User Support Forum

Help! I just upgraded to Powerchurch 15 in order to be able to do our 941's for 2026.
Unfortunately no matter what I do when I try to restore the backup I made in Powerchurch 12 it says that Version 15 is not able to restore backups from Version 12.0.
I have made sure our Powerchurch 12 is now 12.2 and tried a new backup several times, but I get the same message.

Does anyone know how to save all my files into 12.2? Or is there something else I am missing?

After installing Version 15, the first time you start it up, it asks if you are upgrading from a prior version. Choose Yes and on that screen, there is an option to upgrade from a backup, or click Next to have it search the computer and upgrade from the prior version automatically.

To get back to the point of that upgrade from a prior version prompt, follow the steps documented in the video linked below:

https://www.powerchurch.com/support/383 ... or-version

This video was recorded in a prior version and doesn't show the option to upgrade from a backup, but you will see it on the screen after you restart.

I have all that part:

When I choose the backup, it says it cannot restore backup from Powerchurch 12.0 files.

How do I get my Powerchurch 12.2 to backup so that it doesn't have any 12.0 files?

LivingWay wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 05, 2026 11:46 am

I have all that part:

When I choose the backup, it says it cannot restore backup from Powerchurch 12.0 files.

How do I get my Powerchurch 12.2 to backup so that it doesn't have any 12.0 files?

How did you install v15?? Did you do an UPGRADE, if so, it should have done a search of the system to find the older version and upgrade the database or, as Zorak pointed out, it would have let you select a backup file AT THAT TIME.

Once you have installed v15, it can NO LONGER access previous backups due to the changes in the database.

Thank you this was the solution. I had to uninstall and then reinstall the new version and choose to restore backup at the install. Not sure why it won't work after you already install but it works now. Thank you

LivingWay wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 09, 2026 11:29 am

Thank you this was the solution. I had to uninstall and then reinstall the new version and choose to restore backup at the install. Not sure why it won't work after you already install but it works now. Thank you

The restore system will only restore backups made on the current version. This is due to the changes in the database that usually occur with the new versions.

The new version upgrade has a separate internal module that can read and populate a new set of database tables based on the newer version's table schema (layout). its only available at installation time.