How to use the Mastercam Migration Wizard
The Mastercam Migration Wizard is an easy-to-use tool built into Mastercam to migrate settings, tool libraries, post processors, customized user interface, etc., from previous versions of Mastercam to the latest version.
The Migration Wizard is launched from within Mastercam by selecting File > Convert > Migration Wizard.
Users can choose from two migration modes, depending on their migration needs:
- Previous version source folders are selected automatically and cannot be changed.
- All files from the previous version are migrated. You cannot select specific files to migrate.
- Previous version source folders can be selected/changed.
- Can select which specific files to migrate.
Jump to the end of this guide for a List of files not migrated using the Migration Wizard
Basic Migration
By selecting the Basic option, you will update all Mastercam file types from the previous version to the current version. If you have more than one previous version of Mastercam installed, the system will use the last version of Mastercam that was opened as the version to copy from. To migrate files with the Basic option, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: On the File Locations page, choose the Destination folder for the files in the Shared Mastercam and the My Mastercam Shared Mastercam folders and then click Next. You do not have to migrate the shared Mastercam files at the same time as the My Mastercam files. Deselect the options you do not want to migrate.
NOTE: For Basic, the Source folders for Migrate shared Mastercam files and Migrate my Mastercam files are greyed out and cannot be changed in this wizard. If you need to select different source files, relaunch the Migration Wizard and choose the Advanced option.
Step 2: Review the summary on the Completing the Migration Process page and then click Finish to start the migration process.
The wizard will build a list of files to migrate and then process the migration. It is normal for this process to take 5-15 minutes or longer, depending on how much information there is to migrate.
If there are existing files in the newest version, the wizard will display the file’s path along with a prompt to backup the original file, update and replace the original file, or do not replace the files. Make the selection to proceed with the migration.
Once the migration is complete, the wizard will prompt a decision to see the results or not.
- Clicking Yes will open the Mastercam log to display a list of migrated files.
- Clicking No will close the wizard and return to Mastercam.
If you choose to see the results, right-clicking the header of the log will display options to Save, Clear Log, Stop Logging, About Mastercam event logger, and Exit.
The Basic migration is complete and you can now use the newest version of Mastercam with the settings from your previous version. Be sure to review the settings, tool libraries, user interface, and test any migrated post processors to verify functionality.
Advanced Migration
By selecting the Advanced option, the Source folder paths are editable, and you can pick and choose which file types to update with the migration.
Step 1: On the File Locations page, choose the Source folder for the files in the Shared Mastercam and the My Mastercam Shared Mastercam folders. You do not have to migrate the shared Mastercam files at the same time as the My Mastercam files. Deselect the options you do not want to migrate.
Browse to a previous version’s location for each category and then click Next.
Step 2: Select the File Types to migrate and then click Next.
Step 3: Select the Mastercam file versions to migrate to the latest version and then click Next.
Step 4: Review the summary on the Completing the Migration Process page and then click Finish to start the migration process.
The wizard will build a list of files to migrate and then process the migration. It is normal for this process to take 5-15 minutes or longer, depending on how much information there is to migrate.
If there are existing files in the newest version, the wizard will display the file’s path along with a prompt to backup the original file, update and replace the original file, or do not replace the files. Make the selection to proceed with the migration.
Once the migration is complete, the wizard will prompt a decision to see the results or not.
- Clicking Yes will open the Mastercam log to display a list of migrated files.
- Clicking No will close the wizard and return to Mastercam.
If you choose to se the results, right-clicking the header of the log will display options to Save, Clear Log, Stop Logging, About Mastercam event logger, and Exit.
The Advanced migration is complete and you can now use the newest version of Mastercam with the settings from your previous version. Be sure to review the settings, tool libraries, user interface, and test any migrated post processors to verify functionality.
Files Not Migrated by the Migration Wizard
The Migration Wizard does not migrate the following files. You must manually copy these files into the Mastercam structure.
To copy files into your Mastercam 2025 installation, you must be logged in as an administrator. If you are running or logged in as an administrator, CIMCO Machine files are located under your …\Program Files\MastercamShared Mastercam 2024\Mastercam\common\Editors\CIMCOEdit8\Machines folder. Copy all of the files with an *.mch extension from the previous Mastercam location to the current location as shown below:
…\Program Files\Mastercam 2025\Mastercam\common\Editors\CIMCOEdit8\Machines
NOTE: If you are not running or logged in as an administrator, CIMCO Machine files are located under your C:\Users\<username>\AppData folder. The exact location and folder structure may vary, and AppData may be a hidden folder. Copy and paste %localappdata% into the File Explorer and press enter to navigate to the folder. Please contact your IT department if you cannot find the folder.
The Migration Wizard does not migrate SOLIDWORKS files (.SLDPRT, .SLDASM), including those with Mastercam toolpath data and stored in the My Mastercam <version>\Mastercam and the Shared Mastercam folders. You must manually copy these files from their previous location to a corresponding location in the Mastercam structure.
If the NetHASP.ini file was configured in your previous version of Mastercam, copy it from its previous location to the new Mastercam location. For example, copy a NetHasp.ini file configured for 2024 from its location in
…\Program Files\Mastercam 2024\Mastercam
to
…\Program Files\Mastercam 2025\Mastercam
NOTE: You must have Windows administrator permissions to copy this file.
Miscellaneous files include:
- Graphics files (JPG, BMP, etc.)
- NC and NCI files
- Native format files from other applications (DWG, STL, etc.)
Copy these file types from their location in the previous Mastercam structure to a corresponding location within the new Mastercam structure. They are not Mastercam version specific and do not need to be updated.