V15 - parallel install

[Arcadia]

Will installing V15 alongside v14 on the same system cause any problems. Previously I have always uninstalled the old version before installing the new but this time I would like to keep both for a while till I have V15 setup and my template updated new third party library version set up etc before I change over competely. I assume as long as I install to a different folder in the graphisoft folder it should be fine? The WIBU key will work for both after the upgrade I guess.

[Barry Kelly]

Unless you are deserate for hard disk space then there is no need to uninstall the old versions.
New ones will automatically install in separate folders and don't interfear with each other.
In fact you can be running multiple copies of different versions all at the same time.
I like to keep the old versions installed just in case I ever need them.
Barry.

[Arcadia]

Good that sounds easy enough. Just out of curiosity how far back will v14 or v15 open files? Can you open v6.5 files with V14? In the future will V20 be able to open my old V12 files or should I at some stage go through and migrate all my old files to a newer version for better compatibility? I hope not as this would take quite some time.

[Barry Kelly]

Versions 14 & 15 can only read files back to version 8.1.
They can only write files to the previous version (i.e. 15 can oly write back to 14).
There is a full list of compatibility here...

http://www.archicadwiki.com/ArchiCAD%20versions

Who knows what newer versions will do.
You will also find that old versions will not run on future operating systems.
For example there are issues running version 10 on Windows 7 and there are similar isues with new Macs running old versions.

If a file is important and will be used in the future then it is probably wise to migrate it to new versions as they come along.
Maybe not for every version but certainly when it becomes apparent that an old version will no longer work.

Barry.

[Arcadia]

Thanks for the info Barry.