# RW7 and RW6 side by side?

**URL:** <https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482>\
**Category:** RapidWeaver Classic\
**Created:** [December 7, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482 "2016-12-07T20:16:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robbeattie](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/robbeattie/32/78_2.png) [@robbeattie](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/robbeattie)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/1 "2016-12-07T20:16:55Z")

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Is it possible to run RW7 (latest stable build) side by side with RW6 and then migrate my stuff over bit by bit as and when I need to?

Or will everything get tangled up?

I don’t want to create a new user or anything like that unless I _absolutely_ have to.

TIA

Rob

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**Author:** ![zeebe](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/zeebe/32/22007_2.png) [@zeebe](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/zeebe)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/2 "2016-12-07T20:19:07Z")

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I have RW 5-7.2 beta running on this machine  
 ![](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/2X/a/a990497714537f064b598847ecad9b3414b59245.png)  
And have had RW 5, 6 and 7 (not the beta) all open at the same time

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**Author:** ![isaiah](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/isaiah/32/93_2.png) [@isaiah](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/isaiah)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/3 "2016-12-07T21:17:08Z")

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@zeebe - you are a crazy man!!!

But yes, I regularly run multiple versions too.

I think the only caveat is that some file-updates are not backward compatible. e.g.: Once you open a document in RW 7.1+ you cannot open in an earlier version of the app.

There are a few of these points here and there. Best rule-of-thumb is always move forward. In the rare case you need to go backward, use TimeMachine backup.

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**Author:** ![robbeattie](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/robbeattie/32/78_2.png) [@robbeattie](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/robbeattie)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/4 "2016-12-08T10:20:25Z")

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Impressive. So what’s the view on the latest most stable version? Which one should I download?

I’m planning to install, create a site with nothing but the standard features and publish.

If that works, I’ll add Stacks 3 and do the same.

I’m going to leave Rapidblog and PlusKit where they are for now.

If that works, I’ll then start to add some select stacks and use it as an excuse to prune my library of stuff that’s out of date or I never use.

Cautious, moi? 🕶

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**Author:** ![robbeattie](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/robbeattie/32/78_2.png) [@robbeattie](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/robbeattie)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/5 "2016-12-08T11:52:03Z")

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Interestingly, it looks as though I can’t do what I’ve described above. Sounds as though RW7 will automatically copy all of my add ons and plugins across whether I want it to or not?

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**Author:** ![isaiah](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/isaiah/32/93_2.png) [@isaiah](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/isaiah)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/rw7-and-rw6-side-by-side/11482/6 "2016-12-08T20:05:14Z")

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@robbeattie - i think it does that, but you can just uninstall things you don’t need. you are the master of your RW universe! 😛

i think, far and away, the best version of RW 7 is the very latest 7.2 beta. i would definitely skip 7.1 and go straight to that one. even though it’s a beta, it fixed several important data-loss bugs which seems well worth running the beta if you ask me.

isaiah