5 Ways to Fix the Minecraft “Unable to Connect to World” Error on a Windows PC

Many Minecraft players have reported they can’t connect to new worlds because of an error that says, “Unable to connect to world.” For example, one player’s post on Reddit says, “I am trying to connect to someone else’s world, but I keep getting an ‘Unable to connect to world’ message.” That error occurs for some players when they try to connect to friends’ multiplayer Minecraft game worlds. That error can occur on Windows PCs and consoles. This is how you can fix the Minecraft “Unable to connect to world” error on a Windows 11/10 PC.

Remove and Readd Friends

First, try restarting your PC and Minecraft and re-adding friends for the multiplayer game world. Doing this can fix corrupted friend game lists in Minecraft. You can remove and re-add friends in Minecraft like this.

1. Start the Minecraft game.
2. Open the friends menu in Minecraft.
3. Select a friend to delete and the Remove Friend option.
   
   

   The Remove Friend option in Minecraft

4. Re-add the deleted friends by inviting them to the world again.

Execute a CheckNetIsolation Command

Executing a CheckNetIsolation PowerShell command for Minecraft is a potential fix for the Minecraft “Unable to connect to world” error some players have confirmed to work. That command enables a loopback exception for the Minecraft game app. This is how you can execute the CheckNetIsolation command.

1. Open the search box by pressing the Windows logo keyboard button + S.
2. Type in a PowerShell search phrase.
3. Select Run as administrator for the Windows PowerShell search result.
4. Next, input Get-AppxPackage | Select-String -Pattern “Minecraft” into PowerShell and press Return.
5. Select the text for the Minecraft package name shown and press Ctrl + C to copy it.
6. Input this command that must include the Minecraft package name you copied: CheckNetIsolation LoopbackExempt -a -n=”MINECRAFT_PACKAGE_NAME”.
   
   

   The CheckNetIsolation command

7. Press Enter to execute CheckNetIsolation command.

You will need to replace MINECRAFT_PACKAGE_NAME in the command for step six with the actual name of the Minecraft app shown in PowerShell. For example, that command should look something like this: CheckNetIsolation LoopbackExempt -a -n=”Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe”. However, the exact Minecraft app package name required can vary slightly.

Select the Xbox Account Option for Enabling Multiplayer

If you’ve installed the Minecraft MS Store app, make sure the join multiplayer setting is enabled within the Xbox app. That Xbox account setting determines the multiplayer configuration for the Minecraft MS Store app. You can enable the join multiplayer games option for your Xbox account as follows:

1. Open this Xbox login page.
2. Input your Microsoft account credentials into the login boxes.
3. Select an email address to send a confirmation code.
4. Open the email you’ve received with the confirmation code.
5. Input the code to log in to Xbox settings with your Microsoft account.
6. Click the Xbox Series XS, Xbox One, and Windows 10 devices Online Safety tab.
7. Select the To allow radio button for the Join multiplayer games option.
   
   

   The Join multiplayer games option

8. Click the Send button.

Turn off Windows Defender Firewall or Other Alternatives

Players confirm disabling Windows Defender Firewall can fix the Minecraft “Unable to connect to world” error. This is because that firewall, and others, can block Minecraft from establishing a connection with servers when the game isn’t allowed through it. Disabling Windows Defender Firewall before playing Minecraft is the most straightforward way to ensure it’s not blocking the game’s connectivity. You can turn off the Windows firewall by going through the steps on this Microsoft help webpage.

The Windows Defender Firewall settings

Many third-party firewalls can block Minecraft’s server connectivity much the same. Disable any third-party firewall on your PC if you have one installed. Also, look through the settings of any third-party antivirus app to see if it has a firewall component you can disable.

Update Your Minecraft Game

Connection issues can arise when playing old Minecraft game versions. To ensure you’re playing the latest Minecraft, try updating the game. You can update the Minecraft MS Store app and Java edition like this.

Minecraft MS Store App

1. Open the Microsoft Store on your PC.
2. Click Library to view a list of app updates.
   
   

   The Update option for Minecraft

3. Select Update all if you see Minecraft on the list of apps. Alternatively, click Update for the Minecraft app.

Minecraft Java

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
2. Select the Latest Release option on the drop-down menu.
   
   

   The Latest release option for Minecraft

3. Press Play to update the game.

Other Possible Ways to Fix the Minecraft “Unable to Connect to World” Error

The potential solutions above often work but might not fix the Minecraft “Unable to connect to world” error for everyone. You can also try applying these extra possible fixes for that issue.

• Install the latest driver for your PC’s internet network adapter.
• Set a new DSN server.
• Close the background processes with high network usage shown in Task Manager.
• Restore Explorer’s settings to default by pressing the reset button within the Advanced tab on the Internet Properties window.

Applying the potential fixes above will probably resolve the Minecraft “Unable to connect to world” issue for most Windows PC players. You can then connect to all worlds as required and enjoy the wonderful world of Minecraft again.