Minecraft 1.4.2 is a major update packed with new blocks, mobs, and gameplay features. This version brought beacons, flower pots, item frames, anvils, witches, bats, and the Wither boss to the game. If you’re running an older version, updating is dead simple.
How to Update to 1.4.2
Just launch Minecraft and it’ll ask you to update. Click yes and you’re done. Your worlds and saves work fine with the new version. If you’re setting up a server, download the server.jar file below and follow the standard server setup steps.
New Blocks & Items in 1.4.2
Useful Blocks
Beacons give you status effects like Speed and Strength. Flower pots let you grow flowers indoors. Item frames hang items on walls for decoration or organization. Anvils repair and combine tools. Cobblestone walls are a new building option. Wooden buttons too.
Food & Combat Items
New food includes pumpkin pie, carrots, and potatoes. Carrots on a stick control pigs while you’re riding them. Mob heads can be placed as decoration. Leather armor can be dyed different colors.
New Mobs
Hostile Mobs
The Wither is a new boss mob you can summon. Witches spawn in swamps and drink healing potions in a fight. Bats fly around caves at night. There’s a new skeleton variant. Zombies can infect villagers and turn them into zombie villagers, but you can cure them with a weakness potion and golden apple.
Gameplay & Commands
Pick block in Creative Mode now clones items. Press 1 through 9 while hovering items to move them to your hotbar. New commands: /difficulty, /spawnpoint, /weather, /gamerule, and /clear. Target selectors work in commands. Maps start more zoomed in and can be extended. Redstone repeaters can lock into place. Nether portals now transport items and mobs. Adventure mode lets you place and remove blocks with the right tools.
Other Changes
New potion recipes, toggle for vertical sync, option to hide capes, superflat world customization, and improved server list. New sound effects and F3 debug improvements too. The wood log system changed for placing sideways logs. Spawn protection is now auto-disabled if there are no admins.
Download Minecraft 1.4.2
Client: Download Client
Server: Download Server
System Requirements
You need Java installed. Minimum 2GB RAM recommended. Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you’re using mods, make sure they support 1.4.2.