# New File Format?

**URL:** <https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925>\
**Category:** Dorico\
**Created:** [March 10, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925 "2022-03-10T00:04:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wcreed](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/wcreed/32/121032_2.png) [@wcreed](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/wcreed)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925/1 "2022-03-10T00:04:01Z")

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Is there a change in the file format with these maintenance updates? If not, why do we get this message?

![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/b/c/bc19eb36543ebae299bbdfc4ecc20b4c420bad50.png)

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**Author:** ![Romanos](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/romanos/32/1687_2.png) [@Romanos](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Romanos)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925/2 "2022-03-10T01:58:56Z")

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Because there are new features implemented in each version, and the program knows the difference. These warning dialogues have been present since at least 3.5. The file format itself hasn’t changed, just the amount of data it contains.

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**Author:** ![benwiggy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/benwiggy/32/1715_2.png) [@benwiggy](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/benwiggy)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 9:33am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925/3 "2022-03-10T09:33:13Z")

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There is an option to turn off these messages in Preferences.

It’s nothing to worry about. Each new update may include additions to the file structure, e.g. new options, parameters, etc.

You can still open new files in older versions (though newer features won’t be interpreted and may be lost on re-save).

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**Author:** ![dspreadbury](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/dspreadbury/32/328687_2.png) [@dspreadbury](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/dspreadbury)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/new-file-format/772925/4 "2022-03-10T18:43:36Z")

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Yes, we change Dorico’s file format frequently. Any time we add even a single new option, that is a file format change.

But you don’t need to worry about changes in file format. Dorico 1.0 can open files saved in Dorico 4.0, but obviously there will be a lot of data loss as Dorico 1.0 doesn’t know anything about (to name just a few things) chord symbols, chord diagrams, repeat endings, unpitched percussion kits, cues, condensing, markers and timecode, etc. etc.