Installation Guide — Fabric, Forge, and Client Setup

This guide walks through installing a Minecraft client on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The process has four steps: install the loader, download the client, place the file in the mods folder, and launch Minecraft with the correct profile.

Quick answer

Install Fabric Loader for your Minecraft version, download the client .jar from its official source, place the .jar in the mods folder, and launch Minecraft using the Fabric profile. For legacy 1.8 clients, use Forge. Verify the SHA-256 hash before running any file.

Step 1 — Choose a client

Start from the client's page in our database. Each page lists the supported Minecraft versions, the loader requirement, the file size, and the source link. Confirm that the client supports the Minecraft version you intend to use.

Step 2 — Install the loader

Fabric (most modern clients)

  1. Open fabricmc.net/use.
  2. Download the Fabric Installer for your operating system.
  3. Run the installer. Select the Minecraft version that matches your client.
  4. Choose "Install" — this creates a new launcher profile called "fabric-loader-<version>".

Forge (legacy 1.8 clients)

  1. Open files.minecraftforge.net.
  2. Select the Minecraft version your client targets (commonly 1.8.9).
  3. Download the Forge installer and run it.
  4. Choose "Install client" — this creates a Forge profile in your launcher.

Step 3 — Download the client

Download the client archive from the source linked on its page. Verify the SHA-256 hash against the value listed under Security Verification. Do not skip this step — a mismatch means the file is not what we documented.

See how to verify SHA-256 hashes for your operating system.

Step 4 — Locate the mods folder

The Minecraft directory is in a different location depending on your operating system:

OS Default Minecraft directory
Windows %appdata%\.minecraft
macOS ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft
Linux ~/.minecraft

Inside the Minecraft directory, look for the mods folder. If it does not exist, create it. The folder name is case-sensitive on macOS and Linux.

Step 5 — Place the client file

Extract the downloaded archive if it is a .zip. Some clients ship as a single .jar file. Place the .jar directly into the mods folder. Do not nest folders inside mods — every .jar must be at the top level of the folder.

Step 6 — Launch Minecraft

  1. Open the Minecraft launcher.
  2. Select the profile created by Fabric or Forge.
  3. Confirm the profile is set to the correct Minecraft version.
  4. Click Play.

On first launch, the client may take additional time to initialize. Once the main menu loads, use the client's default keybind to open its menu. Default keybinds for common clients are listed on each client's page.

Verifying the installation

A successful installation shows the following signs:

  • Minecraft loads past the initial splash screen without a crash.
  • The client's menu opens when the default keybind is pressed.
  • The Fabric or Forge mod list includes the client's .jar.

If any of these fail, see the troubleshooting guide.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong loader version. Fabric Loader for 1.21.1 will not work with a client built for 1.21.5.
  • Nested folders. Placing a folder into mods instead of the .jar file itself.
  • Wrong profile. Launching the vanilla profile instead of the Fabric or Forge profile.
  • Skipped hash check. Running a file without verifying that it matches the documented hash.
  • Multiple clients. Loading two clients in the same profile can cause conflicts. Use separate profiles for each client.
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