Macbook version 14 unable to open projetcs created with Windows version 11?

[DonaldVerity]

After 10+ years creating home videos in Premiere Elements Windows I recently switched to Macbook version 14. Today I loaded a previous project onto my Macbook but got a incompatability error when I tried to open it. Adobe support says it's because the project was created on a previous version. Does anyone else have experience opening projetcts created on previous versions? Or switching from Windows to Mac?

[Steve Grisetti]

For the most part, Premiere Elements is not backwards compatible. You can not open a project started in an older version of the program with a newer version of the program. In fact, trying to often corrupts the project file and makes it impossible to open in either version of the program!

In my books and on my site and on this forum we always recommend finishing your project in the same version you started it in.

The project files have also only recently become cross-platform. I don't believe you can open a project created in version 11 of the Windows version with the Mac version.

[DonaldVerity]

Thanks for the response. Is the summary correct?

-- If I upgarde both my Windows and Mac versions to Premier Elements 15, new projects will be cross-platform compatible? For example, I could rearchieve my Windows version 11 projects and view/edit on either computer?

-- Even version 15 won't open older archieved (typically to Blueray discs) projects? I'm not even sure I still have some of my older Windows versions on original installation discs And I don't think I can still download them.

I committed to Adobe Premier Elements many years ago and have stuck with it primarily for this multi-generational compatibily. I'm disappointed to learn that Adobe does not share this goal.

[Bill Sprague]

DonaldVerity wrote:

....... I'm not even sure I still have some of my older Windows versions on original installation discs And I don't think I can still download them.

You can get your old versions back but you need the serial numbers.  If you don't have them they may be on your Adobe account if you registered the software. 

Here is the place to get your old versions:

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/kb/premiere-elements-downloads.html

[DonaldVerity]

Thanks to everone for your advice. Very helpful. Much appreciated.

If your interested, search Youtube for dwverity to see some of my home videos.

[Steve Grisetti]

1) If you create a project in version 15, you will be able to open it on either your Mac or your PC. Although the PC version does have some features (Chroma Key, for instance) that the Mac version doesn't, so it's not entirely seamless.

2) You will NOT be able to open a version 11 project with version 15. Not without potential problems and possible corruption. Do not even attempt it on a Mac or a PC -- or if you do, make sure you save a copy of the original project file so you'll have it in case your attempt destroys your .prel.

[DonaldVerity]

I recently opened a version 11 video on my Windows computer using version 15 and archived it to an external drive. I then tried to open the archived .prel using version 15 on my Macbook Pro and I got an error "The project is not compatible with current version of Premiere Elements." Why can my Windows version 15 open a version 11 project and version 15 on Macbook Pro can't open a Windows version 15 project?

[Steve Grisetti]

Because it can't.

FWIW, newer  versions of the program are cross-platform. You can open a version 2018 project created on a Windows machine with the Mac version of the program. But older versions (like version 11) were not.

Also, I highly recommend trying to open a version 11 project with either the Mac or Windows version of Premiere Elements. The program isn't designed to be backwards compatible, and attempting to do so could corrupt your version 11 project and make it uneditable in any version.

[DonaldVerity]

I actually have no problem opening v. 11 projects in my Windows v 15. After I open them and reactive them aren’t they automatically converted to v. 15 format?

Don

[Steve Grisetti]

Sometimes. And sometimes they seem to have updated to version 15 but then they start developing weird problems. And sometimes they just corrupt and will never work again.