How to Fix the Pixel Format If It Is Not Accelerated for "Minecraft"

"Minecraft" is a computer game created in 2009 by Markus Persson. At the time of publication, Minecraft was still in beta. The game’s appearance makes it look old, because it is pixelated and the characters, animals, world and crafted items are all made of blocks. After downloading the game, some players get an error screen reading: "org.lwjgl.LWJGLException: Pixel Format Not Accelerated." The game cannot be played with this error; either your computer’s resolution needs to be adjusted, or your graphics card drivers need to be updated.

Installing Updates

Click on your "Start" menu on the bottom left of your computer screen.

Click on "All Programs."

Click on "Windows Update."

Click "Check for updates." When available updates are shown, look for updates concerning your graphics card, video card driver or video card manufacturer — probably nVidia or Radeon.

Choose for Windows Update to update your graphics card's drivers.

Downloading Driver

Click on your "Start" menu on the bottom left of your computer screen.

Find and click on "Control Panel." If it does not display in "Classic View," change it by clicking "Classic View" on the left pane of the "Control Panel" screen.

Open "Hardware and Sound."

Open "Device Manager."

Locate "Display adapters" from the list of alphabetical options and double-click to find out what type of adapter your computer has. You can also right-click, then click on "Properties," to find this out.

Open your Internet browser and go to the nVidia or or AMD site to find and download the proper drivers for your nVidia or Radeon graphics card, respectively.

Find your nVidia card's drivers on the nVidia site by filling out all the information about your computer in the form on the main page and hitting "Search," then clicking "Download." For Radeon, fill out your computer's information, then click "Display Results," then "Download."

Once you downloaded the drivers package, run it to install the drivers following the directions provided. It will most likely ask your language, where you want to save it and other standard download questions. You may need to restart your computer before your updated drivers are initialized.

Fixing Resolution

Find and click on your "Start" menu on the bottom left of your computer screen.

Click on "Control Panel."

Double-click on "Display."

Click on "Adjust resolution." This may be different for computers older than Windows 7 — the resolution adjustment bar may be under the tab "Settings."

Adjust your resolution to the highest setting available, then click "OK."