topic Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version in Installation & update

Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Xeryg — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:03:14 GMT

I'm needing to open a file that was originally created in Archicad 16. I've read the most common method is to open the file in Archicad 26 and save it there, but unfortunately every time I open the file, it'll tell me that I do not have a license to open it.
Other people in my office have tried it as well and have received the same warning.....

Is there an alternative solution to update the older file to open on the current version?

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Eduardo Rolon — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 22:47:47 GMT

That is a weird error. Screenshot?

Just a wild guess that the file might contain information from a plugin that you don't have installed.

You can try to Download AC18 and try to open it.

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Patrick M — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:50:50 GMT

I'm going to give this a bump, since this is a lot more critical than I think Graphisoft realizes. We all moved to the subscription license model, most of us reluctantly... but its the way things go. We were told that the new licenses could only work for archicad 15 or newer... fine... ok...
Well, as it turns out, I can not open archicad 25 or 26 with the new cloud license. Whats more, I can not open files older than AC17 with AC27 (the oldest version I can open with my license.
I get a warning that archicad "Cannot read legacy file version. (16.0) to use this file, open and resave it with archicad version 17-26, then try again". The problem is, when I try to open Archicad 26, I get a warning "Archicad License not found"... because of course...
...
So, whats the plan? I swear, just a year ago, I opened an Archicad 9 file with archicad 27, and was even able to open an older plotmaker file to get the pdfs saved out... suddenly a shift in the license paradigm, and we lose 20+ years of stored files?
Can we get a pln/pla reader or translator so that we can still at least access our files? This is kind of a big deal, and important to get an answer for soon.

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Lingwisyer — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:09:46 GMT

Wasn't everyone who did P2S suppose to get an AC25 key for continual access to old files?

https://www.graphisoft.com/en-au/campaigns/convert-to-subscription

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Barry Kelly — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:12:34 GMT

For Perpetual to Subscription conversion, your old software/hardware licenses will be converted to version 25 and you will have a cloud license for 26+.

To open old version files (pre version 19) we need to open in version 26 if you do not have an old perpetual license.

If 26 won't open, make sure you have the lates update installed as well.

On Windows machines, there is also a security update that should be installed, but it is not necessary for MAC machines as far as I know.

Barry.

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Patrick M — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:20:01 GMT

yeah, I am trying to track down that perpetual license. It was hosted on a server drive...
I'm more than a little disappointed that AC was able to open 20+ versions of Archicad until we moved to the new cloud keys... Now we have to keep some legacy key to access the last 2 decades of our work? a bit absurd... but I guess *** *** ** **** **,****

Re: Opening Archicad 16 files in latest version

Patrick M — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:00:43 GMT

so it appears that after updating AC26, I am able to open with my cloud license... thanks for clarifying that Jan!