Installing M-Files Upgrades

The M-Files installer automatically detects the previous versions of the software and can migrate the settings from the old to the new version. Hence, do not uninstall any previous versions of M-Files before upgrading.

Perform the following tasks to upgrade M-Files with a higher version:

  1. Execute the M-Files installer for the new version.
  2. Select the "Simple upgrade" option.

With the "Simple upgrade" option selected, the setup automatically installs the same components that were installed in the earlier M-Files version. The setup installs the new version and transfers the M-Files settings along with all local data from the earlier version to the new version. Finally, the setup uninstalls the earlier version.

Note: If you are upgrading to M-Files 2015.3 and both of the following are true: In such a case, you should rebuild the full-text search index of the vault after the upgrade is complete so that the documents in the aforementioned languages are still retrievable by searching their contents. For instructions, see Vault Maintenance.
Note: Speed and performance improvements in M-Files 2015.2 and newer can cause some empty virtual folders to appear in views in which empty folders are set to be hidden. Because of this, we recommend reading the document Security Aspects to Consider When Upgrading to M-Files 2015.2 before upgrading your system.
Note: In case you are upgrading from a version that is older than M-Files 2015, please note that the new installation includes significant improvements to the vault database structure. This means that – especially with large document vaults – the upgrade process might take substantially longer than usual. It is also recommended to ensure that the server computer has at least twice the amount of free space required by the metadata database file (.fdb file for Firebird and .mdf file for MS SQL Server databases). The database structure is upgraded automatically by the M-Files installer.
Note: Property group and dynamic property configuration for M-Files 10.2 and M-Files 2015 has been replaced with more versatile configuration options in M-Files 2015.1 and later. See the document Configuring the Metadata Card (M-Files 2015.3) for more details.

Installation preconditions

Note: M-Files Desktop is not compatible with Windows XP from the M-Files version 10.0 onwards. See Upgrade Instructions for Organizations Using Windows XP for more information.

You can use the following table to verify M-Files Server–Client/Desktop compatibility:

  M-Files Client 9.0 M-Files Client 10.x M-Files Desktop 2015, 2015.1, 2015.2, and 2015.3
M-Files Server 9.0 Compatible Compatible Not compatible
M-Files Server 10.x Compatible Compatible Compatible
M-Files Server 2015, 2015.1, 2015.2, and 2015.3 Compatible Compatible Compatible
Note: To verify compatibility with M-Files API and replication, see M-Files version compatibility regarding API and Replication.

Installation order

You can choose to either first upgrade the client computers and then the server computer, or first the server computer and then the client computers. If you do not upgrade to the immediately subsequent M-Files version, make sure that the new version is compatible with the old version to avoid unplanned interruptions (see the compatibility chart above).
Note: Some of the new properties of the higher M-Files version may not be available until both the M-Files Client/Desktop and M-Files Server have been upgraded to the new version.

Preparing for the server upgrade

Before installing the upgrade on M-Files Server, make sure that your server fulfills the hardware and software requirements of the new version (see System Requirements and Technical Details).

The administrator should also ensure that recent backups of the document vaults are available. The backups may be useful should an unexpected fault situation occur during the server upgrade.

In the event of a fault situation, contact M-Files customer support immediately. Do not attempt to rectify the fault, as solving the fault situation is usually much easier if no additional actions have been performed.

Service Releases

Service releases are smaller M-Files software upgrades that share the same main version number (for example "11.0" for M-Files 2015), followed by the four-digit version ID for the service release. For instance, versions 11.0.4300.47 and 11.0.4300.58 are service releases for M-Files 2015 (11.0.4300.27). Usually, the service releases do not contain any new properties, but rather are released if faults requiring repair are detected in the software, or if compatibility with higher versions of other software requires changes to M-Files.

Service release versions are fully compatible between each other and can be installed in whichever order. In other words, whether the service release is installed first on the workstations and then on the server, or vice versa, makes no difference.

Automatic Updates

Automatic Updates is a program that keeps your M-Files software up to date. If a newer version of M-Files covered by your M-Files subscription becomes available, it is downloaded to your computer and you are notified about it. New M-Files versions normally become available as automatic updates about a month after a new version has been officially released.

Note: See Installation preconditions for ensuring version compatibility.

Disabling the updates

You can open the automatic updates control panel via your Windows start menu or the M-Files icon in your Windows notification area. If you wish to disable automatic updates, you can do so by unselecting the Check for updates automatically checkbox on the Settings tab. Administrators can disable automatic updating altogether by using a modified installation package. For more information, refer to M-Files Setup: Advanced User's Guide.

Checking for updates manually

You can check for updates manually by clicking the Check now button on the Installation tab.

Upgrading the M-Files OCR Module for Versions M-Files 2015 and Later

M-Files Server versions for M-Files 2015 and later do not support the OCR module of the M-Files versions prior to M-Files 2015, so you might need to upgrade this module after upgrading the server software. See Instructions for enabling the M-Files OCR Module for detailed instructions.

Centralized Deployment via Group Policy

You can use the Windows Group Policy feature to automatically distribute M-Files to client computers. Alternatively, you may use any other centralized deployment mechanism that you are familiar with. You can also customize the behavior of the M-Files setup program. For further information on these options, refer to M-Files Setup: Advanced User's Guide.