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MAC and PC compatability

Mac and Windows Compatibility

Can you work on the same project across platforms?

Yes, but because of compatibility issues and the more limited feature-set of NVivo (Mac). Create the master copy on Windows and then share with MAC. Follow the guide on the Nvivo help pages.

Why might there be problems?

Mac and Windows versions of NVivo use different file types: .nvp (Windows) and .nvpx (Mac). Also, NVivo MAC does not have all the features of NVivo for PC. Project items created by features not present in Mac are hidden in projects converted to and opened in NVivo Mac. Unsupported items are not deleted when a project is converted to Mac—only hidden. If the project is converted back into Windows format the items appear again. Therefore, unless you are confident the project will never return to Windows, do not delete items that may depend on Windows functions e.g. empty folders that might contain framework matrices, or queries dependent on dynamic sets.

The differences in features between PC and MAC mean that the same coding comparison query can provide different results in Windows and Mac after conversion if, for example, the query applies to all files or codes. This is because coding comparison is supported for pictures, audio and video in NVivo Windows but not NVivo Mac

Read more: https://help-nv.qsrinternational.com/14/win/Content/projects-teamwork/work-with-projects-windows-mac.htm Links to an external site.

 

Can you convert Mac and Windows NVivo files from one platform to the other?

It depends. Usually, a workaround of some kind is available, but converting project files between platforms is subject to some important limitations.

  • You cannot open an NVivo project created in NVivo Windows on a Mac.
  • From NVivo (Windows), you can export a Mac version of a project created in NVivo (Windows). 
    • Note that some features of the NVivo (Windows) project may be missing from the Mac version. At the present time, the Mac version of NVivo is characterised  as a “subset” of the Windows version. 
  • You can open (by converting) an NVivo (Mac) project in NVivo (Windows).
  • NVivo (Mac) projects are larger than NVivo (Windows) projects. Very large NVivo (Mac) projects—i.e. larger than 10GB—may not open in NVivo (Windows).

A more detailed explanation of these compatibility issues in the NVivo help pages here.