Upgrading FileMaker Pro from a previous version

If you are upgrading FileMaker Pro from a previous major version of FileMaker Pro (for example, from version 20 to 21), upgrade to the new version before uninstalling the previous version.

1. Install the upgrade using your license certificate file. See About specifying your license.

2. Move plug-ins, dictionary information, and your preferences to the new version of FileMaker Pro. See the Knowledge Base.

3. If you plan to use only the latest version, uninstall the previous version.

If you purchased FileMaker Pro as a single-license upgrade and choose to uninstall the previous version before upgrading to the latest version, make sure you have the license for the previous version. When you install FileMaker Pro with an upgrade license, if a previous version isn't installed, you are asked to provide the license for the previous version of the product.

Opening files from previous versions

Files created by any version of FileMaker Pro since version 12 are in the FileMaker Pro 12 file format and have the filename extension .fmp12. To use files created with versions earlier than 12, you'll need to convert them to the .fmp12 format.