MetaEdit+ - .mec file in different version of MetaEdit+

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.mec file in different version of MetaEdit+

Printed From: MetaCase
Category:
Forum Name: MetaEdit+
Forum Description: All topics relating to MetaEdit+ or DSM
URL: https://www.metacase.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=865
Printed Date: 26.Mar.2026 at 22:50
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: .mec file in different version of MetaEdit+

Posted By: manan7990
Subject: .mec file in different version of MetaEdit+
Date Posted: 04.May.2017 at 11:12

I am using MetaEdit+ 5.5 and want to open a .mec file (this file was created in MetaEdit+ 5.1).
Is it possible to do this?

I tried to open the .mec file in MetaEdit 5.5 and got an error message saying - Sorry, "c:\Users\...\xxx.mec" in not a valid patch file for MetaEdit+ 5.5, only for 5.1

Replies:

Posted By: stevek
Date Posted: 04.May.2017 at 11:51

The .mec and .met files are binary and only compatible within the same MetaEdit+ version. (The .mxm and .mxt XML files are forwards compatible and largely backwards compatible too.)

To use data from a 5.1 mec file, you can return to a copy of the 5.1 repository that produced it, log into it with 5.5 to upgrade it, and re-export a 5.5 .mec. If you don't have the original 5.1 repository, you can create an empty repository with 5.1 and import the 5.1 mec there, then upgrade it to 5.5 by logging in with 5.5.

Posted By: stevek
Date Posted: 09.Dec.2025 at 12:30

For the similar question:

"I am using MetaEdit+ 5.6 and want to open a .mec file created in MetaEdit+ 5.5"

The .mec, .met and .mep files are binary and only compatible within the same MetaEdit+ version.

To use data from a 5.5 mec file, you can return to a copy of the 5.5 repository that produced it, and simply log into it with 5.6 (no conversion necessary). If you don't have the original 5.5 repository, you can create an empty repository with 5.5 and import the 5.5 mec there, then log in with 5.6. (It’s fine to have multiple versions of MetaEdit+ installed; you’ll just need to give a different directory for each in the installation process.)