# Preferences exported from former JabRef3.X version do not have effect on JabRef4.0
**URL:** https://discourse.jabref.org/t/preferences-exported-from-former-jabref3-x-version-do-not-have-effect-on-jabref4-0/933
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [December 6, 2017, 9:34am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/preferences-exported-from-former-jabref3-x-version-do-not-have-effect-on-jabref4-0/933 "2017-12-06T09:34:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mgqqlwq001](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mgqqlwq001)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2017, 9:34am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/preferences-exported-from-former-jabref3-x-version-do-not-have-effect-on-jabref4-0/933/1 "2017-12-06T09:34:00Z")
When I use JabRef version 3.X, I exported the preferences of my JabRef. If I change to a newly installed JabRef, I can just import the preferences.
However, when I changed to JabRef 4.0 and tried to import the previously saved XML files, it seems it does not have any effect on JabRef 4.0.
There is no error message, but also no effects. I run JabRef 4.0 on Ubuntu 14.04.
Any help would bu much appreciated!
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### Author:  [@tobiasdiez](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/tobiasdiez)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2017, 1:49pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/preferences-exported-from-former-jabref3-x-version-do-not-have-effect-on-jabref4-0/933/2 "2017-12-06T13:49:12Z")
Normally, JabRef migrates the preferences from a previous installation to the new version. Moreover, there shouldn’t be any problem when importing preferences from previous versions (maybe some changed settings are not imported correctly, but in general it should work). I have no idea why you run into these issues.
Probably it is, however, more time-efficient to just configure 4.0 again to your liking instead of troubleshooting the import problem. I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused.
If do get some log messages (in the error console), then feel free to open a bug report at [GitHub](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues) and we will see what we can do.
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### Author:  [@mgqqlwq001](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mgqqlwq001)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2017, 7:49am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/preferences-exported-from-former-jabref3-x-version-do-not-have-effect-on-jabref4-0/933/3 "2017-12-07T07:49:41Z")
Thanks very much for your reply!
Thanks to your remind, I use JabRef 4.0 on my laptop. which runs JabRef 3.8 previously. So the preferences can be migrated to JabRef 4.0. I exported the preferences in this JabRef 4.0 and saved the XML file.
After that, I run JabRef 4.0 on another PC which never runs JabRef before. And the XML file exported from JabRef 4.0 on the laptop are imported. Then it seems most of the preferences are migrated.
It seems newly installed JabRef 4.0 only can import the XML
file exported from JabRef 4.0.