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Francis-Crossman17221443
Community Manager
Community Manager
September 5, 2023

Premiere projects saved in v25.6.0 cannot be opened in other v25.x versions

  • September 5, 2023
  • 168 replies
  • 12054 views

We are aware that customers who saved projects in Premiere v25.6.0 may find that those files now open only in v26 (beta) and cannot be opened in v25 versions. We know this is disruptive, and we’re working on a fix. 

 

What you need to know: 

  • Projects saved in v25.6.0 save in the v26 version format. 
  • Because of this, they can’t be opened in earlier versions, including v25.6.1 (even though it is the current generally available release) 
  • We’re developing a tool that will let you convert affected projects back to a v25-compatible file.  

 

Our Solution 

We’re building a small app that will convert a v25.6.0-saved project back to the v25 format. We’ll share more information, including availability and instructions, as soon as the tool is ready in the coming days.  

 

We know that there is nothing more important than the reliability of a project file, so we’re working with urgency to get this downgrade tool in your hands as quickly as possible. 

 

We know there are a number of downgrading apps available online, but we strongly recommend utilizing our tool when it becomes available. Non-Adobe apps and scripts are often outdated and may cause crashes and data loss.  

 

Further Details 

A bug caused Premiere v25.6.0 to prompt customers to enable Object Masking even though it is not yet in full release. Object Masking (and our yearly major version update) changes the Premiere project file structure such that it can only be opened in v26, which is only available in public beta. Turning this on caused projects to save in the newer v26 project format, even though users were still technically on the v25 release line. 

 

Opening an older project in v25.6.0 triggered a prompt to save a copy of the project with “_1” appended. We know that many customers upgraded the project and continued working in the new copy, potentially also deleting the original. This means the only active version became the file saved in v26 format. 

 

Premiere 25.6.0 was only available briefly before being replaced by 25.6.1 and is no longer available to reinstall. This means impacted users who auto updated to 25.6.1 cannot open v26 formatted projects. 

168 replies

Known Participant
November 20, 2025

This has become THE most confusing bug/issue I have ever been through with Adobe. Are we now just sitting and waiting for a second fix? Adobe chat support just wasted an hour of my time telling me to install the Beta, open the project, export a Final Cut Pro XML file, then open 25.6.1, create a new project, and Import the XML file. The Export feature only exports individual sequences, from the experience I just had, so not really a workaround at all. This is all a joke.

Participant
November 20, 2025

I have updated premiere pro to V25.6 which converted my all projects to 2026, Now Premiere Pro released 25.6.1 which can't open those all projects. I loose all the work which I did in current project if I opened name_1.prproj file.

 

Such a bad and disgusting thing from developers that they released updates without verifying.

R Neil Haugen
Legend
November 20, 2025

That project thinks it is a 26.x version, not a 25.x. So that is why it won't open in the 25.6.1 update, but will in the current public beta.

 

Project files are actually a 'zipped' file, so if you look up online how to unzip a .prproj file, you can see how to fairly easily find and replace the version number. Or use the public beta with it as-is.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
Participant
November 20, 2025

I have updated premiere pro to V25.6 which converted my all projects to 2026, Now Premiere Pro released 25.6.1 which can't open those all projects

Participant
November 20, 2025

 tried to open a old project file from 25.5 then updated to 25.6.1 and I get this messege. I don't understand why it says it was saved in a newer version when it was saved in a older. How do I fix this I have tried

- clearing cache

- re- downloading Premiere

- Tried going to the older version

- tried reseting premiere's prefences 

- I cant even import the old file into a new project

 

I don't know what to do if anyone can provide a fix that would be great thank you

Known Participant
November 20, 2025

What is going on with this update? It is NOT solved. A project I started working on with yesterday's rolled back version will not open with 25.6.1. Someone please help.

Participant
November 20, 2025

Autosaves are not working any better than the original project.   However, I was able to open my project in Premiere Beta 26.0.0 (Build 31) and saved with a new name.  Then tried to open in 25.6.1.   I still get the "newer project" error and can't open.   Would be nice to work in a version that's not Beta, but I guess beggers can't be choosers.

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 20, 2025

You're welcome. 

Participant
November 20, 2025

Preciso de ajuda. O meu premiere está apresentando erro ao tentar abrir a versão de um projeto que salvei ontem a noite. Ocorre que não houve atualização de dowgrad, entretanto o porjeto informa que foi criado em versão mais recente. 

 

 

R Neil Haugen
Legend
November 20, 2025

I'm assuming you had installed 25.6.0. Then perhaps tried to use 25.5 or the replacement 25.6.1. And got this message.

 

The problem is that 25.6.0 changed the project file header number for Premiere version from 25.x to 26.x ... which is only available at this time in the public beta version. Which anyone can install alongside the 'normal' release.

 

So you have three practical options:

 

1) Install the 26.x public beta, and work the project in that.

 

2) look in your autosaves for one that will work in 25.6.1 , and hopefully you don't lose too much work, or ...

 

3) look online for the process to manually change the project version in the project file header. Which is actually very easy and fast to do.

 

Project files are zipped files, and if you unzip them, you can actually read the data there. Near the top is a number that is to Premiere the major version number. Change that to the number for the 25.x series, re-zip the file, and it will work in any 25.x build.

 

There are specific instructions online for which number on which line to change. Takes a minute or two.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
Participating Frequently
November 20, 2025

@Peru Bob: Thank you! Installing the beta got me working again, which means the 12 hours I spent editing over the past two days weren't wasted.

 

Also, for anyone following, my Workspaces didn't come over in the beta, even with the Import Workspaces from Project option enabled. I'm on macOS, so I had to copy the ArchivedLayouts (folder), Layouts (folder), and LayoutsWorkspaceConfig.xml file to:

 

[drive name]>Users>[username]>Documents>Adobe>Premiere Pro (beta)>26.0>Profile-[Workspace name].

 

That way, I didn't have to rebuild a new Workspace.

 

Thanks!