# DT4 - DEVONthink 4 - Syncing with DEVONthink 3

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Tags:** dt4\
**Created:** [April 3, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604 "2025-04-03T21:46:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jbmanos](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/jbmanos/32/31793_2.png) [@jbmanos](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/jbmanos)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/1 "2025-04-03T21:46:15Z")

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What if DT4 is on a separate machine that syncs the global inbox and the other two seats are still on DTP3?

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/2 "2025-04-03T21:48:43Z")

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There is no specific issue syncing DEVONthink 3 and 4 unless you’re using an audit-proof database in 4. As noted in the Help, they are completely incompatible with version 3. However, audit-proof databases aren’t something you should casually use.

But again, we don’t recommend using a beta in production or with mission-critical data.

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**Author:** ![Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Sans-Culottes)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/3 "2025-04-05T14:41:59Z")

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Full of enthusiasm for your latest version I upgraded to the new Beta version before reading your notes…I know :-(. I have 4 beta installed on my Mac mini without apparent issues, but I then went to apply the upgrade to my Macbook running Monterey ( that’s it’s limit as it is 2015 machine), only to find that it cannot run 4 Beta. I note that this should not be an issue subject to not using audit- proof databases ( your response to jbmanos) but I feel I have been rather foolish installing your public Beta 4 on live data. Any suggestions as to what steps to take to reverse out of this and revert to 3 until 4 becomes live rather than public Beta? And even then might I be wise to stick with 3 until I update the Macbook?

Sorry to bother you with my foolish error.

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**Author:** ![Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Sans-Culottes)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/4 "2025-04-05T14:44:03Z")

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I could of course restore the Mac Mini to prior to the install of Beta 4, but might there be an easier way?

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/5 "2025-04-05T14:44:59Z")

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No bother and we’d rather deal with excitement instead of apathy… and all of you have exceeded our expectations ❤

There is 100% **no need** to start restoring your machine. Waaay overkill for the situation.

Just delete the **DEVONthink** application, not the **DEVONthink 3** one. Don’t run an uninstaller utility. Just delete the application and go about your business in version 3. You should see no interruption.

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**Author:** ![Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@Sans-Culottes](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Sans-Culottes)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 6:33am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/6 "2025-04-06T06:33:12Z")

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Thanks very much. That seems to have worked ok.

A thought - perhaps a pop up or some other “obstruction” in 4 to warn against enabling “audit- proof databases” if syncing with earlier versions would be a good idea. I appreciate that the release notes cover this but down the line it might help avoid issues arising.

Cheers

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**Author:** ![Gerry7](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@Gerry7](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Gerry7)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 6:40am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/7 "2025-04-11T06:40:33Z")

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I seem to have made a similar mistake. I loaded DT4 on my Macbookpro and was not using Devonthink 3. I them saw your insytructions on how to compress DEVONthink 3 and then delete it. When I try to delete DEVONthink 3 in Finder what I get is that Devonthink cannot be deleted because some of its extensions are being used. I asume thats DEVONthink 4 using them but…when I close DEVONthink 4 down the situation remains that I cannot delete Devonthink 3 in finder. Can you help?

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 6:43am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/8 "2025-04-11T06:43:52Z")

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Safari might use DEVONthink 3’s extension, therefore quitting Safari might fix this. Or logging out and in again.

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**Author:** ![transdef](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@transdef](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/transdef)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 5:41am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/9 "2025-04-20T05:41:59Z")

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Could you please talk about the decision to base DT4 on a system requirement of MacOS 13? What advantages did that choice provide? That OS requires significantly more expensive hardware than I have… Thanks.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 11:15am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/10 "2025-04-20T11:15:25Z")

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We don’t support more than 3-5 major macOS releases usually. Limiting version 4.0 to the last 3 versions ensures that we don’t have to drop macOS releases after this or next year’s WWDC already.

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**Author:** ![transdef](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@transdef](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/transdef)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 1:55am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/11 "2025-04-21T01:55:03Z")

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Thank you.

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**Author:** ![j-x-d](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/j-x-d/32/34659_2.png) [@j-x-d](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/j-x-d)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/12 "2025-04-21T16:47:45Z")

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@BLUEFROG, is your advice [here](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/read-me-running-the-devonthink-4-beta/82600) to compress the DEVONthink 3 application before opening databases in the DEVONthink 4 beta still valid?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/13 "2025-04-21T16:49:19Z")

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Yes, but in this case it’s because a double-click of a .dtBase2 file would try to open version 3 instead of 4.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![j-x-d](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/j-x-d/32/34659_2.png) [@j-x-d](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/j-x-d)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/14 "2025-04-21T16:49:43Z")

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Okay. Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/15 "2025-04-21T16:49:54Z")

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You’re welcome.

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**Author:** ![Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/hens/32/7003_2.png) [@Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Hens)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/16 "2025-07-11T16:48:26Z")

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You aren’t specific and clear here!

Does this mean that DEVONthink 3 and DEVONthink 4 are still able to sync BUT not the audit-proof databases? OR you can’t sync at all if you have an audit-proof database in DEVONthink 4?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/chrillek/32/29340_2.png) [@chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/chrillek)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/17 "2025-07-11T16:55:40Z")

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The issue with audited databases was explained three months ago:

> [@DT4 - DEVONthink 4 - Syncing with DEVONthink 3](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/2):
>
> There is no specific issue syncing DEVONthink 3 and 4 unless you’re using an audit-proof database in 4. As noted in the Help, they are completely incompatible with version 3. However, audit-proof databases aren’t something you should casually use. But again, we don’t recommend using a beta in production or with mission-critical data.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/hens/32/7003_2.png) [@Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Hens)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/18 "2025-07-11T16:57:29Z")

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thats what I’m replying to lol

Still not clear here!

I understand they can sync but if you have an audit-proof databases you can’t sync?

> [@BLUEFROG](#):
>
> There is no specific issue syncing DEVONthink 3 and 4 unless you’re using an audit-proof database in 4

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/19 "2025-07-11T16:58:13Z")

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> Does this mean that DEVONthink 3 and DEVONthink 4 are still able to sync BUT not the audit-proof databases?

Correct.

> OR you can’t sync at all if you have an audit-proof database in DEVONthink 4?

I’m not sure why just having a such a database would completely inhibit syncing, but no, that’s not the case.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/hens/32/7003_2.png) [@Hens](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Hens)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/dt4-devonthink-4-syncing-with-devonthink-3/82604/20 "2025-07-11T17:00:34Z")

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Thank you was a bit confused there

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