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:
- Network Lag: This includes frequent time-outs, rubberbanding, and a red ping meter when pressing the tab. Too many users may be connected, or a backup system running may be hogging the bandwidth. You can check your network connection speed online.
- Server Lag: The error message may allude to server latency as the primary cause. There are a few different angles to approach the server lag problem: hardware problems (poor CPU performance, too much RAM, and hard drive), server configurations, and game-based lags.
- Client Lag: This is due to an extreme increase in server traffic. The client lags, like incorrect video settings, an old video driver, a framerate, or an incompatible version of Java, can all lead to a Minecraft 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 You can also use this method to fix the Minecraft error “Could Not Connect: Outdated Server”.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:
- Use an ethernet [1] cable. Unplug your modem or router from its power source, wait for about 60 seconds, and then plug it back in again.
- Restart your modem or router. Connecting to a wired connection is preferable because of the reliability and speed it provides.
- Reduce network activity. If you share the internet, you might not have enough bandwidth for running the server.
- Use a VPN. Try switching to any VPN connection if you're subscribed to one.
- Run network troubleshooter. If you've exhausted all the fixes mentioned above, it may be time to utilize a third-party program to troubleshoot probable network errors. Programs like Network Troubleshooter are commonly used by gamers to detect undiagnosed issues with their PC connection.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Avoid repetitive blocks that save the output. Blocks that store output cause more lag. Check your Minecraft profiler graph.
- Check how many entities are active in the area. Press the F3 button to verify.
- Use as few flashing lights as possible. Lighting updates can be slow.
- Keep an eye on the number of players on the server. A large number of players may cause the server to lag.
Other Reminders to Avoid Ping and Lag
- Check for unnecessary plugins that can be removed
- Reduce the monster's spawn limits
- Avoid entities with the same UUIDs (View on the server console)
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.
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:
- FOC Effects: 25%-50%
- Entity Distance: 50%
- Entity Shadows: OFF
- Minimap Levels: OFF
- Particles: Minimal
- Fullscreen: OFF
- Clouds: OFF
- Brightness: 25% – 75%
- Use VSync: OFF
- Max Framerate: Unlimited
- Graphics: Fast
- Render distance: 2-6 chunks
- Smooth Lighting: OFF
- Biome Blend: OFF
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.