Minecraft is one of the best video games that is available in the market. It provides very good gameplay and has millions of monthly active users. Recently, a lot of Minecraft users reported that when they open Minecraft, an error named “OpenGL error 1281: Invalid value” appears in the chatbox.
This is a very common Minecraft error and can be fixed in very few simple steps. Also, this error is very annoying as it keeps popping up in the chatbox disturbing the user.
So in this article, we will study in detail this opengl error 1281 in Minecraft. We will discuss what is OpenGL, what are the causes for this OpenGL error 1281, and the possible methods to fix this error. Stay tuned!!!
What is OpenGL in Minecraft:
OpenGL is an application programming interface(API) that interacts with the GPU to render 2D and 3D video graphics. The OpenGL settings are present in Minecraft to reduce the work on the GPU and enhance the performance of the game. It minimizes the load on the GPU by rendering only those images that are visible to the user
By default, the OpenGL settings are turned on in Minecraft. OpenGL is a necessary setting that must be turned on if you want smooth gameplay in Minecraft.
What are the causes for the OpenGL error 1281:
Usually, this error is just spam and does not affect the gameplay. However, sometimes the error causes a black screen and makes the game unplayable. So, here are the factors responsible for the OpenGL error 1281 that you must know to avoid in the future.
1. Conflict with Mods: A lot of gamers use mods in Minecraft. Sometimes the mod modules conflict with the game and that leads to the opengl error 1281.
2. Outdated Optifine: You can also face the opengl error 1281 if you use outdated Optifine(a Minecraft-based game optimization tool). So you must keep it up to date
3. Outdated Graphic drivers: An outdated graphic driver can also be the main culprit behind the opengl 1281 error in Minecraft
4. Shaders: If you use shaders to increase your Minecraft gameplay experience then you must know that a faulty or corrupted shader can also lead to the opengl error: 1281.
5. Java files: Minecraft is built using Java, so it makes use of java files in it application. If any of the files go missing or are corrupted then you might face the opengl error. This is very rare but if this is the cause then you might need to install java packages manually.
How to fix the OpenGL error: 1281 in Minecraft:
Here are few methods using which you can solve the Opengl Minecraft error 1281.
- Check the compatibility of the mods
- Remove the Shaders
- Update the Graphics drivers
- Update the outdated OptiFine
- Disable show GL errors
- Manually install java packages
- Reinstall Minecraft
Let us see each method in detail
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#1 Check the compatibility of the mods:
If the version of the mod that you have installed is not compatible with the version of Minecraft then you can face the openGL error in 1281. So to avoid this error you must install the mods that are compatible with the version of Minecraft. Also, the version of one mod must not clash with the version of another mod. That is why the versions of all the mods must be same.
So, it is better to turn off all the mods. However, if you want to use mods then you must keep the versions of all the mods the same or disable one mod at a time to find the faulty mod.
#2 Remove the Shaders:
Shaders optimize the game look from a block view to a better graphical view. We can say that the shaders take the Minecraft gameplay experience to another level.
But sometimes the shaders while optimizing the visuals conflict with the game modifications and cause the OpenGL error 1281. Usually, the error just pops in the chatbox, but in some cases the opengl 1281 error causes a black screen making the game unplayable.
Removing the shaders helped most of the users to fix this error so you should try removing the shaders from the game. However, if you don’t want to remove all the shaders from the game you can remove one shader at a time. In this way, you can point to the shader that is causing the error.
#3 Update the Graphics drivers:
Corrupted or outdated graphics driver can also cause Minecraft to throw the OpenGL error 1281. So you must keep the drivers on your system updated to the latest versions. Here are the steps to do it:
- Press Windows + r to open the run prompt. In that type “devmgmt.msc” and hit enter. It will open the device manager window.
- In the device manager window look for the Display adapter option. After you locate it click on the dropdown arrow in front of it or just double click on the Display adapters option.
- When you double click on display adapters it will list all the graphic drivers installed on the system.
- Right-click on each adapter one by one and click on the update driver option.
- Lastly, restart your computer to save the changes.
#4 Update the outdated OptiFine:
OptiFine is a third-party Minecraft optimization mod that helps Minecraft to run faster and look better with full support for HD textures and many configuration options.
The features of OptiFine include FPS boost, support for shaders, fog control, smart advanced OpenGL, Anisotropic filtering, better grass, clear water, etc. and much more. So, most Minecraft users use it in the game. However, sometimes instead of providing the services it causes errors like the OpenGL error 1281. The error is caused because the OptiFine version you are using is outdated.
So, you must always keep the OptiFIne updated to the latest version. You can download the latest version from here.
#5 Disable show GL errors:
If the OpenGL error 1281 in Minecraft only pops in the chatbox i.e. it does not affect your gaming experience then you can turn off the show GL errors from the settings. After you do it you will no longer see the annoying opengl error in the chatbox. Here are the steps to do it:
- Open your Minecraft application and go to options
- In that click on the video settings option and then navigate to the others option
- In the other settings, the window navigates to the Show GL Errors option.
- By default, it is set to On. Click on it to turn it Off. After that click on Done to save the changes
- Now, you can enjoy Minecraft without the irritating OpenGL error 1281 in the chatbox.
#6 Manually install Java packages:
As we know Minecraft is built using Java, so the Minecraft applications include java files. Minecraft by default installs the required java files to run the application. However, if the files get corrupted or lost during the installation then it may lead to errors like the OpenGL error:128.
So to fix it you need to manually add java packages to Minecraft. If you don’t know how to do it then here are the steps:
- Right-click on the desktop and click on the properties option. It will take you to the System window. In that check, the system type of your computer i.e. 64-bit or 32-bit.
- Now, open your browser and visit the Oracle website to download the java files. After you download it extract the files to a suitable location
- Next, copy the path of the location where you have extracted the java file and paste it at “C:\Program Files\Java” (for 32 bit) and “C:\Program Files (x86)\Java” (for 64 bit)
- Now open the Minecraft mod manager and click on Edit profile at the bottom of the window.
- After that check the executable file checkbox and replace it with the correct path.
- Lastly, restart your computer to apply the changes.
#7 Reinstall Minecraft:
If the above methods do not help you fix the OpenGL error 1281 then you can try reinstalling the Minecraft application. But before you uninstall you must know that all your files will be erased unless you took a backup of it. To reinstall Minecraft:
- Go to the control panel and click on uninstall a program under the Programs section.
- Locate the Minecraft application and right-click on it and click on uninstall.
- Now, open your browser and visit the official Minecraft website to download the latest version.
- Lastly, complete the installation process and login with the credentials. After this, you must not face the OpenGL error 1281 on your system.
Conclusion:
In the above article, we have discussed in detail the OpenGL error 1281 in Minecraft. We have also discussed the causes and the possible solutions to fix the error. Hope the above solutions help you fix the opengl error 1281 on your system.
Happy Gaming!!!