FAQ¶
Warning
This page is very long and may be uncomfortable to navigate.
OptiFine¶
Which OptiFine edition should I get?¶
Note
This only applies to 1.7.10 and below.
OptiFine Ultra is the most popular edition.
OptiFine Ultra has the most optimizations and features that can increase FPS.
OptiFine Standard is more compatible with other mods.
OptiFine Light may be more helpful for underpowered laptops and notebooks, but it does not have any advanced features and is not compatible with ModLoader and Forge.
Do I have to configure OptiFine to get better FPS?¶
Usually no. OptiFine comes with many optimizations that should increase the FPS without any configuration. You can further increase the FPS by configuring the Video Settings and finding the trade-off between quality and performance that works best for you.
How can I configure OptiFine for best FPS?¶
Go to the Video Settings menu and look at the tooltip shown for every setting. It should show which value to set for better FPS and which for better quality.
Why are some world chunks flickering with OptiFine?¶
Most probably you have enabled "Chunk Loading: Multi-Core", but the graphics card driver does not support it properly.
To fix it go to the graphics card control panel and set "Threaded Optimization"/"OpenGL Threading" to OFF.
For best results disable it globally, not only for java.exe
or minecraft.exe
.

An example of how to disable threaded optimization for NVIDIA cards.¶
Why am I getting the same or less FPS with OptiFine installed?¶
OptiFine generally increases the FPS (200%+ is common) and in the worst case it should be the same as Vanilla Minecraft. There are many reasons why in some cases the FPS with OptiFine may be the same or lower than Vanilla:
You might have enabled some higher quality settings that can decrease the FPS (for example: Render Distance Extreme, Antialiasing, Anisotropic Filtering). To reset the Video Settings to their
default values go to
. * You might have enabled the FPS limiter in Video Settings * If you are using a HD texture pack, it most probably comes with some quality features that are not recognized by vanilla, but are active with OptiFine and can decrease the FPS. For example: Connected Textures, Custom Sky, Random Mobs, Custom Animations, etc. You can turn these OFF in the Video Settings if you do not need them. * OptiFine may not be installed properly. Make sure to install OptiFine last, so that no other mod is overwriting the OptiFine classes. Exceptions are mods which are specially designed to be installed after OptiFine. * There may be a mod conflict and Minecraft may be reporting a lot of errors in the error log. Check the Minecraft error log to see if this is the case (Magic Launcher can show the error log).To test properly make sure that you are using identical test conditions; same texture pack, same render distance, same world, etc.
Even if the average FPS reported in the debug screen is the same as vanilla, the gameplay with OptiFine should feel smoother and more fluid. There are several OptiFine options (Chunk Loading, Smooth FPS, Smooth World, etc) that can further reduce the lag spikes and stabilize the framerate.
Can I include OptiFine in my modpack?¶
Generally no, unless you have an explicit permission from us.
How do I open the output log?¶
In your launcher settings, go to the General
tab and tick the Open the output log when Minecraft: Java Edition starts
button

A tutorial with the steps circled in red¶
Why do I get a warning message when launching OptiFine?¶
A recent update was made to the vanilla Minecraft launcher, which now displays a warning message whenever the user tries launching a modified version of the game. This applies to all modified clients, including OptiFine, Forge, and Fabric.
This warning can be safely ignored.
I can't find OptiFine in my launcher!¶
Mojang updated the Minecraft launcher and added a toggle to show or hide modded versions of the game. Go to the "Installations" tab and make sure the Modded box is ticked.

A red arrow pointing to the "Modded" checkbox¶
I have a powerful graphics card, but Minecraft keeps using integrated graphics.¶
Note
These instructions only work for modern versions of Windows 10.
Open the Settings app.
Navigate to
System > Display
, and scroll down until you see "Graphics Settings".- Select "Browse", then locate and add
javaw.exe
. The location of this file will vary, but you can usually find it at
C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft Launcher\runtime\jre-x64\bin
.
- Select "Browse", then locate and add
Select "Java(TM) Platform SE Binary", and then select "Options".
Set the graphics preference to "High Performance", and then save.
Why isn't OptiFine open-source?¶
The core of OptiFine consists of many, various changes to Minecraft's rendering code. Rather than simple patches, these are significant reorganizations.
This means publishing the full source code of OptiFine would be a direct violation of Minecraft's EULA. Technically, it would be possible to extract the actual changes as patches, which can then be published to GitHub as source code.
However, there are a number of issues with this idea. First, OptiFine is built on a custom version of Mod Coder Pack. This non-standard version of MCP is used to allow OptiFine to start development on new versions of the game much, much earlier. During this time, official MCP mappings are either completely missing, or otherwise very unstable.
Unfortunately, according to the MCP license and Terms of Usage, modified versions of MCP scripts are not allowed to be distributed. This means that, even if OptiFine patches were released, nobody else would be able to collaborate on the code, defeating the entire purpose of going open-source. Even if somehow all of that was solved, this would still mean significantly changing how OptiFine development is handled. sp614x does not work on the mod using patches, which means he would have to either merge the patches manually, or completely change his entire workflow to use patches.
Changing the development process like this would not be a trivial task in the slightest.
In summary, due to a multitude of legal and technical complications, sp614x cannot make OptiFine open-source.
What happens if the developer disappears, or just gives up and quits?¶
Java programs are not difficult to decompile.
If sp614x ever went missing, virtually anyone with the right knowledge could decompile OptiFine in its entirety, compare it to decompiled vanilla Minecraft code, and extract the patches.
Alternatively, if sp614x ever decides to quit, he is willing to publish OptiFine's patches to GitHub. With that said, there are currently no plans to stop OptiFine development.
Either way, OptiFine can live again.
Where is OptiFine for Minecraft Bedrock Edition?¶
Danger
Anything claiming to be OptiFine for Bedrock, is completely unofficial, and most likely a scam or malware
The Bedrock Edition of Minecraft is not at all supported by OptiFine.
It uses an entirely different engine, and bears little resemblance to Java Edition.
What do the two numbers for FPS mean?¶
Average/Minimum. Minimum reflects the perceived framerate.
Donator Cape¶
How can I change the design of my cape?¶
You can login at the cape change page and select a new design. The cape change page has a timeout of 2 minutes and the cape has to be changed in this time.
How long does it take for the cape to get activated?¶
The cape is activated automatically when the donation payment is complete. Please note that some payment types (bank transfer, eCheck, etc) may take several days to complete. A notification email is sent to the donation email address when the cape is activated.
How can I check if the cape is active?¶
You can login at the cape change page. It will show the current cape design or a notification if the cape is not active. The cape change page can automatically correct upper/lowercase errors in the username.
I donated, but I did not receive a confirmation email and I do not see the cape. What can I do?¶
Most probably your donation was received without a username. You can login on the donator login page and assign a username for the cape. I got the confirmation email, but I do not see the cape on my player, what can I do? Please check that:
The username is correctly spelled, upper/lowercase matters
OptiFine is correctly installed (installation instructions)
The option
is ONThe option
is ONNo firewall or router is blocking OptiFine from accessing the OptiFine server where the cape is located
The cape is visible in single-player worlds. Some servers may modify the player name by adding tags or truncating it, which changes the player identity and the cape may not be displayed.
I gave the wrong username when donating, what can I do?¶
If the username capitalization is not correct (upper/lowercase wrong), then login on the cape change page and the capitalization should be automatically fixed.
If the username is still not correct, you can login on the donator login page where you can assign a new username.
How can I temporarily deactivate my cape?¶
You can deactivate and reactivate the cape on the cape change page.
How can I move my cape to another account?¶
You can move the cape to another username on the cape change page. After the cape is moved to a new username it can only be modified from the new account!
If you move the cape to a wrong username, you can recover it on the donator login page.
My cape was active, but it is now missing. How can I recover it?¶
You can recover the cape on the donator login page where you can assign a new username for the cape. The cape was most probably moved by someone who knows your Minecraft username (e-mail) and password. You should change your minecraft password to avoid the cape being moved again.
I can't access the Cape servers/Mojang servers!¶
There are many reasons why you could be blocked by the Cape servers or Mojang servers.
One of the reasons could be you have an antivirus installed that may be blocking the cape servers. You can close the antivirus to see if that helps.
Another one could be your ISP is blocking the cape servers. If this is the case, there is nothing we can do to fix this.
Or, you may have installed an app that is purposely blocking the cape servers. One of these apps is called Mantle. If you have this installed, open it, then press the unload button. If this doesn't help, uninstall Mantle. Press the Windows key, go to "Add or remove programs", and search for "Mantle". Then, press uninstall on "Mantle" or "Mantle Uninstaller". This should remove everything. Then restart your computer.
In some cases, you may have to manually remove a certain line in the host file. Here are the instructions:
Open Notepad with Administrator (Search "Notepad" in your Windows Search Bar, right click on it and press Run as Administrator), accept the prompt that comes up.
Press
File |->| Open
In the bottom right corner of the file window, change Text Documents (.txt) to All Files (.*)
Navigate to
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
Double click on
hosts
Delete the entire line that contains
s.optifine.net
or anything that containsmojang
.Press
Control + S
to save.Close Notepad and restart your computer.
Why can't I use the Mojang pattern for my banner cape?¶
The Mojang pattern (referred in the game as "Thing") is specifically disallowed to prevent impersonation of Mojang employees.

The culprit; the resemblance is uncanny¶
Why do I get the "Invalid cape design" error?¶
If the banner has more than 8 layers, that's why. There is a maximum of 8 patterns, not including the base color.
Your cape must also not include the Mojang logo pattern.
Why can't donators have custom capes?¶
There are a couple of reasons why this isn't allowed. Namely, impersonation of Minecon Capes, Mojang staff Capes, or any other official Minecraft cape.
Moderation of NSFW and or offensive Images also becomes an issue.
Users who do have a custom (non-banner) cape were only given for very specific reasons.
Please do not ask for a custom cape; the creator of OptiFine, sp614x, has stated that there will be no more custom image capes.
Why does my OptiFine cape not show on PvP clients?¶
Some PvP clients block OptiFine capes from showing, to promote buying their own cosmetics.
In general, OptiFine doesn't provide support for PvP clients, as most of them illegally redistribute OptiFine without permission.
OptiFine highly recommends using either standalone OptiFine or Forge with individual mods.
My OptiFine cape was stolen!¶
Important
Administrators can not and will not move capes for you
Login at https://optifine.net/login, and simply update the username for the cape. Make sure it is also marked as locked. If you cannot move the cape, just lock it for now and wait 24 hours before trying to update the username.
If you're not the person who made the donation for the cape, you will have to ask the original donator to perform these actions. If your friend gave you the cape, ask them.
In a majority of cases, the following steps are probably not be necessary. However, if you want to be absolutely sure you're safe, this is the way to go:
Scan your computer, and change your passwords immediately. This should include your email account, your Minecraft/Mojang account, and your OptiFine.net account. Ideally, it should also be in that exact order. All of this is to ensure no strangers have access to any of these relevant accounts.
After the passwords have been updated, log in at https://optifine.net/login and follow the same steps above.
I moved my cape to another account, but it just disappeared!¶
All OptiFine capes are immediately disabled when transferred. This change was made recently to prevent abuse.
The cape can be activated again by the new cape owner by opening the game and navigating to Options > Skin Customization > OptiFine Cape > Open Cape Editor
.
From here, the cape can be activated once again.
Why isn't my cape showing?¶
There are several reasons that your donator cape may not display in-game.
First, check that it's enabled in settings, at Skin Customization... > Cape: ON
, and Video Settings... > Details... > Show Capes: ON
.
If it does not show then, check that the cape is actually activated and linked to your Minecraft username.
You can do this by logging in at https://optifine.net/login, or opening the cape editor from in-game at Skin Customization... > OptiFine Cape... > Open Cape Editor
.
If it seems that your cape is no longer linked to your username, see this.
Finally, if you still cannot see the cape at this point, there is a very slim chance that your internet service provider may be caching certain things "for your convenience".
There have been a small number of cases where this was the issue, and the only solution was to temporarily switch to a mobile network. The cape should reappear on the normal connection within several days.
Will I have to update my cape if I change my Minecraft username?¶
No.
OptiFine will update your username automatically, but it may take up to 24 hours before this change goes into effect.
Can I change my donator e-mail?¶
Currently, no.
It is not known if this functionality will be added in the future.