I received a file from a client for a video edit, and the file was an Adobe Premiere Project .proj file and I was not able to open it as my Premiere said it was created in a newer version of the software and it was unable to open it.

A quick search let me to a solution by Neil Haugen on the Adobe community site. A nifty and quick one, it did the trick. Below is a copy of the solution, just in case it disappears from the adobe community.

1. copy your prproj project file
2. on the copy, delete the .prproj extension, the period and all past it.
3. right-click on the remaining file, go to 7-zip/extract here.
4. open the file in text edit.
5. Starting down a bit from the top, you’ll see:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″ ?>

<PremiereData Version=”3″>

    <Project ObjectRef=”1″/>

    <Project ObjectID=”1″ ClassID=”62ad66dd-0dcd-42da-a660-6d8fbde94876″ Version=”35″>

        <Node Version=”1″>

            <Properties Version=”1″>

1. see the place it says ” Version=”35″ … ?
2. Change that number to 34 for 2018, 33 for 2017 … and on as needed.
3. Save the file.
4. rename adding the .prproj to the file again.
5. open in the version you just modded the project file for.

Not everything will translate back as there aren’t the new toys in the older version … but I’ve done this many times to take projects back so I can use them in “Direct Link” process with SpeedGrade, and never actually had a problem.

Always do this with a copy of the project file!

Courtesy Neil Haugen – https://community.adobe.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/8729309

Source – https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/saving-premiere-cc-2019-project-as-cc-2018/td-p/10149469?page=1