Changing Machines in Wordfast Pro

You have gotten a new machine, and you need to move your Wordfast Pro 5 work to it. Here are the details you need:

Installing and Licensing

Yes, you can license your new machine. However, you do NOT need the old license or install number; you cannot use either on the new machine. Actually, when you install Wordfast Pro 5 on a new machine, you will get a new Install Number that you can use to get a new license file. For more information about the licensing process, click here to check how to license Wordfast.

Coping and Pasting Project Folders

Locate your project folders on the old machine and put them into the Wordfast Pro 5 folder on your new machine. Open Wordfast Pro 5 on your new machine. In the "Project List" view, click Add Project, browse the project folder you'd like to add. Click Open to add the project in Wordfast Pro 5 on the new machine.

Translation Memories

As for the Translation Memory files, you will just need to know where you have saved them. You just need to copy the (*.txt) files so that you can save them on the new machine, then ADD them again in the new installation:

1. In your project, click Project TM.
2. Click Add Local.
3. Locate the TM (*.txt) file.

Glossaries

All that you need is to export your glossary and import it later:

1. In your project, click Project Terminology.
2. Select the glossary and click on Export Glossary.
3. From "Export type", keep it "Tab-delimited text file (*.txt)".
4. Click on Browse to select the location where you want to save your glossary and give it a proper name.
5. Save > OK - an "exported successfully" message should appear.
6. Now, you can copy your .txt glossary you have just exported to use again in Wordfast.

To import the glossary to Wordfast Pro 5,

1. Go to the same place and choose Import Glossary this time.
2. From "File Type", keep it "Tab-delimited text file (*.txt)".
3. Click on Browse... to select the .txt glossary you want to import; Open.
4. If this is the first time you use this glossary, keep the option "Create new Glossary" selected. If you want to update a glossary you already selected in WFP, check "Import into existing glossary", select the existing glossary into which you want import the terms of the other glossary, and the way you want WFP to deal with source terms that already exist.
5. A message will appear telling you about the number of terms that will be imported. An "imported successfully" message should appear.
6. Now, you can use the imported glossary, as usual.

Exporting and Importing Project Preferences

1. Go to Preferences.
2. Under "User Preferences", Click Advanced Settings.
3. Click on Export, select all settings you want to migrate as default on the new machine.
4. Click on Export and browser the location to store the settings.
5. On the new machine, go to the same place, but choose Import.

This should allow you to have the same setup on the new workstation as on the old one.

Troubleshooting Tip

If you cannot access your glossaries in Wordfast Pro 5 to Export them, you can use their backup copies. You can find them at a path like: C:\Users\USERNAME\.wf_workspace\glossaries

Note: USERNAME is the name of the user on your machine.

Copy all the TXT files found in the folder "glossaries" to be able to Import them back in the above-mentioned way.

Version: Wordfast Pro 5.8
Operating System: macOS

--Updated by Byron, 10 February 2019