MAXQDA 11 for Windows (as of version 11.1.1) and MAXQDA for Mac (as of version 11.2.3) can open MAXQDA 12 projects using the MAXQDA exchange file format. To open a MAXQDA 12 project in MAXQDA 11, proceed as follows:
- Open the project in MAXQDA 12.
- Select Project > Export MAXQDA exchange file. If the project accesses files that are stored in the remote data folder, MAXQDA will ask if these files should be bundled in a compressed ZIP file. If you select Yes, and have saved a large amount of data externally – such as large video files – this process may take a long time to complete.
- Open MAXQDA 11 and select Open existing project and click OK.
- Select MAXQDA Exchange file as the file type, navigate to the saved file and click Open. MAXQDA will search in the folder where the exchange file was saved for the compressed ZIP file, and automatically decompress the file in the remote data folder.
Note: MAXQDA 11 creates a new MAXQDA 11 project in MX11 format in the folder where the selected file is located. Please note that the conversion process can take several minutes to complete. MAXQDA will constantly display the progress of the conversion for your information.
Should MAXQDA 11 already open with a project, you can choose to open it directly through the main menu Project > Open MAXQDA Exchange File.
The following modifications will be made when the project is converted:
- Overlapping codes from PDF files will be split into multiple codes.
- Focus group documents and codes will become “normal” text documents and codes.
- The default color for codes will change from grey to green.
- Tables in text documents are counted as paragraphs in MAXQDA 12 and MAXQDA 11. In MAXQDA 11 for Windows paragraphs are also counted within a table. Therefore, please note when you open a project in MAXQDA 11 for Windows, the source data for coded segments in text documents that contain a table may change.
