: By: Derek Moran; In: FAQs; Published: 13 November 2017; Last Updated: 02 September 2022

Q: How to open Vegas Movie Studio .vf or Vegas Pro .veg project files in different versions of Vegas Movie Studio / Vegas Pro ?

Answer: Set the .vf or .veg File Type to associate with the correct version of Vegas Movie Studio or Vegas Pro you want to use by default in Windows.

When you open a previously saved Vegas Movie Studio .vf or Vegas Pro .veg project file, by double-clicking the .vf or .veg file in Documents, the project will open up in the version of Vegas you have told Windows/Vegas to use.

When you have different versions of Vegas installed on the same computer (which is perfectly OK to do), you need to be careful with how you open and save older projects.

Windows can only assign one version of a program to each file type on your computer.

Here is the best way to explain it:
The last time I used Vegas Movie Studio on my computer, I used version 14 and told Windows/Vegas to associate .vf files with version 14.
If I then opened MSP13, here is the window that pops up.
It is asking if I now want to associate .vf files with version 13.
If I say yes to this question, Windows will think that every time I "double-click to open" any .vf file on my computer, that it should be opened with version 13. Because I now use version 14, I need to say NO to this question when opening older projects, saved with older versions of Vegas, using an older version of the program.

vf versions 1

Vegas project files are always forwards compatible, but never backwards compatible with different versions on the same computer.

It is OK to open a project saved with version 12 in version 14.
If I then re-save that old project with version 14, I will never be able to open that again with version 12.
Any new projects I create with version 14, can also never be opened in older versions of Vegas.

There is a quick way you can re-associate any file type with a different program on your computer.

In this example here, I have old projects saved with version 13.
To change the file type/program association, right-click any project file and select Open with / Choose another app.
It is very important to select Choose another app, if you want this change to stick.
Selecting a different version of Vegas from top of the list, will only make the change temporary - which is something you may want to do, when opening older projects with older versions of the program.

vf versions 2

In the final window, select the version you want to set as the Default.
Then tick the box at very bottom that says Always use this app to open .vf files

vf versions 3

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daniel328

Member
· 01:27 03/10/2022
Hey Derek, I am relatively inexperienced with Vegas and have a question. I tried to ask this already but it seems my question didn't post properly. My problem is that I currently use Vegas Movie Studio 17 Platinum, and am going to be editing videos with someone that uses Vegas Pro. However, because Movie Studio saves files in the .vf format whilst Vegas Pro saves them as .veg, will they be able to open my .vf projects in Vegas Pro? I am not sure what version they have but it is probably newer than mine.
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  Derek
  
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  · 16:55 03/10/2022
  
  Hi Daniel328
  You need to be very careful.
  You can open a .vf Movie Studio Platinum project in Vegas Pro, but you can't open a .veg Vegas Pro project file with Movie Studio Platinum 17.
  If you added any 3rd party Video FX that are only on your computer, they won't work on your friends computer.
  Just be careful and keep copies of all your files, so that if something goes wrong, you don't lose everything.
  If you can find $60 (US), there is special upgrade deal right now, where you can upgrade to VEGAS Edit 19.
  https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/index.php?id=8556&L=52&_oC=upgrade&sc_src=email_856503&sc_lid=107704806&sc_uid=EdOq2SSpF2&sc_llid=51655&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=2022_38_VGpos_vg18-rest_UPG_5_PID211981_US&utm_content=Upgrade+now&utm_term=en-US&emac=1&potrk=d792ba7e02dcf304b49ceb39c0fd5e34f3ba290aa1eb7d90d7c0a51cc8e2a826&phash=lDqiX5aDDLTVKEqE&sc_customer=d792ba7e02dcf304b49ceb39c0fd5e34f3ba290aa1eb7d90d7c0a51cc8e2a826
  
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  daniel328
  
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  · 18:00 03/10/2022
  
  Thanks for the help Derek. I don't really need to open their .veg files but they need to be able to open my .vf files so that should be okay. When you say 3rd party Video FX, what exactly does this include? I've just used some text (with a custom font) and I've added some images and music so far, would that be a problem as long as they have a newer version?
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 06:58 04/10/2022
  
  You'll be fine then. 3rd party Video FX means any extra plugins you may have bought "outside" of Vegas, that are not normally part of Vegas, like NewBlueFX.
  
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  daniel328
  
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  · 16:56 04/10/2022
  
  Oh ok, I see. Thank you for the help!
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 16:57 03/10/2022
  
  Another important thing to note!!!
  If you had Vegas Pro and are working with a friend, you need to BOTH use the SAME version if you plan to swap both directions.
  If your friend has VEGAS Edit 20 and you have VEGAS Edit 19, you can't open VEGAS Edit 20 projects with VEGAS Edit 19.
  You can only go up in versions, not down, if that makes any sense.
  
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Wayne · 09:25 28/03/2022
Hi Derek. I am still a bit of a novice . I have often watched your videos over the years to get advice about how to use MSP, so thanks for that. I have been using MSP version 12.0 since 2012 but recently, my laptop died so I'm hoping to buy a newer version . Can I just confirm that Vegas are just full versions of MSP, therefore Vegas is the only product you can purchase from now on, not MSP? I had a Sony VAIO that included MSP, I'm guessing was not a full version right? Anyway I'm just wondering what's the best version of Vegas to buy? I'm hoping to save the vf. files I have on my old laptop to use in a newer program. Can I buy a newer version of Vegas and still use the vf files from MSP 12.0? Or is it better to buy say version 14 or 15, so I can still find my way around the program and it's not too different from 12.0, or would you recommend buying the latest version?
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  Derek
  
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  · 11:03 28/03/2022
  
  Hi Wayne
  Vegas Movie Studio Platinum has been retired. There is a new "Movie Studio" program made by Magix, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Vegas Movie Studio. I DO NOT recommend buying an old boxed version of Vegas Movie Studio Platinum online - there are too many scammers and incompatibility problems with latest versions of Windows that will never be fixed now.
  Most Vegas Movie Studio users who love using VEGAS, but don't want to learn a completely different program from scratch, are upgrading to VEGAS Edit 19. Vegas Edit 19 is the full version of Vegas Pro, just by itself.
  Vegas Movie Studio was based on Vegas Pro, so the core functions work exactly the same. With some help, you should be able to adapt to Vegas Pro without feeling too overwhelmed. I will be releasing a new series of Vegas Pro 19 tutorials very, very soon.
  If you kept a record of your Movie Studio Platinum 12 License Key, you may qualify for the special upgrade price of only $89. This deal ends soon. When you start the sales process, you will be asked to Login to your MAGIX account or Create a New Account. Then enter your MSP12 License Key to see if you qualify.
  You can cancel the sale process if you don't want to proceed.
  If you don't qualify for the upgrade price, the "Buy New" price is $224 right now.
  The Advert at top of this page, goes directly to Upgrade Sales page.
  OR
  Go to my "Deals page" and you will find links to all "Buy New" options - it lists full breakdown of different versions.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/deals
  You may like to watch this video for a more detailed explanation about VEGAS Pro 19 versions:
  https://youtu.be/UxT2jhOAes4
  
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  Wayne · 11:57 28/03/2022
  
  Thanks for the info Derek. I'm not sure what my MSP 12 licence key is. My old laptop is dead so I'm not sure if I can even access it to get that info until I can get help with transferring the old HD files into my new laptop. So just to clarify, Vegas Edit 19 is the program to buy that will open/be compatible with my vf. files that I have sitting in my old laptop, that I once used/opened in MSP12?
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 12:18 28/03/2022
  
  1. Have you been using the same email address for many years?
  More than 5 years ago, Sony Vegas was sold to Magix Software in Germany.
  Magix has the complete database of all License Keys sold/used by Sony Software.
  If you create a new Magix account using the same email address you used to register Movie Studio Platinum 12, you may be lucky and find your old License Key listed in your new account.
  After you Login, go to My Products and see if MSP12 is listed there with you License Key.
  https://www.magix.com/us/support/my-service-center/
  2. Vegas Pro uses the file extension .veg for project files.
  Technically speaking you can open .vf Movie Studio project files with Vegas Pro, however the differences between v12 of Movie Studio and v19 of Vegas Pro are pretty big, which means it will be unlikely old Movie Studio projects will open in Vegas Pro, without creating errors.
  I would recommend starting from scratch in Vegas Pro.
  
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  Wayne · 13:17 28/03/2022
  
  Thanks Derek but I couldn't find 'My Products' anywhere on this page or in the menu. Could it be under anything else? I signed up as you instructed but still can't find anything about retrieving the licence key. I did have MSP 12.0 included with the Sony Vaio laptop, so is there a chance I didn't get a licence key, since it wasn't the full version and because it was included with the laptop? So like I said at the top, I followed what you told me and created a new account but I was surprised that if I had an account with them already, wouldn't it have told me I already had an account under that same email address?
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 20:50 28/03/2022
  
  After you Login to Magix, there are a list of Items:
  User Data, My Products, Info Service, Product Registration, Create Activation Code, My Contracts and Log Out.
  It is a long shot, but if you are lucky and used the same email address when you bought that old computer and registered MSP12, you may find the License Key in the My Products menu. I remember lots of people getting a free copy of MSP12 that year. When you bought the computer, it came with a Card printed with your free MSP12 License Key.
  As I said before, the takeover happened over 5 years ago now - at that time, most people had their data associated with an email address - however, not everyone had luck and needed to have recorded their License Keys somewhere.
  
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  Wayne · 21:23 28/03/2022
  
  The 'My Products' is missing from the liist that appears after i login. It goes 'User data' then 'info service' etc etc. For some reason It totally skips'My Products' in the list. I had a look around the Magix site and there's mention of a 'Movie Studio X' that's about $99. I also got sent a code to get a discount off Magix software after I signed up, which seems to be a way to knock some money off when it's time to buy one of their products. I'm bit concerned that i cant use my old MSP files with a newer version. I made a ton of stuff when my computer crashed that I still really want to use, including some projects that were almost finished I'd spent literally years on. Is there any way I can buy a program that will support these old files? Sorry to sound so desperate but I don't want to start from scratch if there's some other way I can still retrieve and use them. Any help is much appreciated and thanks so far for helping me out with all this!
  
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  Wayne · 11:13 29/03/2022
  
  Will any of the Movie Studio products e.g. Movie Studio 22 (found under the 'video' tab in Magix website) play my old MSP 12 vf files? I've looked nearly everywhere in my emails to try find a serial number to consider the upgrade option to Vegas 19 Edit, but have had absolutely no luck so far. But i think you said in one reply Vegas 19 only uses veg. files, not vf. files. So what's the best option so i can keep using my old vf files from MSP 12 (if I can somehow ressurect them from my old laptop)?
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 14:52 29/03/2022
  
  PART ONE
  This will have to be the last message posted in the Comments section. It's not meant for extremely long threads. It is better to post questions on the MSZ Forum, where there is infinite room to post replies!
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/forum/index
  1. If you had a record of your MSP12 license key, you could re-download and activate it on your new computer.
  2. VMSP is a retired product - everyone is upgrading to Vegas Pro. Vegas Edit 19 is the cheapest version.
  3. Vegas Pro can technically open .vf project files, however the older your Movie Studio version is, the more chances there will be errors.
  4. You can download the free trial for VEGAS Edit 19 and test it out first.
  Use this link and scroll to bottom, where you will find Free Trial button.
  https://zen3.me/us-vegas-pro
  5. My Products probably does not activate if you have no products registered with Magix. Only if there was a product registered and linked with the same email address as your Magix account, would the My Products link show items. I said you may be lucky, but too much time has passed.
  6. MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022 has nothing to do with Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum versions. Technically Magix has said it can open .vf Movie Studio project files, however due to your v12 being so old, the chance of your projects opening in this different program as very slim.
  MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022 is completely different to Sony MSP12 - you would have to learn everything from scratch.
  7. You can also download the free trial for MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022.
  Use this link:
  https://zen3.me/movie-studio-platinum-upgrade
  Scroll to bottom!
  8. Thinking outside the box idea !!!
  8a. Buy MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022 for $70 (on sale now).
  This comes with NewBlue Total FX (valued at $1500) - Total FX also works in VEGAS Pro 19.
  Learn more here: https://www.moviestudiozen.com/free-tutorials/magix-movie-studio/672-movie-studio-2022-newblue-total-fx-promotion
  
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  Derek
  
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  · 14:58 29/03/2022
  
  PART TWO
  8b. After buying MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022 (which may open your .vf project files), then Upgrade to VEGAS Edit 19 for $89.
  I'm not 100% sure on this, but I am 99% sure that you should qualify for Vegas Edit 19 upgrade price.
  I do know that ALL Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 17 and older customers did qualify for VEGAS Edit 19 upgrade.
  MAGIX Movie Studio Platinum 2022 is a brand new product, but you should be able to buy the upgrade and not buy at NEW price ($224).
  9. That's it. Nothing more to say.
  Please use the MSZ Forum if you have new questions.
  
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  Wayne · 16:18 29/03/2022
  
  Thanks heaps Derek. That explains things a lot more.
  
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Dave M. · 11:34 05/08/2021
Thanks for this Derek. I just purchased Vegas pro 18 edit and still can't open 2 of my current 5 Vegas pro 13 projects. (I have been using Vegas 13 since it came out) I have tried everything including making back up copies and deleting the project content in the event they had a similar corrupt file etc. The other projects opened with the method you explained here. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Thank you immensely for your training and education videos.
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  DoctorZen
  
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  · 11:51 05/08/2021
  
  Hi Dave
  Technically speaking you can open older projects with newer versions of Vegas Pro. However, major code changes have occurred between v13 and v18.
  I think it was in v16, that all OFX Video FX plugins were updated. This mainly affected all 3rd party Video FX, which means if you have any 3rd party FX or events like NewBlue Titler Pro in an old project, they will not work in the latest versions of Vegas Pro.
  I have always been of the opinion that you should start with a clean slate, when moving up to a newer version of Vegas Pro - especially when it is a large version jump. I recommend you finish any v13 projects with v13, then start new ones in v18.
  
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  Dave M. · 20:51 05/08/2021
  
  Thanks Derek. Great advice which I will follow. Very much appreciated.
  
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vkmast

Member
· 09:40 05/12/2017
Thanks Derek for adding this excellent advice to the FAQs.
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  Derek
  
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  · 18:42 05/12/2017
  
  Cheers vkmast :)
  
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Q: How to open Vegas Movie Studio .vf or Vegas Pro .veg project files in different versions of Vegas Movie Studio / Vegas Pro ?

Answer: Set the .vf or .veg File Type to associate with the correct version of Vegas Movie Studio or Vegas Pro you want to use by default in Windows.

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