How to Update a SkyFactory 5 Server | Safer 2026 Guide
SkyFactory 5 updates are usually routine on Forge 1.20.1, with one specific thing worth watching: the same jei-server.toml corruption that causes a 'reading world data' crash can resurface right after an update.
Already crash-looping? See the SkyFactory 5 crash-fix guide, or the SkyFactory 5 pack page.
1. Back up before updating
Resource-chain automation and sky-island builds represent real hours of progress. Take a full world backup before touching the pack, regardless of how minor the update looks.
2. Install the matching Forge server pack
- Download the server pack for your exact target version from CurseForge — not the client pack.
- Shut the server down with the stop command before swapping files.
- Install into a clean mods folder rather than layering the new version in place.
3. Watch for the jei-server.toml crash after updating
If the server stalls at the "reading world data" step on first boot after the update, that's the known JEI config corruption crash resurfacing. Rename or delete jei-server.toml and restart — it regenerates cleanly.
4. Match client and server versions
Players need the exact same pack version as the server; a mismatch shows up as join failures rather than a clean error, and is easy to misattribute to something else.
FAQ
Will an update break my auto-farms and resource chains?+
It shouldn't directly, but SkyFactory 5's progression is built on long automation chains that are sensitive to version drift mid-save. A backup before updating is the real protection, not an optional step.
My server won't boot after updating and stalls at 'reading world data' — what now?+
This is the known jei-server.toml corruption crash, and it can resurface after an update. Rename or delete the file so it regenerates cleanly, then restart.
Do I need to update Forge separately?+
No — the server pack bundles the matching Forge version for the target SkyFactory 5 release, so a clean server-pack install carries it automatically.
Update SkyFactory 5 without losing automation progress
CoalHost keeps automatic backups ahead of every update, so a SkyFactory 5 update that goes sideways is a rollback, not a redo.
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