# Designer Versions **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 12:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591 "2022-09-28T12:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 12:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/1 "2022-09-28T12:48:57Z")
I’m not sure what to search for to answer my question but I tried a few things and nothing came up. I support a number of systems at various levels of Ignition. Is it safe to make edits to an older version of Ignition using a newer designer launcher? For example, can I use the latest designer launcher to safely make changes to an 8.1.14 system? I think the answer is yes but I just wanted to play it safe and ask. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/2 "2022-09-28T13:01:48Z")
Yes, the launchers are intended to be backwards compatible, at least within an Ignition major version. And they are often forward-compatible. ---
**Author:** ![pascal.fragnoud](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pascal.fragnoud/32/24728_2.png) [@pascal.fragnoud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pascal.fragnoud)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/3 "2022-09-28T13:01:57Z")
I’ve been editing a variety of versions and never had any problem. You should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/4 "2022-09-28T13:08:52Z")
Excellent, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/5 "2022-09-28T13:58:50Z")
The launcher is just a middleman, you aren’t ever actually running a Designer that is a different version than the Gateway it’s connected to. The launcher connects to the gateway, downloads the files needed if you don’t have them cached, then launches a Designer version that matches the Gateway. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/6 "2022-09-28T14:07:43Z")
If I’m understanding correctly, I still can’t build all my screens on a development machine running the latest build and then copy/paste deploy them to a live system that’s running an old version. Is that correct? Sometimes it’s hard to get customers to update their Ignition to the latest because they have a perception that it will create a lot of downtime. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/7 "2022-09-28T14:08:47Z")
That’s the assumption you should develop under, yes. We don’t preserve compatibility in that direction. It might work sometimes, with some resources, but nothing guaranteed. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/8 "2022-09-28T14:09:17Z")
Ok, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-versions/64591/9 "2022-09-28T17:36:35Z")
> [@Kevin.Herron](#): > > It might work sometimes, with some resources, but nothing guaranteed. Generally only if you hack the project file to lie about its version. Never, ever, do this on a production system.