I have metastock 8...a friend of mine can import in his metastock 7? we try..but it appears an error... thank's in advance

Henry is correct in saying that the formula files (DTA files) must be renamed before they can be imported into an earlier version of Metastock than they were created by. In my experience, though, renaming the formula files only works for 1 version back. For example, files generated by MS 9.1, let's say MS91FORM.DTA, can only be changed to MS90FORM.DTA. Similarly, files for MS 8.0, MS80FORM.DTA for example, can only be changed to MS72FORM.DTA. Migrating from version 8.1 to 7.03, for example, would be three steps back (8.1 > 8.0 > 7.2 > 7.0x) and very likely to produce garbage results, though not necessarily reporting any errors.

There can be issues with one or two functions when migrated back to an earlier version. RSI() is one such function where a price parameter was added to the function, I think with MS version 8.0.

Even a move back just one step does not guarantee success, but a move of two steps backwards is very likely to fail. The numbering system for MetaStock versions 10 and higher does not seem to accomodate intermediate software releases, and my 10.1 version DTA files are simply identified as being for version 10.

Indicators are stored in the FORM DTA file, explorations in the EXPL DTA file and experts in the EXPT DTA file plus Experts folder.

Self-installing EXE files cannot be used with earlier verions of MetaStock than the one by which they were created as there is no way to access the DTA files they hold to change their names.

Roy