How to Fix Minecraft OpenGL Errors [Full Guide]

Sometimes, Minecraft users run into OpenGL errors while playing the game. OpenGL is a feature in Minecraft that reduces the rendering and makes it smoother. The articles discuss the fixes to resolve such OpenGL errors for Minecraft users.

Modern games are equipped with features that improve the overall gaming experience for the users. One such feature is OpenGL, in Minecraft, it enhances the gameplay by reducing the rendering with the coordination of GPU. The users face this issue due to the out-of-date graphics cards, third-party shaders, and mods. Let us know how to solve these Minecraft OpenGL errors and get back to gaming.  

Open GL (Open Graphics Library) is a default setting in Minecraft. This feature enhances the gameplay by improving the graphics, thereby running it much faster and smoother. Most players prefer to keep this setting enabled due to its advantages, even after knowing it could cause an error. Even if you are playing the game on the best processor or the latest version, there is always a possibility of errors showing up.

The Minecraft OpenGL errors are due to the involvement of third-party modules, files, and drivers. Luckily, we can eliminate or reduce the possibility of such errors using the simple fixes below.

These are some of the common OpenGL errors that halt your play:

1. Minecraft was unable to start because it failed to find an accelerated OpenGL mode.
2. Graphics drivers error.
3. The driver does not appear to support OpenGL.
4. OpenGL profile is requested but is unavailable.
5. Etc.

Solutions to fix the Minecraft OpenGL Errors

Let's take a look at these approaches one by one.

Update the Graphic card drivers

The current generation of games requires robust graphic cards to display the player's view with high-end graphics. The Graphic card drivers play a significant role in communicating with the GPU and hardware to make the frame rates much smoother. If the drivers of out of date, they might suppress the OpenGL feature and cause an error. In such cases, you must ensure your driver and graphic cards are up to date.

The steps to update your Graphics card driver using the Device Manager.

Step 1. Press the Windows + X simultaneously and click on "Device Manager" in the options.

Step 2. In the driver's section, expand the "Display Adapters."

Step 3. Choose your graphic card, right-click on it and click on "Update driver".

You can also update or download the graphic card drivers from the official sites. Go to the website, choose the compatible driver which supports the game and the operating system, and download it. The links to the sites of Nvidia and AMD are here.

Disable or Remove Shaders and Mods

The Shaders are responsible for the various terrains and settings in the game. They act like mini-mods and let you tweak into the game modes like summer and winter.

When it comes to Mods, especially user-defined ones, help in extending the possibilities of the game, Minecraft hugely supports the mods to enhance the game environment and playability by adding various specs like worlds, costumes, characters, settings, rendering, and missions, and almost mods are available for every feature in the game.

However, both shaders and mods must interfere with the game's internal software to work out all these things. Sometimes, due to this, we can see errors in the game. This could be due to one of the shaders or mods or all in some cases. To avoid glitches in the software because of shaders and mods, we must remove or manage them.

Steps to manage the Minecraft Shaders and mods:

Step 1. Press Windows + R to open the Run app.

Step 2. Type %AppData% and press "Enter."

Step 3. For Shaders:

Minecraft-> Resourcepacks->Shaderpacks

Step 4. For Mods:

Minecraft-> Mods.

Step 5. Manage the shaders and mods and try playing the game to see if any OpenGL occurs again.

If the issue is still there, continue reading to try other fixes.

Turn Off OpenGL in Minecraft

The OpenGL feature is enabled by default. If you have a good graphics card and an advanced computer to play the game, you can turn this feature off through settings. It is better not to have this feature rather than constantly facing the error.

Steps to turn off OpenGL:

Step 1. Open Minecraft, Under Options choose "video settings."

Step 2. Search for "Advanced OpenGL" settings and turn it off.

Step 3. Save the changes and restart the game.

Turn Off showing OpenGL Errors

The Minecraft video setting includes halting the game from showing the errors in the chat box. You can turn off this setting and the system won't show the error even if it encounters the problem.

Steps to disable this feature:

Step 1. Open Minecraft, and navigate to options.

Step 2. Select the video settings and click on "others."

Step 3. Turn off the "Show GL Errors" feature and save changes.

Update or Rollback Windows Update

Every PC needs to meet the game's minimum requirements to avoid interruptions while playing the game. The Windows software should be up to date to support the game, so it is essential to have the latest version to back the game.

Updating the OS on Windows 10/11:

Step 1. Press Windows + I to open the "settings."

Step 2. Navigate to "Windows Update" on Windows 11 and "Update and Security" on Windows 10.

Step 3. Check for the Updates and download the available updates.

Step 4. Restart the device to see the changes.

In some cases, it is also possible that one of the recent updates might be causing the OpenGL issue. The way to notice this is if you are facing an error after recently updating your system. You may have to roll back those updates and see the changes.

To uninstall Updates:

In the Windows update windows, you can see the update history. Go to that section, and navigate to "Uninstall Updates". Right-click on the recent update, and Uninstall.

If you are facing an OpenGL error with an error code, and the issue is not going away, enter the error code along with the Microsoft Community and find the solutions.

Reinstall Minecraft

The last option you would like to try is reinstalling the Minecraft game. If none of the above fixes could solve your problem, reinstalling is the last option at the cost of losing all your user data with Minecraft.

This action will remove all the game's shaders, mods, and corrupt files, but you will have to start again as new. This might hurt a little if you have an outstanding gaming record, but it is the last viable option to continue playing without errors.

To uninstall Minecraft along with all the files belonging to it:

Step 1. Press Windows + R to open the run app.

Step 2. Type appwiz.cpl and click "OK."

Step 3. Find Minecraft, right-click on it, and select Uninstall.

Step 4. Reinstall the game and start playing.

You can also try updating your Java files if you are using the Minecraft Java Version. Learn more about it in this article by SportsKeeda.

Final Verdict

Minecraft OpenGL errors are quite common in the game. Though the software enhances the game, it is also possible for it to cause some mistakes. The errors are mainly due to third-party mods and files. The main reason for these fixes is to eliminate or manage those mods to get back to gaming. The other causes also have with the supporting software, as it is a high-end game. I hope the fixes are helpful to you in solving the error.

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