Can you install Resolve 14 beta side-by-side with 12.5?

I'm on Windows 10. Is there a way to install the Resolve 14 beta alongside 12.5, or can you only have one installation of Resolve on a system at a time?

If it isn't possible, I'll make a new partition, clone my Windows install, and do it that way.

I didnt find a way but I would love to see something like this. It would allow to test beta release while still keep stable version...

+1 to side by side if possible. 14 looks very alluring, but reading of the crashes etc, i'm not willing to jump in solely just yet.

+1 and following this thread in case BMD give a direction on this - I'd love to be part of the beta testing, but can't risk too much with ongoing jobs.

PS Peter if you see this - I thought it was better with the v12 beta stage when there was a sub forum for the beta testing.

...Resolve 14 crashes all the time. It seems to be more buggy than every Resolve beta version before. I deinstalled it, and will wait a couple of months....If it would be possible, to run the programm parallel, I would like to do the Beta-Testing for Blackmagic. But I have to do work with the programm....

NO, do not try to run two different versions of Resolve at the same time. There are some major project database changes between 12.5 and 14.

It's fine if you want to create a separate boot drive and separate project database just for v14 to "experiment" on, but this is still a Beta version and I would be very careful if I were you.

I saw several crashes during the NAB demos, so while it's an amazing program, my thinking is that it's not quite stable enough for day-in/day-out use yet. That's why they call it a beta.

agreed Marc. I setup a complete new OS drive, installed DR14 on that and bought in a copy of the 12.5 database. DR 14 ran for a bit but stopped, and that is the end of it. Cannot restart it. have un-installed, re-installed etc but it just refuses to start,

Main drive, DR 12.5...all intact and nothing lost but a bit of time.

If you want to experiment then go for it, but make sure you back up current DB first

I saw several crashes during the NAB demos, so while it's an amazing program, my thinking is that it's not quite stable enough for day-in/day-out use yet. That's why they call it a beta.

Because the old and new can't run simultaneously, it's a bit of a bind. Would like to help BMD with detailed feedback, but after installing this beta, it seems to be more beta than usual. I didn't see a lot of the problems being reported here, but I saw enough. So it was back to 12.5.5, until maybe the next version or two. They really ought to take their time.

I don't think so with Windows but on Mac running the Apple App Store version along side the Beta seems fine. You just need to make sure you have separate databases.

You would "think" that an install of a new program - whose database structure might be different, that a "new version" of the database is created from the old, and the original is now left untouched and so marked, that in the event of going back to the last working version (v12.5.5), everything would be 'automatically' reconnected...

What's that line...?

"No databases were hurt in this experiment..."

I happened to look at the log file of the v14 install - sitting in the 'temp' folder. It's quite long and seems to be a 'sophisticated' process. BMD has the knowledge to make sure our master databases don't get mugged...

You could protect the database by creating a unique disk-based version in 12.5.5, and using that, and that alone, in the beta. Or just backing up/copying the existing 12.5.5 local database before installing the beta and keeping it intact. It's easy to copy and replace the folder manually.

The real issue, at least for me, is reliability. If only one version can be on the system, throwing your lot in with the current beta may be a little too optimistic for actual work.

I would think you could run both if you do this:

1) backup all projects in database(s) in 12.5.5
2) disconnect database(s) in 12.5.5
3) Move 12.5.5 database(s) to another location on drive.
4) Move 12.5.5 app to a different folder (i.e. "DaVinci Resolve Studio 12.5")
5) Install 14
6) Run both 12.5.5 and 14 (separately obviously) to make sure both function
7) In 12.5.5, connect to existing 12.5.5 database to test. If it works, great! If not, import the backed up projects.
8) In 14, import backed up 12.5.5 project to test.

I'm coming from a Mac, so I don't know if the above applies exactly to Windows. Personally, I always create a new database whenever I start working on a new project. It keeps the database cleaner and smaller and prevents clients from seeing everything else I'm working on. I also put all my databases in a different location on my drive than the default, so they are all always getting backed up automatically with Time Machine and I know exactly where to find them if I need them.

Mike, this sounds great. Can anyone else chime in of this works for them on OS X?

I also would love to do this. I have a database backup in any case and it doesn't hurt to make a version just for v14. And no I don't have a completely separate system that I could use just to test a program that I could also test just fine on my main PC.