Help please, cant open files in X3 that I saved while trying X4 trial!

This is a MAJOR problem for me, I am unable to access hundreds of hours worth of files that I had made in X3 that I opened in X4 trial to test out the new features. I ended up saving almost all of my files in X4 after I was done working on them a bit and then I removed the X4 trial after the time is up and I have absolutly no access to hundreds of hour of work I had done in X3 because I get the massage that the files can not be imported or opened because they are not supported!! HELP, I cant purchase the upgrade right now and I NEED my files, they are my living. I am in major trouble and corel has some explaining to why I am missing days worth of work that I have already missed because I cant open anything. I checked support and it said I need the newest updates, which I already have.

  • The older versions of CorelDRAW never were able to open a file in newer CDR format, so you've verrry unluckily decided to set the CDR file version to 14.0 when saving

    Os -=[wOxxOm]=- CorelDRAW macros

    I ended up saving almost all of my files in X4 after I was done working on them a bit and then I removed the X4 trial after the time is up and I have absolutly no access to hundreds of hour of work I had done in X3

  • Sketch,

    Sorry, I don't know that any explanation from Corel is necessary. With each
    version of CorelDRAW, there is also a new file format to support the new
    features. In CorelDRAW X4, you can choose Save As and save back to the
    version of your choice. This is what you should have done when using the
    trial.
  • One word. BACKUPS!

    More words... "Never  experiment on  original  files  even  with  good backups. Always use  copies of the originals."

    In fact use incremental file naming for files you would never want to do over again from scratch. As good as the technology has gotten over the years, it's still best practices computer operation to save different  versions... eg: <Filename>ver1.cdr;  <Filename>ver2.cdr.  ...
    or more specific for you in this case... <Filename>verX4.cdr would probably be good... but do it from a copy of the original X3 file.

    Computers and computer programs are cantankerous creatures and it's possible for a file to get corrupted to the point where it's unrecoverable and therefore unusable.

    If you can't get X4 at this time... one possible solution is to find someone using it and ask them to "down version" critical files to X3 as you need them until you can afford to get X4. Or perhaps even load the trial version of X4 on another computer you have access to and do the work yourself.

    And...

    LEARN FILE MANAGEMENT! (It's worth it.) Smile

     

  • Hi Sketchbox,

    You may be able to get a trial extension for X4 (or download X4 to a friends computer), then open up your files in X4 and resave to X3 (when you save, there's a dropdown to select the version).  The layers may change a bit, but at least you'll be able to work on your files again in X3.

    Regards,
    Hendrik