Installing and using different versions of CYPE software on the same computer
Installing multiple versions
To install multiple versions of CYPE software on the same computer, there are two different procedures to follow, depending on the version you currently have installed and the one you wish to install:
- Installing versions from different years
To install a version of CYPE software from a different year whilst keeping a version from another year installed on your hard drive (for example, if you wish to install the 2027 version whilst keeping the 2026 version), please consider the following.- The new installation is saved in a different folder to the previous one, so there is no need to make any changes to the name or folder structure.
- The new installation will overwrite the shortcut for the existing version, so we recommend renaming the old shortcut before installing the new version to ensure a new shortcut is created during the process.
After installing the second version, you can also rename the new CYPE icon that has been created on the Windows desktop. This will ensure that the two shortcuts to the different versions of the CYPE programs are clearly identified, and you will be able to access one or the other via these distinct links. - If you are installing apps via CYPE Menu, we recommend keeping two CYPE Menu entries with different year numbers and installing the apps for each year within the CYPE Menu for the corresponding year.
- Installing versions from the same year
To install a new version whilst retaining a previous version with the same year number (for example, installing 2026.c whilst retaining 2026.a), the new installation will overwrite both the installation folders and the shortcut. In this case, you have several options:- Carry out the new installation on a different physical hard drive, so that the folders are created in a different location.
- Carry out the new installation on a virtual drive within the same hard drive, for the same purpose.
- Carry out the new installation on the same hard drive by renaming the folders. For details of this process, see this link.
Using multiple versions
You cannot edit a project using a version of CYPE software earlier than the one in which it was originally created or edited. Once a project has been opened in a particular version, it can only be opened and edited using that version and later versions.
If you want to install two different versions of the CYPE programs at any point, before editing a project using a version higher than the one in which it was created, we recommend making a manual backup of that project using the earlier version. This will allow you to edit and work on the copy in the newer version, whilst retaining the original project for use with the earlier version.
However, when opening a project with a later version, the program will automatically create a backup by compressing the project into .cyp format in the "Backup" folder, within the directory where the project is located. This copy is saved with the original version so that it can be decompressed and edited using that version whenever you wish to work on it.
