Troubleshooting & FAQ
Finding your installs
Section titled “Finding your installs”“No Cinema 4D installs detected on this machine”
Section titled ““No Cinema 4D installs detected on this machine””C4D Migrator finds an install by its settings folder, which Cinema 4D only creates the first time it is launched. Open each version once, quit it, and start the migrator again.
The new version isn’t in the Target list
Section titled “The new version isn’t in the Target list”- The Target list only offers versions newer than the source. Check the Source step.
- The new version must have been launched once (see above).
“No install newer than … — the tool only migrates upwards”
Section titled ““No install newer than … — the tool only migrates upwards””You have picked the newest version as the source. Go back and pick the older one.
A warning says no application folder was found
Section titled “A warning says no application folder was found”The migrator found the version’s settings folder but not Cinema 4D itself, so every
program folder item (plugins and scripts inside the application) is skipped. Usually that
version has been uninstalled, which is fine if you only need its settings. If it is installed
somewhere unusual, set an environment variable named C4D_MIGRATOR_APP_ROOTS to the folder that
holds your Maxon Cinema 4D <version> folders and start the migrator again.
Before migrating
Section titled “Before migrating”“Cinema 4D is open”
Section titled ““Cinema 4D is open””Quit every copy of Cinema 4D, including Team Render and command-line renders, and wait for it to close completely. If the warning stays and nothing is running, restart the computer.
“Cannot start this migration”
Section titled ““Cannot start this migration””The plan needs a folder the app can’t read or write. The card says which and what to do; the usual causes are in Windows & macOS. Or go back to Items and untick the items that need that folder.
The Migrate button is disabled
Section titled “The Migrate button is disabled”- You are on the trial, which previews but doesn’t migrate. See Licensing & support.
- Or the Preview shows Cannot start this migration (above).
“Something went wrong on the … screen”
Section titled ““Something went wrong on the … screen””Nothing has been changed on disk. Click copy log and send it to support, then try again or go Back.
After migrating
Section titled “After migrating”A plugin is missing in the new version
Section titled “A plugin is missing in the new version”Find it in the report’s Plugins skipped section, or the Preview’s skip list:
cpp_onlyormixed, “won’t load after major bump” — it was built for the old version. Install the new version’s build from its developer.- A Greyscalegorilla or Cargo connector — reinstall it from Cargo or GSG Hub. See Greyscalegorilla, Cargo & co.
- INSYDIUM — run the INSYDIUM Fused installer for the new version.
- “destination exists; overwrite disabled” — the new version already had a plugin of that name, so it was left alone. Tick Replace if it already exists on that Plugins item and migrate again if you want the old one.
The new version doesn’t see my external plugin folder
Section titled “The new version doesn’t see my external plugin folder”Check that the cloned folder (…_2027) exists, then look for plugins.json in the Preview or
report. If it was skipped with “destination exists; overwrite disabled”, the new version already
had its own plugins.json; tick Replace if it already exists on External plugin folders
and migrate again — or add the new folder yourself in Preferences ▸ Plugins.
My preferences didn’t come across
Section titled “My preferences didn’t come across”Most often a copy of Cinema 4D was still open and saved its own preferences over the migrated ones when it quit. Restore the snapshot (or just migrate again) with every copy closed.
The layout looks wrong
Section titled “The layout looks wrong”Pick Startup layout from <version> in the Layout menu for your exact old layout, or the new version’s default. To start the new version on its own layout, migrate again with Include my startup layout unticked. See Preferences & layouts.
The interface colours are different
Section titled “The interface colours are different”On a major-version migration your interface colour scheme is left behind on purpose — an old one can paint parts of the new interface the wrong colour. Set your colours again in Preferences.
A script download failed
Section titled “A script download failed”Aturtur AR_Scripts downloads from GitHub while the migration runs, so it needs an internet connection. Everything else still migrates, and the Cleanup step is still offered — the script pack takes nothing from the old version. Once you are back online, migrate again with only the script pack ticked, or download it from github.com/aturtur/cinema4d-scripts yourself.
“Redshift zero-install: no folder for target build …”
Section titled ““Redshift zero-install: no folder for target build …””You chose Zero-install on the Redshift step, and there is no Redshift build for the new Cinema 4D beside your current one. Download the matching Redshift into that folder and migrate again. Until then the search path is carried switched off, so the old build can’t load. See Plugins.
Questions
Section titled “Questions”Can I run it more than once?
Section titled “Can I run it more than once?”Yes. A second run merges over the first; anything it replaces is backed up again. The Preview reminds you when a migration into that version has already run in this session.
Can it migrate within the same year, say 2026.2 to 2026.3?
Section titled “Can it migrate within the same year, say 2026.2 to 2026.3?”Yes. Within one major version every plugin is copied, connectors included. Only INSYDIUM’s plugin folder and the old bundled Redshift still stay behind.
Can it move my setup to a different computer, or to an older version?
Section titled “Can it move my setup to a different computer, or to an older version?”No. It migrates between two versions installed on the same computer, and only upwards.
Does the old version still work afterwards?
Section titled “Does the old version still work afterwards?”Yes. The migrator doesn’t write to it, unless you use the optional Cleanup step to remove it.
Do I need the old version installed?
Section titled “Do I need the old version installed?”Its settings folder is enough for preferences, layouts, scripts and your settings-folder plugins. Items in its program folder are skipped if the program is gone.
How much disk space does it need?
Section titled “How much disk space does it need?”About the size the Preview shows as total size (cloned external plugin folders included), plus a snapshot of the new version. Snapshots stay until you delete them — see Safety & undo.