Syncing Minecraft Worlds Across Computers

This keeps one set of Minecraft worlds stored in a shared folder so multiple computers use the same data. Works with OneDrive, Dropbox, Sync.com, Google Drive, iCloud (Windows), etc.

Minecraft continues to use its normal path, but the data actually lives in your shared folder.

Steps

1. Rename the existing folder

Rename the local .minecraft folder so nothing is lost.

%appdata%\.minecraft
→
%appdata%\.minecraft.BAK

2. Create the shared saves folder

Pick the sync service you use.

Examples:

OneDrive

%userprofile%\OneDrive\Minecraft

Dropbox

%userprofile%\Dropbox\Minecraft

Sync.com

%userprofile%\Sync\Minecraft

Google Drive

%userprofile%\Google Drive\Minecraft

Create the folder if it does not already exist, then inside it create:

saves

Copy your original %appdata%\.minecraft.BAK\saves into this new location.

3. Create the mklink

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

mklink /D "%appdata%\.minecraft" "%userprofile%\<Service>\Minecraft"

Example:

mklink /D "%appdata%\.minecraft" "%userprofile%\OneDrive\Minecraft"

Minecraft now reads and writes worlds directly inside the shared folder.

Undoing the mklink

Delete the link (it behaves like a normal folder):

%appdata%\.minecraft

Restore the backup:

.minecraft.BAK → .minecraft

If moving back to local-only storage, copy the “saves” folder back before restoring.

Notes

Do not play Minecraft concurrently on two computers using the same synced folder. Sync conflicts corrupt worlds.
Keep .minecraft.BAK until you’re confident the setup works.