How to Delete Backups in Minecraft

Old snapshots pile up fast if you back up your Minecraft server before every plugin test or configuration change. This guide shows you how to delete backups in Minecraft through the AMP game panel, the CubeCoders AMP interface that InMotion Hosting provides with Minecraft Hosting, so you can clear out backups you no longer need. It takes a handful of clicks.

Deleting a backup is permanent. Once you remove a stored backup from the AMP game panel, you cannot restore your server to that point again.

Prerequisites

• An active Minecraft Hosting plan with access to the AMP game panel.
• At least one existing backup listed under Stored Backups for the instance.

How to Delete Backups in Minecraft Using the AMP Game Panel

Follow these steps to remove a stored backup from a Minecraft server instance.

1. Log in to the AMP game panel.
2. Double-click the Minecraft instance you want to manage to open it.

3. Click Backups in the Main Menu. Every backup for the instance appears under the Stored Backups section.
4. Select the backup you want to delete so its row is highlighted.
5. Click Delete Local Copy.

Warning: Clicking Delete Local Copy removes that backup from the instance immediately. You cannot undo it, so check your selection before you click.

Deleting the backup frees that storage right away for new backups or world data, which matters if you back up often since world data grows as players explore new areas. If a step here does not behave as described, the next section covers the most common snags.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see any backups under Stored Backups

An empty Stored Backups list usually means no backup has been created for that instance yet, rather than a deleted or missing one. Create one from the same Backups screen: fill in Backup Name, add a description so you can tell it apart from future backups, then click Create Backup. See Minecraft Server Instance Management for more on managing instance-level settings.

I deleted the wrong backup

There is no undo for a deleted backup. If you still have other stored backups, select the most recent one that predates the change you were trying to reverse and click Restore Backup. Going forward, name each backup with the date and the change you are about to make (for example, “before-plugin-test”) so you can identify the right one at a glance before you delete anything.

I can’t click Delete Local Copy

Make sure you selected a backup from the Stored Backups list first. Delete Local Copy acts on the backup row that is highlighted, so nothing happens until one is selected. If the instance is currently restoring from a backup, wait for that process to finish before deleting anything else.

Conclusion

You now know how to delete backups in Minecraft from the AMP game panel and free up storage on your instance. Before your next big change, such as installing a new plugin, create a fresh backup with a descriptive name so you have a clean rollback point. See How to Add a Modpack to your Minecraft Server for a common example of when a pre-change backup pays off.