Open *.imd in IMatch2020

[blanco]

Hello Mario,

I've used IMatch in 2005 and later but switched to Mac in 2009. I used Aperture on the Mac but Apple ended this program.
Since I couldn't find a DAM tool to replace IMatch on the Mac, I've installed Win10 on the Mac via Fusion. I've installed IMatch 2020 a couple of weeks ago from scratch, so no update from a recent version.

I try to open now my old database, with extension .imd. It seems that the current IMatch only lets me open *.imd5 files.
How do I make the jump to the latest version so I can open the *.imd? The help file says it goes by itself but I can't even open it?

Thanks for your help and great software!

[blanco]

Is this the way to go?

https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=3997.msg26746#msg26746

Update: I've managed to convert the imd to imd4 with imatch 3.6. I guess I will make it to imd5 now also :-)

[Mario]

A database converter for IMatch 3.x databases was included in IMatch 5, 5.5, 2017, 2018 and 2019 - until IMatch went 64-bit only. Several components in the database converter are not available for 64-bit.

I recommend you just create a new database in IMatch 2020 and index your files.
A lot has changed in image formats and metadata standards in the past decade since IMatch 3.x was current.
IMatch 2020 needs to re-create thumbnails and caches and re-process all metadata anyway.

If you have IMatch 3 running and you want to import your categories (and/or properties) in IMatch 2020, you can export categories (use the "with file links" format) and then import them into IMatch 2020 via the Importing & Exporting Categories feature.

See also this ancient knowledge-base article which discusses converting from IMatch 3 to 5:

https://www.photools.com/2928/upgrading-to-imatch-5/

especially section 4.1