NickeManarin/ScreenToGif · error · Exception

Project not compatible with this version

Error message

Project not compatible with this version

What it means

ImportFromProject extracts a project .zip and looks for Project.json (the modern project manifest). If Project.json is absent but the legacy List.sb exists, it throws — the project was saved by an older ScreenToGif version that used binary serialization and is no longer loadable by this build.

Solutions

1. Install an older ScreenToGif version that supports List.sb, open and re-save the project so it serializes to Project.json.
2. If you control the source, re-export the project from the original recording.
3. Communicate to the user that legacy projects must be re-saved by a transitional build.
4. Add a one-time migration path: detect List.sb and deserialize via the legacy BinaryFormatter before throwing.

Example fix

// before
if (File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "List.sb")))
    throw new Exception("Project not compatible with this version");

// after
if (File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "List.sb")))
    throw new Exception("Project not compatible with this version. It uses the legacy List.sb format. Open it in an older ScreenToGif build and re-save to convert to Project.json.");

// Inspect the extracted folder before deserializing
bool hasModern = File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "Project.json"));
bool hasLegacy = File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "List.sb"));
if (!hasModern && hasLegacy) /* warn: legacy project — must be re-saved by older build */

static ProjectFormat DetectProjectFormat(string pathTemp) =>
    File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "Project.json")) ? ProjectFormat.Modern :
    File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "List.sb"))     ? ProjectFormat.Legacy  :
    ProjectFormat.Unknown;

try { return ImportFromProject(source, pathTemp); }
catch (Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("not compatible"))
{ /* inform user the project is from an older ScreenToGif version */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Opening a .stg/project archive whose contents include List.sb but not Project.json.

Common situations: User opens a project saved by ScreenToGif ≈ pre-2019 builds; project migrated from an old backup; project from a fork that still emits List.sb.

Related errors

• Impossible to open project.
• Unable to determine image format

AI-assisted analysis of NickeManarin/ScreenToGif@a4d0a67c21 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a766d0cfcf893a64. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at ScreenToGif/Windows/Editor.xaml.cs:4113

                List<FrameInfo> list;

                if (File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "Project.json")))
                {
                    //Read as text.
                    var json = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "Project.json"));

                    using (var ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(json)))
                    {
                        var ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(ProjectInfo));
                        var project = ser.ReadObject(ms) as ProjectInfo;

                        list = project?.Frames;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    if (File.Exists(Path.Combine(pathTemp, "List.sb")))
                        throw new Exception("Project not compatible with this version");

                    throw new FileNotFoundException("Impossible to open project.", "List.sb");
                }

                //Shows the ProgressBar
                ShowProgress(LocalizationHelper.Get("S.Editor.ImportingFrames"), list?.Count ?? 0);

                var count = 0;
                foreach (var frame in list ?? [])
                {
                    //Change the file path to the current one.
                    frame.Path = Path.Combine(pathTemp, Path.GetFileName(frame.Path));

                    count++;
                    UpdateProgress(count);
                }

                return list;

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