To install Minecraft on Windows 10, download the free Minecraft Launcher from the Microsoft Store or from the official Minecraft download page, open it, and sign in with the Microsoft account that owns the game. Then pick Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock Edition) or Minecraft: Java Edition in the left pane, select Install, and select Play when the download finishes. One PC purchase, Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC, includes both editions, so you can install either one or both.
Applies to: Windows 10 (64-bit, not in S mode) and the current Minecraft Launcher. The steps are the same on Windows 11. The game once sold as “Minecraft for Windows 10” is now called Minecraft for Windows, and it is the Bedrock Edition.
Java or Bedrock: which one should you install?
You don’t have to choose at the store, but you do choose in the launcher, and the two editions don’t share worlds or servers. The Minecraft store page says Java worlds and saves are not compatible with Bedrock.
| Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock) | Minecraft: Java Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Plays with | Bedrock players on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, phones, tablets and other PCs | Other Java players on Windows, Mac and Linux only |
| Extras | Minecraft Marketplace add-ons and skins, controller support, ray tracing on supported graphics cards | Community mods, Java servers and snapshot (preview) versions |
| Pick it if | Your friends or kids play on a console or phone | You want mods or a specific Java server |
If a friend sends you a server address, ask which edition it’s for before you install. Many people install both and switch between them from the launcher.
Check your PC before you start
- Windows 10 version. Bedrock needs Windows 10 version 19041.0 or later, and Java needs 64-bit Windows 10. Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter to see your version and build. To check 32-bit vs 64-bit, open Settings > System > About and look at System type.
- Not in S mode. The Microsoft Store listing for the launcher says it isn’t supported on Windows 10 in S mode. The About page shows “in S mode” next to your edition if this applies. Microsoft explains how to switch out of S mode; it’s free, but you can’t switch back.
- Hardware. Bedrock’s minimum is 4 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage (8 GB of each recommended). Java Edition’s requirements went up in July 2026: the minimum is now 8 GB of RAM with a dedicated graphics card or 12 GB with integrated graphics, a 4-core processor, and a Vulkan 1.3 capable graphics card with at least 2 GB of video memory. Mojang says older PCs below that minimum may still launch Java, but performance isn’t guaranteed. The full list is on the Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC page.
- A Microsoft account. Minecraft uses Microsoft accounts for sign-in. Old Mojang logins were migrated and no longer work on their own.
- Updated graphics driver. This matters most for Java. If yours is old, update the graphics driver in Windows 10 first.
One more thing to know: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. It still runs, and Minecraft still lists it as supported, but Microsoft’s end-of-support page notes that security updates continue only through the consumer Extended Security Updates program, which runs to October 12, 2027.
Get the game (buy, subscribe or try)
The launcher itself is free, but it only installs games your account owns. You have three ways in:
- Buy it. On minecraft.net select Get Minecraft, or search for Minecraft in the Microsoft Store app, and choose Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC. Prices vary by region and change, so check the store page. Buy while signed in with the account you want to own the game, because the purchase is tied to that account.
- Game Pass. The Xbox store listing shows the Java & Bedrock bundle included with PC Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium. It stays available only while the subscription is active.
- Free trial. If you only want to test it, you can try Minecraft for free on Windows 10 and buy later with the same account.
Install Minecraft on Windows 10 step by step
- Select Start, open the Microsoft Store app, and search for Minecraft Launcher. Select it, then select Get or Install. The Store shows a progress bar and then an Open button. If you’d rather not use the Store, go to minecraft.net/download and select Download Launcher or the Windows 10/11 link, then run the file you downloaded and accept the prompts. If you use the Xbox app for Game Pass, you can also search for Minecraft Launcher there and install it from the same listing; it’s the same launcher either way.
- Open Minecraft Launcher from the Start menu. The first time, it may update itself before showing the sign-in screen.
- Choose the option to sign in with a Microsoft account and enter the email and password of the Microsoft account that bought the game or has the Game Pass subscription. If you set up two-step verification, approve the request on your phone.
- Look at the left pane. You’ll see Minecraft for Windows, Minecraft: Java Edition, and any other Mojang games you own, such as Minecraft Dungeons or Minecraft Legends. Select the edition you want.
- Select Install at the bottom of the window. For Bedrock, Windows may ask to install gaming components the first time, and the download runs through the Microsoft Store in the background. For Java, the launcher downloads the game and its own Java runtime, so you don’t install Java separately.
- Wait for the button to change from a progress bar to Play, then select it. The first launch takes longer while the game builds its files. You’ve succeeded when the Minecraft title screen appears and your profile name shows in the launcher.
- To install the other edition too, select it in the left pane and repeat steps 5 and 6. Both use the same sign-in.
After that, start the game from the launcher each time. To skip a step, you can make a desktop shortcut for Minecraft; the Windows 11 steps work the same way on Windows 10.
Installing on a second or new PC
You don’t pay again. Install the launcher on the new PC, sign in with the same Microsoft account, and install the edition from your library. Your worlds don’t follow you automatically, though (Realms worlds are the exception, since they live online). Copy them across first using the steps to find Minecraft world files on Windows 10: Java worlds are folders you can copy, and Bedrock worlds can be exported as .mcworld files.
If the install doesn’t work
The launcher shows Buy or Demo instead of Install
You’re signed in with an account that doesn’t own the game. Select your profile name in the launcher, sign out, and sign in with the account that received the purchase receipt. Then check that the Microsoft Store app is signed in to the same account (select the profile icon at the top of the Store). Mismatched accounts between the Store and the launcher are one of the most common reasons the Play button never appears for Bedrock.
The download is stuck or the Install button does nothing
- Restart the PC, then open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install anything waiting.
- Open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and select Get updates. This also updates Gaming Services, which Bedrock relies on.
- Repair the launcher: go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Minecraft Launcher, select Advanced options, then Repair. If that doesn’t help, use Reset.
- If the Store itself won’t download anything, follow the steps to repair or reinstall the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, including the wsreset cache reset.
- Pause a VPN or third-party firewall while the download runs, and make sure the drive has enough free space.
Warning: Resetting Minecraft for Windows (the game, not the launcher) or uninstalling it can delete Bedrock worlds stored on the PC. Export or copy your worlds before you reset or uninstall the game.
The install is blocked on a child’s, school or work PC
If the Store says an administrator or a parent has to approve the app, the PC or account is managed. On a family account, the organizer can approve the request (or adjust age and purchase limits) from Microsoft Family Safety, and the install then continues normally. On a school or work PC, the IT department controls which apps are allowed, so ask them rather than trying to work around the block. Either way, the account that signs in to the launcher still needs to own the game or have Game Pass.
Windows says the app isn’t supported
Check whether the PC is in S mode or running 32-bit Windows 10 (see the checks above). S mode can be turned off for free. A 32-bit installation can’t run Java Edition, and moving to 64-bit Windows requires a clean install.
Java Edition won’t start or crashes on an older PC
Update the graphics driver from your PC or graphics card maker. Because Java Edition is moving from OpenGL to Vulkan, Mojang warns that older graphics cards and some older integrated graphics may struggle or fail to launch it in future versions, so check the updated Java system requirements. If your PC falls short, Bedrock’s lower requirements may run better on the same hardware.
The game installed but won’t update
Bedrock normally updates through the Store and Java updates when you open the launcher. If either is stuck on an old version, you can force update Minecraft on Windows 10.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install Java to play Minecraft: Java Edition?
No. The launcher downloads the Java runtime the game uses and keeps it updated. A separate Java install is only needed for other programs; for that, see how to get Java for Windows 10.
Is the minecraft.net download different from the Microsoft Store version?
Both give you the same Minecraft Launcher for Windows 10 and 11, and either one works with your Microsoft account. The minecraft.net download page also has a Windows legacy launcher meant for older Windows versions; on an up-to-date Windows 10 PC, use the regular one.
Can I use ray tracing on Windows 10?
Yes, in Bedrock only, and only with a ray tracing graphics card and content that supports it. The setup is covered in enabling RTX in Minecraft on Windows 10. Java Edition doesn’t include Mojang’s ray tracing.
How do I uninstall Minecraft later?
Back up your worlds first. Then open Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Minecraft for Windows or Minecraft Launcher, and choose Uninstall. Removing the launcher also removes your way to start Java Edition, but your purchase stays on your account, so you can reinstall at any time.
Next step
Once the title screen loads, open Settings in the game and set your render distance and graphics options to suit your PC, then create your first world. If you play Bedrock with friends on other devices, sign in with your Xbox profile in the game so you can find each other on the Friends tab.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.