, whitelist add <username>, or say Hello
  • Players — activity feed showing joins, leaves, chat, and advancements
  • Files — browse and edit any server file with the Monaco Editor
  • Properties — visual editor for server.properties, ops.json, and whitelist.json
  • Backups — create and restore ZIP snapshots of your world

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