If the Minecraft Launcher crashes when you select play for Minecraft: Java Edition, the problem could be with the exiting installation. Here’s how to create a fresh Minecraft installation and return to default settings to help determine if a corrupt installation is causing the problem.
How to create a new Minecraft: Java Edition installation
- Open the Minecraft Launcher and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Select Minecraft: Java Edition on the left.
- Select the Installations tab at the top.
- Select New installation.
- Enter a name for your test installation and select the same game version as the world that’s crashing.
- Uncheck Launch after Install if you’d like to manually launch Minecraft when it’s done installing.
- Select Install and launch Minecraft once it’s done installing if needed.
If Minecraft launches successfully after you create a new installation, troubleshoot downloaded mods or advanced setting on your previous installation. You can also copy the default settings from the new installation and see if that fixes the issue on your existing world. This includes the resolution and the JVM arguments.