There’s got to be a better way to do this. Actually, I know there’s a better way to do this, because Minecraft already does it in Java Edition.
How to try out snapshots in Minecraft Java Edition:
- Change the version in the launcher.
How to go back to the stable version:
- Change the version in the launcher.
How to try out betas in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition:
- Log in as someone who Microsoft knows is an adult, because Xbox Insider only allows 18 and up.
- Sign up for Xbox Insider
- Sign up for the Minecraft beta in Xbox Insider
- Download updates on your Microsoft Store apps and hope it installs the beta.
How to go back to the stable version:
- Leave the beta in Xbox Insider
- Download updates on your Microsoft Store apps and hope it goes back to the other version.
- Back up your saved games, which are buried deep in a hidden folder with cryptic names. Seriously, they’re in
$homedir\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\ - Uninstall Minecraft from every account on the computer, which will also erase all of your saved worlds, which is why you needed to back them up first. (oops.)
- Reinstall Minecraft
- Restore your saved games
There’s a known issue where leaving the beta doesn’t always work — especially if there are multiple accounts on the computer that have Minecraft installed. The only reliable fix so far is to uninstall every copy of Minecraft (Bedrock edition) on the computer, in every user’s account.
I’m just glad I found out that uninstalling the app deletes all your worlds before having to uninstall it on the kid’s login!
Oop Store
The Microsoft Store for Windows really feels a lot more fragile to me than either the standard run-an-installer paradigm or the Linux style package manager. I haven’t dug into its inner workings, but it seems like something that came out of the mobile and console ecosystems…and hasn’t been completely adapted to running on a general computer.
For example: Applications are only accessible for the user who installed them, like on Android. But sometimes it downloads the app all over again, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s not even clear how much is stored system-wide vs. per-user.
As near as I can tell, the Microsoft Store will only download the application if it’s newer than a version that’s already on the computer. So if the beta is newer than the stable release, and the beta still exists somewhere on the computer (like in another user’s account), it’ll just use that one instead of re-downloading it.
Unsaved
But regardless of how it handles multiple installations on the same computer, it’s inexcusable that there is literally no way to reinstall a broken copy of the game and keep your potentially years of progress on a world without first digging into a hidden folder, then through seven levels of folders with generic or cryptic names just to find your saved games and manually copying your saved games before you uninstall and reinstall the game.
It shouldn’t delete your games (at least not without asking).
And it should keep them somewhere you can find more easily.
