Worlds, mods and versions: Minecraft keeps all three forever
Every version you have launched, every world you have made and every modpack you tried are still there. Where, and what is safe.
Minecraft is small to download and large to keep. The launcher keeps every version you have ever run, worlds are kept forever, and modpacks each bring their own copy of everything.
Where it all is
$mc = "$env:APPDATA\.minecraft"
Get-ChildItem $mc -Directory -EA SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object {
$s = (Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -Force -File -EA SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object Length -Sum).Sum
[PSCustomObject]@{ MB = [math]::Round($s/1MB); Folder = $_.Name }
} | Sort-Object MB -Descending| Folder | What it is | Safe to remove |
|---|---|---|
saves | Your worlds | No. These are irreplaceable |
versions | Every game version launched | Old ones, yes |
libraries | Shared dependencies per version | With the versions |
assets | Textures and sounds, shared | Redownloaded |
logs and crash-reports | Diagnostics | Yes |
backups | World backups the launcher made | Check before removing |
Versions are the easy win
The launcher downloads a complete copy per version, and every snapshot you tried once is still there. Anything you no longer have a profile for is dead weight, and the game redownloads a version if you ever select it again.
Worlds are the opposite
A world exists only in that folder unless you copied it somewhere. There is no cloud copy for the Java edition, and a world removed is gone. Before any clearing, copy saves somewhere else, which is small enough to fit anywhere and is the only genuinely irreplaceable part.
Modpacks and third party launchers
Modded setups keep their own instance folders, each with a full copy of the game, its libraries and its mods, typically under a launcher's own directory rather than .minecraft. Five instances is five copies, and instances for packs you finished with are the largest easy reclaim on a modded machine.
The Bedrock edition is different
The Microsoft Store version stores under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages, in a protected folder, and its worlds sync to Xbox cloud saves when that is enabled. Manage it through the game rather than the file system, for the same reason as other packaged apps.
Common questions
Where does Minecraft store worlds on Windows?
Java edition keeps them in %APPDATA%\.minecraft\saves. The Microsoft Store Bedrock edition stores under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages in a protected folder and can sync to Xbox cloud saves.
Can I delete old Minecraft versions?
Yes. The versions folder holds a complete copy per version launched, including snapshots tried once. The launcher redownloads any version you select again.
Is it safe to delete the .minecraft folder?
Not without copying saves first. Worlds exist only in that folder for the Java edition, and there is no cloud copy to restore them from.
Why do modpacks use so much space?
Because each instance is a full copy of the game, its libraries and its mods. Five instances is five copies, and packs you have finished with are the largest easy reclaim.