open files from 2002

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
December 18, 2025
2 replies
247 views

How can I open them today and convert for Ae2025? I don't have any old Ae installed

Here are some testfiles:

https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/05e4bdb6-8d62-4287-be45-df5d4717bd61

Import and export

Correct answer Warren Heaton

Hi, @simon0815:

Wow, project files from After Effects version 5.5 brings back some memories!

Pictured: Splash screen for Adobe After Effects 5.5

Those need to be opened in After Effects CS4 (version 9) and saved before they can be opened in After Effects 25.x.

Here's a download link to version 25.x versions of your AEPs:

https://f.io/XAcWXoog

It's a Zip archive on FrameIO and the presentation page can look like there's nothing to download. Click the download button at the upper right, and you should be good.
Pictured: FrameIO download link for a Zip archive with the Download button at the upper right.

Once the Zip archive is extracted, you'll see your original 5.5 projects, the intermediate 9.0 (CS4) projects, and the current 25.x projects. If you need to open these in a version of After Effects that is older than After Effects 25.x, the "cs4.aep" project files should open in it.
Pictured: After Effects version 25 projects highlighted in List View.

- Warren

Warren Heaton

Correct answer

Community Expert

Hi, @simon0815:

Wow, project files from After Effects version 5.5 brings back some memories!

Pictured: Splash screen for Adobe After Effects 5.5

Those need to be opened in After Effects CS4 (version 9) and saved before they can be opened in After Effects 25.x.

Here's a download link to version 25.x versions of your AEPs:

https://f.io/XAcWXoog

It's a Zip archive on FrameIO and the presentation page can look like there's nothing to download. Click the download button at the upper right, and you should be good.
Pictured: FrameIO download link for a Zip archive with the Download button at the upper right.

Once the Zip archive is extracted, you'll see your original 5.5 projects, the intermediate 9.0 (CS4) projects, and the current 25.x projects. If you need to open these in a version of After Effects that is older than After Effects 25.x, the "cs4.aep" project files should open in it.
Pictured: After Effects version 25 projects highlighted in List View.

- Warren

S

simon0815Author

Inspiring

Hi Warren

sorry for the late response. Holydays and the flu.

Thanks a lot for your work; it works! 😄

now i need the rest of the 89 files also 😄 No, just kidding. I was looking for my raw footage, but I figured out, to blow up it to HD it's not worth 😞 I can use the full final film which I have as PAL. sadly, I don't need all the old ae files 😞

thanks anyway!