Where Minecraft Saves Worlds on Windows 11

On Windows 11, Minecraft: Java Edition saves each world as a folder in %appdata%\.minecraft\saves. To open it, press Windows logo key + R, type %appdata%\.minecraft\saves and select OK. Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (listed as Minecraft for Windows) saves worlds in %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\Users, inside your account’s folder under games\com.mojang\minecraftWorlds.

Applies to: Windows 11, Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Checked against Minecraft Help and the Minecraft Wiki on September 30, 2026.

Before you copy or move a world, close Minecraft. Copying a world while it’s open can leave you with a broken copy.

Find Java Edition worlds

1. Press Windows logo key + R to open Run.
2. Type %appdata%\.minecraft\saves and select OK.
3. Each folder is one world, named after the world. For example, Alex Island is the world called Alex Island.

The full path looks like C:\Users\Alex\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\saves, with your own user name in place of Alex. The AppData folder is hidden by default, so typing %appdata% is quicker than clicking through File Explorer.

From inside the game: select Singleplayer, select a world, select Edit, and then select Open World Folder. File Explorer opens that world’s folder.

If you use more than one installation: in the Minecraft Launcher, select Installations, point to the installation, and select the folder icon. An installation with its own game directory has its own saves folder.

Find Bedrock Edition worlds

1. Press Windows logo key + R, type %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\Users and select OK.
2. Open the folder with a long number as its name. That’s the folder for your signed-in account. Worlds made while nobody was signed in are in the Shared folder instead.
3. Open games > com.mojang > minecraftWorlds.

Bedrock names world folders with random letters and numbers, not the world’s name. To see which is which, open a folder and open levelname.txt, which contains the world’s name. Or sort by Date modified to find the world you played most recently.

On an older version: before version 1.21.120, Bedrock kept its files in %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\minecraftWorlds. Updating the game moves them to the new location. If you’re on an older version, look there.

Open a Java world’s folder from inside the game

In Minecraft: Java Edition, select Singleplayer, select the world, and choose Edit. Select Open World Folder, and File Explorer opens that world’s folder directly. This is handy when you have many worlds with similar names, because the folder name doesn’t always match the name shown in the game.

Make a quick backup in Java Edition

Java Edition can zip up a world for you. In Singleplayer, select the world, choose Edit, and select Make Backup. Minecraft saves a .zip file in the %appdata%\.minecraft\backups folder. To restore it, unzip the file and copy the world folder back into saves.

Avoid keeping the live saves folder inside OneDrive or another syncing folder. Syncing while you play can create conflicting copies. Back up to the cloud after you finish playing instead.

Find worlds on a Java server you host

If you run your own Java Edition server, its world isn’t in .minecraft at all. It’s in the server’s own folder, in a subfolder named world by default. The name is set by the level-name line in the server.properties file. Stop the server before you copy or replace that folder.

Back up or move a world

Java Edition:

1. Close Minecraft.
2. Copy the world’s folder from saves to a USB drive, another folder or cloud storage.
3. To restore it, or to move it to another PC, paste the folder into that PC’s saves folder. The world appears in the Singleplayer list.

Bedrock Edition: Minecraft recommends exporting the world rather than copying folders.

1. Open Minecraft and select Play.
2. On the Worlds tab, select the pencil icon next to the world.
3. Under File management, select Export world, and then choose where to save it.

Minecraft saves a single .mcworld file. To import it on another Windows PC, copy the file there and open it. Minecraft adds it to your worlds.

If your world is missing

• You’re looking in the wrong edition’s folder. Java and Bedrock don’t share worlds. A Java world won’t show up in Bedrock, or the other way round.
• Bedrock shows no worlds after signing in or out. Worlds are stored per account. Check the other numbered folder and the Shared folder under %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\Users.
• Your Java world is in another installation. Check each installation’s folder in the Minecraft Launcher, as described above.
• It’s a Realm. Realms worlds are stored online, not on your PC. The Realm owner can download a copy from the Realm’s settings.
• You deleted the world in the game. Deleting a world in Minecraft removes it for good, so restore it from a backup if you have one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a Java world in Bedrock?

Not directly. The two editions use different world formats, and Minecraft doesn’t include a converter.

How big are Minecraft worlds?

A new world is small, often a few megabytes. Worlds grow as you explore, and a world you’ve played for a long time can reach hundreds of megabytes or more.

Can I rename a world folder?

In Java, changing the folder name doesn’t change the name shown in the game. Rename worlds from Edit in the Singleplayer list instead. Don’t rename Bedrock world folders.

Does uninstalling Minecraft delete my worlds?

It can, especially for Bedrock Edition, where uninstalling may remove the local game data. Before you uninstall or reset Minecraft, export Bedrock worlds or copy the Java saves folder somewhere safe.

Where are my Minecraft screenshots?

They’re in a separate folder. See how to find Minecraft screenshots on Windows 11.

Next steps

If you’d rather click through File Explorer, see how to show hidden folders in Windows 11 so you can see AppData. Minecraft explains Bedrock backups in Save a Backup of Your Minecraft: Bedrock Edition World on Windows.

Related: how to try Minecraft for free.