Minecraft

Fixed: Minecraft “Can’t Keep Up! Is The Server Overloaded” Error

If you play Minecraft, you’ve probably encountered the “Can’t Keep Up! Is the Server Overloaded” error message. The game server lags, game navigation, becomes difficult, and this error appears. Why does this happen? And how can you solve it?

Our programmers delve deep into the issue, identifying the causes of the error and providing solutions. Let’s start!

Reason Behind the "Can't Keep Up!" Server Error on Minecraft

There are three main causes of the “Minecraft Server Can’t Keep Up” error, and these include:

Minecraft - Can't Keep Up! Is The Server Overloaded Error

How to Fix the Minecraft "Can't Keep Up!" Server Error

Network Lag

We recommend optimizing your network speed to fix this network connection lag. You can also use this method to fix the Minecraft error “Could Not Connect: Outdated Server”.  To secure a stable internet connection, here are some tips:

wifi router and cable

Server Lag

The “server overloaded” issue might be due to Minecraft server lag. CPU usage, RAM resources, hard drive speed, and server configuration can fix the error. 

testing Minecraft server

Fix #1: Allocate RAM to the Server

One common cause of server lag or crashing is insufficient RAM available to the server. 

Thus, we highly recommend you increase the amount of memory distributed to the Minecraft server and see if it fixes the game lag. 

Fix #2: Defrag Hard Drive

Minecraft automatically saves your game progress to disk every 45 seconds. But a hard drive failure may occur if many system resources or Minecraft server files are saving to disk, causing the game to lag. We suggest you defragment your disk to improve IO performance.

Fix #3: Optimize CPU Performance

Reduce CPU stress by closing background applications. Windows Update and Apple Software update are common background services that impact overall CPU performance. 

Stop these activities in Task Manager. Check for background processes in Linux systems, top, htop, and system monitor. System performance updates affect performance, especially those requiring a reboot.

optimizing CPU performance.

If you have reliable anti-virus software, enable “gaming mode.” This improves CPU usage by allowing Minecraft to run without pop-up windows. 

Fix #4: Update Your SSD or RAMDISK

If you’re using a hard drive for a while, defragmenting has little effect on IO performance. An SSD or RAMDISK is a better hard drive upgrade. 

You can upgrade the SSD or RAMDISK without reinstalling the OS using the MiniTool Partition Wizard. It’s a powerful task manager that can transfer OS to SSD, undelete user profiles, hide system reserved partitions, etc.

Fix #5: Edit Your Server Configurations

After inspecting your hardware, try examining your current server configurations. Make sure to install the Server JRE, which is not included with the standard Java and Server jar installation. Then, run the Minecraft server instance with Server JRE. 

editing Minecraft server configuration on Apex

Additionally, when running java arguments, ensure the installed Java version supports them. Also ensure that your server is running the server virtual machine.

Fix #6: Tweak In-Game Settings (Reduce Entities, Reduce Lighting, Etc.)

How you play affects Minecraft’s performance. Here are some tips for avoiding server lag.

  1. Avoid repetitive blocks that save the output. Blocks that store output cause more lag. Check your Minecraft profiler graph. 
  2. Check how many entities are active in the area. Press the F3 button to verify. 
  3. Use as few flashing lights as possible. Lighting updates can be slow.
  4. Keep an eye on the number of players on the server. A large number of players may cause the server to lag.
Minecraft in-game settings
Not only will tweaking the settings prevent this error, but it will also enable you to fly on the Minecraft server.

Other Reminders to Avoid Ping and Lag

Client Lag

In some cases, the Minecraft server warning is because of the client lag. To fix client lag, try the methods below:

Fix #1: Update Your Video Card

An old video driver can also cause the server overloaded error in Minecraft. So, we suggest you get the most recent driver.

Fix #2: Update the Latest Java Version

Another crucial thing is to ensure that your client’s version of Java is the same as your own server version. Note that there are certain server versions you need to run for the game to work seamlessly. 

updating Java app

Fix #3: View FPS Drops

Try to see if the game has FPS problems. Press the F3 button or the Fn + F3 keys (on some keyboards) to locate FPS information in Minecraft. 

Hover to the upper left part of the pop-up window to see the FPS rate. 

Fix #4: Tweak Your Video Settings on Minecraft

We suggest you set the following configurations on your video settings window:

What You Need to Know About Server-Sided Lag

Everyone on the server is affected by server lag, and the Minecraft server can’t keep up, regardless of your fast network connection or good processing power. When a server’s Ticks per Second (TPS) start to drop, this is usually a sign of lag. 

For a Spigot/Paper server, you can use the command “/tps” to see your server’s TPS. You can also run a Spark Profiler if you have a Forge, SpongeForge, or Fabric server.

Conclusion

At this point, you now know what’s behind Minecraft’s “Can’t Keep Up! Is the server overloaded” error and the different ways to fix it. Make sure to implement the steps outlined to fix the server lagging problem. You should be able to resolve the problem immediately, but if not, you’re welcome to contact Minecraft support for your specific concerns.

administrator
Mathew has nursed a love of video games since childhood. Now, as an adult, he enjoys playing challenging games as much as he enjoys relating with other gamers. Matthew created Hypernia to give gamers like himself accurate and reliable information about games, servers, communication protocols, and much more.

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