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NBTExplorer is a low-level graphical NBT data editor originally based on NBTedit. The key difference is NBTExplorer's full support for Minecraft .mcr/.mca region files, a directory-tree interface for easily exploring multiple worlds, and support for the latest NBT standard. NBTExplorer is built on top of Substrate.

NBTExplorer can read:

• Standard NBT files (e.g. level.dat)
• Schematic files
• Uncompressed NBT files (e.g. idcounts.dat)
• Minecraft region files (*.mcr)
• Minecraft anvil files (*.mca)
• Cubic Chunks region files

The NBTExplorer zip and installer packages for Windows now include a second utility, NBTUtil.exe, for command-line control of NBT data. NBTUtil currently has a limited featureset compared to NBTExplorer.



Windows Users
NBTExplorer is a Windows .NET application, and requires .NET framework 2.0 or higher to run. Note: If you run Windows 8 or later, you may get a SmartScreen warning when first running the program. See the related FAQ entry for more information.

Linux Users
NBTExplorer has been tested for compatibility with recent Mono runtimes. Minimally, your system needs the mono-core and mono-winforms packages, or whatever set of packages is equivalent.



Mac Users
A Mac-specific version of NBTExplorer is available with a native UX. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. It will not run on 10.6, sorry.

As of August 22, 2013, I've begun signing NBTExplorer with an Apple Developer ID certificate. If you have GateKeeper configured to only allow software from the App Store, then you will need to change GateKeeper to allow running signed downloaded applications, or following these instructions to bypass GateKeeper:

If you have problems with the native client or you're running OS X 10.6 or older, you can still run the Windows version of NBTExplorer on your Mac by following the Linux instructions and installing the Mono runtime. You may still need to disable GateKeeper quarantine on the downloaded files.

Download: Windows / Linux (Version 2.8.0) [MSI installer or ZIP archive]
Download: Mac (Version 2.0.3)

Project Page: Github

I recommend backing up worlds before modifying them with this tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: NBTExplorer didn't save my changes -- why?

A: It's possible you forgot to save. The more likely answer is NBTExplorer did save your changes, and if you were to immediately re-open your world in NBTExplorer, you would see that your changes are still there. Instead, Minecraft erased or ignored your changes when you loaded your world. The most common trap is editing player settings or inventory on a single-player world and making your changes in a .dat file instead of in level.dat. Minecraft will overwrite your .dat file on load with the contents of the player tag in level.dat.

Q: I'm on Windows and NBTExplorer crashed on start / didn't run.

A: Did you get a message box listing one or more exceptions? Reply to this thread with the information so you can be better helped.

If you didn't get any message box though, or you only received a standard "program has stopped working" message box, then you have deeper issues with your .NET environment. Do any other .NET programs run on your computer? If yes, then try deleting the NBTExplorer.exe.config file that was installed / came with the zip. This will cause NBTExplorer to prefer the .NET 2.x/3.x framework over the 4.x framework, and may allow the program to run if your .NET 4.x framework is toast. You should still do something about that, of course.

Q: I'm on Windows and NBTExplorer crashed with a scary warning.

A: Windows 8 and later includes a program filter called "SmartScreen" that prevents unrecognized software from running. Its warning looks something like this:



If you see this screen, press the "More info" link to get a "Run Anyway" button. This will launch the program, and you shouldn't see the warning again unless you update NBTExplorer.

NBTExplorer is SAFE and has an established reputation in the Minecraft community. However, you don't need to take my word at face-value. The source code is publicly available for inspection, and you can download and build your own copy if you so wish.

SmartScreen builds up reputation on individual files. So you may see this warning if you download a freshly released update of NBTExplorer, but not if you download a version that has been out for a while. Unfortunately the permanent fix for this is to buy very expensive signing certificates that must be renewed annually, which is not viable for a free tool like this.

Q: The Mac version doesn't run on my Mac!

A: If you're running OSX 10.6.x or earlier, the Mac version is confirmed to not work. It has been tested and confirmed to work for people on 10.7.x and 10.8.x, although that may still not be a guarantee that it will work for you, or that it will be bug-free.

If you're having problems running the Mac-specific version of NBTExplorer, there is still a high probability that you can run the Windows/Linux version instead. thhinds has posted a more detailed set of instructions here. It won't be as pretty -- you'll get a very crude looking version of Windows UI styling instead of native OSX styling, but it should still do the job. I can't do anything about this unless an experienced Cocoa developer that also has some .NET/Mono experience is willing to step up and help me determine why it won't run on older versions of OSX.

Q: When I run the Mac version, I see: OSStatus error -67053

A: It has been reported that this is caused by Gatekeeper disallowing NBTExplorer from running because it is not a properly signed application. Please refer to the instructions in the "Mac Users" section above for bypassing GateKeeper's check. NOTE: As of August 22, 2013, I have begun signing NBTExplorer. Try downloading the latest version first.

Quote from Lachie1770»

So you can download a world from a server without OP/Permission???? This SHOULD be illegal...

I will not debate legality. But, this is more intended for downloading your own builds (because they're your builds) than stealing someone's world. You can't just grab everything immediately; it only downloads what you can see as you travel. And also, in many cases server owners are fine with this mod (example - hypixel staff recommending it for creating 3D renders). It depends, of course. And there is a mechanism in place for server owners if they need it.

• Navigate the world using familiar WASD controls and mouse aiming.
• Show the locations of dropped items, game entities including monsters and villagers, hidden ores, plus blocks with TileEntities and other Minecraft internals.
• Load saved games from current Minecraft versions, plus the older Classic and Indev versions.
• Limited support for Minecraft Pocket Edition saved games
• Export blocks and game entities as a .schematic file to be imported by MCEdit or compatible programs.
• Automatically fixes wool colors when importing and exporting between Minecraft PC, Classic, and Pocket editions!
• Double-click on a chest to change its contents, or double-click on a mob spawner to choose what spawns.
• Brush tool “paints” blocks in a round, diamond, or square shape with configurable size. Different brush modes will add new blocks, replace blocks, alter the top layer of the terrain or wear it down to smooth out rough objects.
• “Paste” brush allows you to import an object with a single click.
• “Flood Fill” brush will change all blocks that form a connected mass.
• Clone tool makes a copy of blocks and entities, optionally making multiple clones in a line or scaling the copy up or down.
• Clone and Import tools can rotate an object around any axis, or flip it horizontally or vertically.
• “Filter” plugins let users add functionality to MCEdit by writing Python code.
• Move the world’s spawn point, automatically removing blocks to make sure the spawn point is acceptable to Minecraft.
• Move and rotate any player in a single- or multiplayer world.
• Expand or contract the world’s size by adding or deleting chunks. Chunks are the basis of Minecraft’s “infinite” saved game format.
• Create new worlds or add chunks to existing worlds. The Minecraft Server can be harnessed to create natural terrain that meshes with the world’s existing seed. Flatlands can also be created at any height.
• “Analyze” feature counts the block and entity types in a selected area, optionally saving them to a .csv file.
• Maintenance commands can delete all blocks, entities, or chunks in a selected region. This is useful for getting a “corrupted” world back into a playable state.