Running Multiple Versions of Minecraft and how I do it.

[Rawny]

Hi all.

I’ve been meaning to make a video of my setup but I don’t have a full screen capture program, maybe would someone recommend a free or low cost one?

As I’ve stated in other posts I suffer from what I call OCsoD, Obsessive Compulsive Start Over Disorder. On my computer I currently have five Minecraft versions in my main MC folder and half a dozen in a folder called ‘old’. I can run these at will without copy pasting anything or without running a mod or program. And, it doesn’t affect the MC that is currently used.

Here’s a pic of my desktop, I currently have three MCs linked up there.

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All I do is double click on the shortcuts circled red in the screen shot above and boom, I have an ‘individual’ Minecraft in its own tidy little folder as well. Programs that goto the default folder looking for Minecraft might not work.

So here’s how you do it, step by step, and hopefully I won’t skip anything.

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1 - Create a folder wherever you want (remember it) called ‘something’ containing NO spaces.
2 - Open that folder and create another folder called ‘MCv1’ containing NO spaces.
3 - Open that folder and copy into it the minecraft.exe
4 - Start the program Notepad, not WordPad. Type the following into notepad...

Title Minecraft Launcher
set APPDATA=%CD%\
start %CD%\minecraft.exe

5 - Save that file in your MC-v1 folder and close Notepad. Name it whatever you want. I’d just name it MCv1.
6 - This may be a tricky part but you need to change the ‘name’ of the file. By default Notepad will call the file ‘MCv1.txt’ but you need to rename that to ‘MCv1.bat’. The ‘.txt’ and ‘.bat’ are called file extensions and most files have them. If you can’t see them then you’ll have to play with your Windows view options. It’s usually found in your Windows file explorer under Tools, Options, View and there’s a checky box in there somewhere; Google it.
7 - Create a desktop shortcut for the renamed file for quick launching. To do this right-click the ‘MCv1.bat’ and click on ‘send to’ and there should be a ‘desktop (create shortcut) option.
8 - When you do that, there will be a new shortcut icon that you can rename if you want.
9 - Double click on that, a black window with text that you can ignore will pop up and so should Minecraft. Don’t forget this is like a fresh install and you’ll need to log in and download it. When there is done close Minecraft.
10 - If you goto your MCv1 folder you’ll see a ‘.minecraft’ folder in there and all your Minecraft folders and saves and textures will now be going in there ONLY when you use that ‘.bat’ file.
11- now, if you select your MCv1 folder and press CTRL-C then CTRL-V (copy/paste) you’ll create another folder that you can rename to ‘MCv2’, redo steps 7 and 8 and you’re good to go.


I have a more advanced version that looks like this but I''m not gonna go into it. Its just here...

Title Minecraft Launcher
set APPDATA=%CD%\
"%ProgramFiles%\Java\jre7\bin\java.exe" -Xms2048M -Xmx3060M -jar "%CD%\minecraft.exe"

Sry if this is known already.
Props to my tech savvy unix network admin GF who did this for me and I'll try to answer questions... about the batch file! She's mine!

I am responsible for nothing. I guarantee nothing. Don't run uphill both way with a firecracker in your hands because its all fun and games until hell freezes over the rainbow.

[FlowerChild]

Moving to tech support.

[usav3t]

For a free screen capturing program I recommend CamStudio.

I use an alternate method but the results are the same. although the method I use does not rename any files.

• Step 1
  Create your folder to hold all of the individual instances of Minecraft. Can be called anything and put in any location.
  
  Step 2
  Inside that folder create a folder named whatever title the version number of Minecraft. (i.e. 1.2.4 or 1.2.5 whatever you are using)
  
  step 3
  Open notepad or any text editor and input the following text:
  

  Code: Select all

  set APPDATA=%cd%
  javaw -Xms2048M -Xmx2048M -cp Minecraft.exe net.minecraft.LauncherFrame

  You may edit the memory values to your liking.
  (Also note that for each instance of minecraft you may change this value according to the texture packs and mods you are using if they require more ram to be associated to that instance of the game)
  
  Save this file as a .bat file name it whatever you like ( i just call it minecraft.bat)
  
  Step 4
  Put the .bat file you just created and your minecraft.EXE executable file into the folder you created last (i.e. the 1.2.4 folder for instance)

Here are my video tutorials showing how to do this. Also I will show you how to use magic Launcher to easily switch between the multiple versions you are using.

How to setup multiple installations:


How to use Magic Launcher to switch between versions:

[Corzan]

I use this. Have been using it forever. It's super simple to use, just makes Minecraft use the .minecraft folder that the wrapper thing is placed in. I just have a few folders within one main 'Minecraft Installations' folder that all have one of these installations placed inside.

[usav3t]

Thanks for the heads up on portable minecraft. that will make a great solution for when I need to get my fix away from home. I seem to lose about 50 fps when using that method compared to the one above. Ill play around with the java settings and see if I can match my current config.