How to install OptiFine in MultiMC

OptiFine in MultiMC

The OptiFine installer requires that MC be installed in the default launcher and has opened the version of MC at least once.  Do this first.

1. Download OptiFine
2. Extract OptiFine 
  a. Double click the download from step 1
  b. Click Extract button
  c. Navigate to MultiMC instance you wish to install OptiFine into (C:\mc\MultiMC\instances\1.13\.minecraft\)
3. Move extracted Optifine to instance \ libraries folder (C:\mc\MultiMC\instances\1.13\libraries\)
4. In MultiMC edit instance, go to Version screen and select the Minecraft entry in the list.  Then click Add to Minecraft.jar
5. Select the OptiFine file you extracted and moved in step 3.

When I try to click on "add to Minecraft.jar" nothing happens. In fact the whole app just crashes on me. I'm on Mac OS so I know this is a common issue where Multi can't access folders for whatever reason. Is there any method to work around this problem?

My multi MC instances don't have the "libraries" folder.
Have no idea why.

Make it.

Thanks for this, seriously. I've referred to this three separate times now.

Thank you, I've wanted to get optifine for 1.17.1 on a multimc fabric instance without optifabric and this really helped

@jspanos71
I've improved the guide a little - can u update it?

# Install OptiFine in MultiMC

--------------------------------------------------


## Using the Default Launcher:

**Prerequisites:**
Start the Minecraft version you want to use (this will download needed files) and close it again

1. Download OptiFine (https://optifine.net/downloads)
2. Extract OptiFine
	+ Open OptiFine (¹↓)
	+ Click "Extract"
	+ Save it to the instance you want to use: `...\MultiMC\instances\<instance_name>\libraries\`
	+ You may need to create the 'libraries' folder
3. Import OptiFine
	+ Open MultiMC
	+ Select your instance
	+ Click on "Edit Instance" (right corner)
	+ Go to "Version" tab
	+ Select the "Minecraft" entry in the list
	+ Click "Add to Minecraft.jar" (right corner)
	+ Select OptiFine file

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## Using the MultiMC Launcher:

Please Note:

+ The OptiFine installer was made for the default launcher configuration.
+ In order to work properly, it needs a \.minecraft\ folder which includes the following subfolders:
	+ 'assets' - can be copied or linked from 'MultiMC' folder
	+ 'libraries' - can be copied or linked from 'MultiMC' folder
	+ 'versions' - containing the version you want to use
+ for the 'versions' folder, you need:
	+ `...\MultiMC\meta\net.minecraft\<version>.json`
	+ `...\MultiMC\libraries\com\mojang\minecraft\<version>\minecraft-<version>-client.jar`
+ the '.json' file goes right in, the other one needs to be renamed to '<version>.jar (like the json one)

Tip: On many systems and distributions, file managers provide an option to create a symbolic link to a file or folder. This way, you can just create symlinks from the files and folders and move them to the '.minecraft' folder. They can then be renamed to have their correct name.

-» And now, you can continue with step number two :)

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## How to open Java files ¹

+ Windows: double click the file (.jar) | Not working? See Mac procedure.
+ Linux: if double clicking doesnt work, you need to start it from the Terminal:
	+ cd ~/Downloads/ (navigate to the file's folder)
	+ java -jar OptiFine_1.[…].jar (start it with the Java Virtual Machine)
+ Mac: double click should do the job | if not, open the properties dialog of the file and change "Open With" to "Jar Launcher"

@jspanos71

I followed your instructions, including "Using the MultiMC Launcher" part since I do not have the default launcher. When I click extract it still says: Cannot find Minecraft 1.17.1.

@NA0341 Thank you so much for your reformatting! It worked for me!

Could you detail it with images like this? https://minecraftshader.com/how-to-install-optifine/

@Trevo525 Glad to hear this. Worked out this guide for myself bc there will be the time someone else needs it (me for example :D)

@jspanos71 I've improved the guide a little - can u update it?

• 'versions' - containing the version you want to use
• for the 'versions' folder, you need:
  • ...\MultiMC\meta\net.minecraft\<version>.json
  • ...\MultiMC\libraries\com\mojang\minecraft\<version>\minecraft-<version>-client.jar
• the '.json' file goes right in, the other one needs to be renamed to '.jar (like the json one)

May I add two more clarifications for Linux-systems:

• the ".minecraft"-folder allowing for Optifine-extraction needs to be created in $HOME
• the "versions"-folder to be created within, must contain another folder by the name of the version, e.g. 1.17.1
• the .json and .jar files go into that version-number-subfolder: $HOME/.minecraft/versions/1.17.1/1.17.1.jar (and 1.17.1.json)

I am sure that's what you meant, but your hints don't make it explicit.
Thanks for the otherwise very helpful hints (I am on a Raspberry Pi where you cannot run the "original launcher")!

I tried all of these options on my Linux box, and none of this worked. So I did this:

+ Create a new 1.17.1 Instance in MultiMC
+ Install Fabric to the new instance
+ Download and install OptiFabric from https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/optifabric
+ Download OptiFine from https://optifine.net/downloads and save the .JAR to the instance's mod folder
+ Optional - Install Shaders and ResourcePacks for that extra WOW factor
+ Grab a cold beer
+ Put feet up
+ Enjoy

Problem solved.

Thanks @EvilSupahFly :)

+ Download and install OptiFabric from https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/optifabric
+ Download OptiFine from https://optifine.net/downloads and save the .JAR to the instance's mod folder

This is working for me. Elaborating that both of these steps refer to the same mods folder. In my case, ~/.local/share/multimc/instances/1.18.1/.minecraft/mods.

FOR PEOPLE IN 1.17+

if its not working but you see (modded) in the menu screen, you have to open the MOD.jar with winrar or 7zip and copy the files in the notch folder into the main folder (the folder before the notch folder) and then it should work

FYI I don't even use OptiFine in 1.18+, but rather these fabric mods:

• Sodium (Good performance mod)
• Iris (Supports OptiFine shaders)
• Capes (Supports OptiFine capes)

I know this doesn't solve the problem for those needing OptiFine specifically, but as a "veteran" Minecraft player I wasn't aware of these mods' existence until recently.

This is a good tutorial, but as a beginner it took me a while to understand it. I had to go to this OptiFine guide to figure it out: https://texture-packs.com/mods/optifine/

I think it would help if screenshots were added.

Even when i run MC via official launcher before trying to install or extract OF, i still get the message, i have to run MC's official launcher first. Ehhh....

doesnt work for 1.17.1 (MultiMC-cracked)

I tried all of these options on my Linux box, and none of this worked. So I did this:

+ Create a new 1.17.1 Instance in MultiMC
+ Install Fabric to the new instance
+ Download and install OptiFabric from https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/optifabric
+ Download OptiFine from https://optifine.net/downloads and save the .JAR to the instance's mod folder
+ Optional - Install Shaders and ResourcePacks for that extra WOW factor
+ Grab a cold beer
+ Put feet up
+ Enjoy

Problem solved.

Follow this to install

Sodium is a really solid alternative for older PCs because OptiFine can be pretty resource intense. I haven't used it myself, but as far as I know, the procedures listed by both @nathanfranke for Sodium and myself for OptiFine should work on all versions of Minecraft from 1.16 and up. At the time of this comment, I've tested up to Minecraft 1.19.2 with OptiFabric-1.13.16 and OptiFine 1.19.2 HD U H9 . I should also note that grabbing a cold beer, as I suggested in my original Opti-Fine guide (above) is entirely optional. 😜

Could you do some more detailed tutorial like https://minecraftwild.com/optifine ?

just use the official wiki https://github.com/MultiMC/Launcher/wiki/MultiMC-and-OptiFine which predates this gist by 4 years

Don't you want to do a better tutorial something like this https://tlaunchertutorials.com/optifine/ ? It would help much more people and I believe we will appreciate it, at least me.

Didnt work for me. my log is
https://pastebin.com/5PFGiEHF

This only works up to Minecraft 1.19 as the author of OptiFabric hasn't updated for 1.20 yet. In the meantime, I was able to follow the directions at https://github.com/MultiMC/Launcher/wiki/MultiMC-and-OptiFine#minecraft-119-with-optifine-119_hd_u_h8_pre2 and simply replace 1.19_HD_U_H8_pre2 with 1.20_HD_U_I5_pre3 - the current version of OptiFine as of the time of this writing, and it works fine. Here's my .json for it:

{
    "formatVersion": 1,
    "name": "OptiFine",
    "+libraries": [
        {
            "name": "net.minecraft:launchwrapper:of-2.3",
            "url": "https://files.multimc.org/maven/"
        },
        {
            "name": "optifine:OptiFine:1.20_HD_U_I5_pre3",
            "MMC-hint": "local",
            "MMC-filename": "preview_OptiFine_1.20_HD_U_I5_pre3.jar"
        }
    ],
    "+tweakers": [ "optifine.OptiFineTweaker" ],
    "mainClass": "net.minecraft.launchwrapper.Launch",
    "requires": [
        {
            "uid": "net.minecraft",
            "equals": "1.20"
        }
    ],
    "uid": "optifine.OptiFine",
    "version": "1.20_HD_U_I5_pre3"
}

I dont see any libraries in my 1.19.2 folder

If you can make a tutorial on Optifine MCPE too, it would be appreciated. I found an article on that on internet Optifine for MCPE and I think it is good but misses some stuff.

Okay Ive had alot of issues with getting optifine with multimc as i couldnt get the optifine installer to extract. Im runninng multimc 5 V7 with minecraft 1.8.8 and this worked for me.

1. Create a new instance of minecraft for the verision you want to play (IN THE OFFICIAL LAUCHER!)
2. Start the game in the official launcher to complete the installation.
3. Close the game and navigate to Instanses in the official launcher and hover over your newley created instance. Press of the "file" button to open the explorer. (Or go to appdata/Roaming)
4. COPY the entire .minecraft folder and put it on a new folder on your desktop.
5. download optifine from https://optifine.net/downloads
6. When presented with the optifine installer press "Extract"
7. navigate to your Created folder with .minecraft in it and extract. you should now have optifine*****_mod.jar in there.
8. open multimc and create and instance for your desired minecraft verision.
9. select the instance and press "Edit Instance"
10. Press on "Verision" and press Add to minecraft.jar
11. Navigate to the Optifine*****_mod.jar file and select it
12. Enjoy!

I was looking into different ways to install OptiFine in MultiMC and came across this guide: https://minetutorial.com/optifine/. It explains the process pretty well, especially for newer versions. Thought it might be useful for anyone still having issues!