1.3 update got you locked out of CF-UK server? Here is a solution

, Wed Feb 23 2011, 04:44AM

[EDIT: as of now, the main server has been upgraded to 1.3, so the original post is no longer necessary to log on. However, the same basic principles outlined below still apply for future MC updates, as the server will probably always lag behind the official MC version updates by a few days, in order to test the plugins that protect the map/players. Remember to backup your .minecraft folder PRIOR to any updates in the future!]





So, the regular server is still 1.2 while Broonie waits for the bukkit mod to be updated and tested. Thats no big deal, unless you are using the old minecraft launcher, which forces you to update to the latest version no matter what. So, if you already did that, you are stuck unless you can download the older 1.2 version. Even if you find the older version, your old launcher (minecraft.exe) will still force you to update. To prevent this, just log onto Minecraft.net and download the newest launcher. It will give you the option to skip updating Minecraft.

Unfortunately, there is a "gotcha"... and this is a BIG gotcha.... the newest launcher with the option to skip the update... does NOT CONNECT to minecraft.net most of the time. There are serious database and connectivity issues with the new launcher, but the old launcher connects just fine. Sounds like a Catch-22 doesn't it? Well, there is a solution to this madness....

Minecraft's launchers do not look at or inspect the java files on your hard drive to determine what version you are running. Instead, they use a simple text file in the /.minecraft/bin/ folder, called "version" (with no extension). Make a backup copy of that file, then open it with a text editor. In the file, there will be just one line of text, and it will be a string of numbers. That number, if you still have 1.2 version installed, will be 1295618277000. Replace that number with the version number from the 1.3 version file. It is
1298397074000. When the minecraft.exe launcher opens, it looks at that file, sees the version number 1298397074000, checks with the server upon login, and if they match, it does not attempt to change the files on your hard drive. So, you will essentially have a 1.2 install, that fools Minecraft.net into thinking its the 1.3 version.

This will only work till the next MC update, which could happen at anytime, since Mojang has a habit of releasing fast, small "quick fixes" after major patches. The mis-match in version numbers will trigger another forced update, because the version number I provided will no longer match the one on Minecraft.net's server. So, I strongly recommend that you back up the entire /.minecraft/ folder before starting any of this. Mark it as the 1.2 backup, then go back to the original .minecraft folder and modify the version file as I have outlined above. Log in with the old launcher (minecraft.exe), it will see the fake version number, then skip the update and you will be able to play on the regular CF-UK server.

A step by step:

1. navigate to your minecraft folder, on a windows 7 box it will be in the <drive>\Users\<computer user name>\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft

2. COPY the entire folder \.minecraft\ to somewhere safe

3. open the file <drive>\Users\<computer user name>\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\bin\version with a text editor

4. change the 1.2 version number of :
1295618277000

to the 1.3 version number, which is:
1298397074000

NOTE: be sure to carefully change the numbers, because there appears to be a leading space, but its actually a CR/LF character of some sort, so just don't mess with the first few characters in that file to be on the safe side.

5. use the old launcher to start the game, which avoid the down-time issues with the new launcher, and will be able to connect to minecraft.net in order to play online. Once you do this, log onto minecraft.crazy-fools.co.uk as normal.


If you have already upgraded to the new version of the launcher and the new version of the game, well, I can't help you find the old versions, but google it and you should be able to find it in the wild fairly quickly. The game version you are looking for is 1.2_02, and the launcher does not have a version number, but its easy to spot, its 228 KB in size, whereas the new launcher is 264 KB in size. Note... run antivirus scans on anything downloaded!!


I don't know where you will find your game/launcher files on Macs or *nix boxes, so I'm afraid I can't help you there. I'm sure both OS's have file searches though, so just search for "minecraft" on your local drives.