Converting .mxd after downgrade

[DarrenPerrett1]

Hello,

I have recently had to downgrade from 10.3.1 to 10.2.2 (trial ran out). I have hundreds of .mxd files that I didn't do a Save as Copy beforehand. Is there any way to convert these now so that I can open them in 10.2.2?

Most of the posts I have found on this topic assume that you have access to the newer version.

Thanks

[DanPatterson_Retired]

And I suppose you have tried using an evaluation version to do the save as copy?

[DarrenPerrett1]

I'm trying to avoid having to find another computer to install a trial version on just so I can resave all of my .mxds. I don't have admin right where I work, so it would be a pain.

My backup plan is to install the trial at home, and bring home the mxds that I need to reopen. I was wondering, in order to do a save a copy, do all the shapefiles that accompany the mxd need to be present. Or can I just open the mxd, have it fail to find the data sources, change nothing and resave it?

[DarrenPerrett1]

I also wanted to add, that I find it kind of shocking that in this day and age, another tool/work around that doesn't involve reinstalling another version of the program hasn't been developed.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Might be a good suggestion for a utility to do this... https://community.esri.com/community/arcgis-ideas?sr=search&searchId=c06cff60-94b0-4495-992d-df7f465...‌

[DanaNolan]

Yes, but with a huge caveat. Most of my maps in folders named "older" have broken links and they open OK, albeit extremely slowly if the links were to SDE.

However, much of the symbology and definition queries, labeling rules, may not be visible until you fix the links. An you may lose some of this.

If you had created any .lyr files in 10.3, they usually work in 10.2, but not always.

[MelitaKennedy]

I'm just speculating based on what I little I know about ArcGIS. Part of the save-as-previous-version code is checking various libraries on what was or wasn't supported at that particular version. Because that information is likely in multiple dlls, it might not be easy have a stand-alone utility that doesn't need the entire software.

(Esri employee, but I work at the bottom of the software stack, mostly)