# Accessing and Upgrading Older Projects
If your project was created in an earlier version of BESS, you can continue to access it in the earlier version of the tool in which it was created, or upgrade it to the latest version. The prompts BESS gives you depend on whether your project is a draft or published project.
# Draft projects created in BESS up to v1.6.2 (BESS5)
When you enter the project, you are asked if you want to upgrade the project to the latest version. This is recommended, however you can keep the project as the existing version (e.g. v1.3, v1.5, v1.6.1, v1.6.2) if you wish.
If you choose to upgrade the project, a copy will be created in the latest version. The original project will remain in the existing version.
# Published projects created in BESS up to v1.6.2 (BESS5)
You are able to view and print your project in the version it was created in (e.g. v1.3, v1.5, v1.6.1, v1.6.2). If you copy the project, the copy of the project will be upgraded to the latest version and your project score may change.
If you need to make a change to a project that was published before August 2019 and wish to keep your project as the existing version (i.e. v1.3, v1.5, v1.6.0), please contact the BESS support team through the Contact page.